Why go to college when you could become a Real Estate Agent?

Parents Forum
141

<p>In older neighborhoods such as mine where no two houses are that similar and condition/upgrades vary that is not as easy as it sounds. I looked at the comps and could have justified a range of $25K from my sale price. For example kitchen was original with knotty pine (50s) cabinets. Appliances were OK. Basement was partially finished but not to a high level. Orig windows–but high quality wood. Good roof and HVAC. That’s pretty broad. Any of those could be a $5k value swing alone.</p>

<p>I work in large high level commercial RE firm so I actually know more than a little about these things. Been at it 30+ years. We have several brokers who have law degrees. Very useful in their work. I am not saying LU law grads are going to major NYC firms. But even small cities have several law firms that are not going after Top 14 type lawyers. They also have ins with many of the conservative advocacy groups in and around DC. They hire lots from LU and Regent.</p>

<p>A guy from my firm helped LU with this project.</p>

<p><a href=“Homepage - Journal”>Homepage - Journal;

142

<p>You really have to have a certain sort of sales personality. I don’t have it. Because of my degree, I once obtained a real estate license (without having to do the class, etc) because I am also a landlord.</p>

<p>I thought it would be helpful. The fees were pretty high if you weren’t bringing in any income, and I am not aggressive enough to pester people and get lots of prospects, though I’m good at real estate selection, evaluation, etc. </p>

<p>I let the license lapse.</p>

143

<p>My area already has far too many realtors. With few connections, it would be difficult to get into the real estate market (many parents seem to “do” real estate part time). Plus, there are plenty of realtors with college degrees.</p>

144

<p>Try to go into real estate. Honestly.</p>

<p>In fact, it is easier to get license with BA or BS, even in real estate.</p>

<p>Also, some agents are successful instantly, some are not. Don’t understand why anyone has to wait for 3 years.</p>

<p>Disclaimer: I passed real estate agent bar, because I want to buy-sell my house myself, without paying the 2%.</p>

145

<p>What about doing rentals only?</p>

146

<p>That’s a fallacious statement. Money can be everything, if you make it your only priority in life. (or you’re a huge fan of MacroEconomics<3). People should pursue CAREERS to better the world. Many seek degrees that take years but only pays a little, but where are we going to find high-paid teachers for Middle School/Highschool? Where will be the Engineers(Low relative to 100k, Paid high compared to general) come from? Where are the laborers? Where would these important careers come from, if everyone was a Real Estate Agent?</p>

147

<p>To answer the OP, the real estate market is in the crapper.</p>

<p>It really sucks and many seasoned agents don’t want a bunch of young bucks out of high school trying to horn in on their turfs.</p>

148

<p>

Maybe, but on the other hand the last three years have been the best years my wife has had. Go figure.</p>

149

<p>In many areas the market is strong and moving up toward the last peak. Shortage of homes to sell now in better areas. Multiple offers, etc.</p>

150

<p>Given the costs to the OP at GWU why not do marketing at Liberty? Or some other school- I’m sure there are several online U’s offering degrees in that field. btw- taking community college courses to get an AA degree is not the same as a 4 year college campus experience. </p>

<p>With all of the belligerent responses from the OP he sounds like we’re discussing for the good of others reading this thread, not him.</p>

<p>Despite the internet residential real estate will still need agents to show houses. We still live in the real, not a virtual, world. The virtual tours, photos, data and aerial views do make the house hunting process much easier than in the past but they never show everything. There are a lot of things we can do ourselves but many of them are worth paying a professional. For us hiring a real estate pro was worth it, as it is for most people.</p>

151

<p>To answer the OP:</p>

<p>Not everyone has the personality, talent, or the inclination/passion to sell real estate. Being an effective sales person requires certain personality traits in combinations few people have…along with some luck. </p>

<p>In my area…far too many people are going into real estate like lemmings…and finding it a much harder route to riches than they had initially thought. Especially if they don’t have a real passion for real estate and a salesperson type personality.</p>

152

<p>hmmm. There’s a lot of posts on here about what it takes to be a successful realtor that are right on the money. My parents have been realtors for 40 years. My dad has a degree in Polysci - which was a default degree he didn’t actually want, he wanted to be an architect, but he was attending school on a diving scholarship and had to transfer to another school and couldn’t get his architect degree there so he ended up with whatever added up to a degree, which was polysci. Then he joined the Marines and went to Vietnam, then came back and couldn’t find any work for helicoptor pilots so he became a realtor.</p>

<p>I believe his degree and education DID help him for all the reasons people have said. He’s been successful over the years though there were some very bad ones (didn’t sell one house in 1980) He became a broker two years after he got his license and has owned his real estate company ever since. </p>

<p>It IS damn long hours and weekends and your time is not your own - unless you remarry, make your wife an agent, and put HER to work all the time, which he did, and goes off fishing while she handles everything. LOL!</p>

<p>He’s made actually pretty big money the last ten years but only indirectly from being a realtor. He started investing in rental properties and over the years that has become a steady income stream, but it’s a headache to keep up with. And it’s absolutely true that if you are going into this because you have some notion that you can just take off whenever you want, HAH!! There is some flexibility and it’s great for people who hate being behind a desk all day (that was my Dad) but your time is at your client’s disposal. If you want to eat, that is.</p>

<p>And for every one like him there are dozens who try it, starve, and go on to do something else.</p>

<p>It’s not for everyone. Some people do very well. It can be done without a degree - but I think a degree helps. You’d better be smart, people oriented, ETHICAL (because if you aren’t, people find out, and sooner or later your name is mud and people won’t use you) endlessly patient, able to grasp math and real estate law, willing to spend lots of time on continuing education, and able to survive during the dry spells.</p>

<p>It’s not a substitute for an education; that’s a rather silly way to set up a discussion. It’s a possible career path that has a lot of risk and works for some but for many, does not. An education is an entirely separate issue. One should decide if they want an education, and separately, decide if they want to be in real estate.</p>

153

<p>I have known successful realtors and those who gave it up.
If real estate is your PASSION…why not get started AND start an AA at a local cc so that you are learning more about business and marketing.
One day you may be interested in being the broker/owner of a firm.</p>

<p>If its a passion for you–you read all you can get your hands on re real estate and finance…go for it. Just don’t close the door to college.
I’d be prepared too to work part time to pay your bills …so consider your days will be full.</p>

154

<p>This thread can really apply to many job areas, from computer science to nonprofit work to the arts to sales. If offered a career path that does not require college, as a young person, should one take it or defer career in order to finish school? A good example is a summer intern in Silicon Valley who gets offered a high paying job without returning to finish the BS.</p>

<p>Also, some employers in some fields will take experience or talent over education, some won’t. We all know of outliers who had amazing careers without college. If you see college as strictly about career or money, then there are indeed other ways to go about making a living, even in a world that is so hyperfocused on degrees.</p>

<p>However, education has other benefits outside of the career concerns. (I have been taking classes for years out of interest.) You can do real estate and work on a degree at the same time, honestly. Whenever you want. So I don’t see them as mutually exclusive.</p>

155

<p>I just finished an advising appointment with GWU counselor. She said they would take 60 of my credits from Community College so I would only need 2 years of full-time study to complete my degree. Now I will incur about 25k of debt per year for 2 years… That’s 50k of debt. I will have a Bachelors in Political Science from GWU (does the brand name and location give the lack of competitive major a boost?) plus an associates degree and paralegal certificate from an ABA approved school… How would my job prospects be you think? Also if I get really good grades could scholarships for grad school be an option?</p>

156

<p>Seriously? Here’s the answer, because college or an “education,” is more than getting a job. It’s more than an investment with a monetary return. Now, I do understand for for most people struggling to get by it is difficult to see an education in such esoteric terms, but this is the reality. This is the beautiful hidden truth of the life of the mind. When you discover its riches you will be free. You will be free to do what you want, with whom you want, the way you want, but you must first pay the toll, which is hours upon hours, upon decades of desire and scholarship. That is how you discover the riches that surpass monetary value. Meditate upon Plato’s Allegory of the Cave and discover its meaning.</p>

157

<p>^^ Yeah I don’t disagree with you but if that’s the case why pay 50 grand to go to school? Abraham Lincoln didn’t go to college. A kindle and some spare time reading can do all that…</p>

<p>As it applied to me I already have 60 plus credit hours and an Associates Degree… Honestly I learned more on wikipedia then my 60 credit hours. I’m talking in practical terms… What sort of entry level jobs can I expect with a Bachelors in Polisci from GWU coupled with my Paralegal Certificate/Associates Degree in Paralegal Studies?</p>

158

<p>Bo- I would be happy to answer your questions- what kind of entry level job can I expect with a BA in Poli Sci from GW, except that you won’t listen to the answer so I’m not going to bother. The GW Career Services office has plenty of statistics for you to look through which shows you who recruits on campus and what the qualifications are of the folks who get those jobs.</p>

<p>And exactly what kind of grad school are you hoping to get scholarships for? If you thought a BA was a waste of time and opportunity cost, why worry about grad school???</p>

159

<p>“Seriously? Here’s the answer, because college or an “education,” is more than getting a job.” - Russellvincente</p>

<p>Listen to Russell.</p>

160

<p>Blossom, I am listening. I am actually leaning toward going to GW… I am honestly just curious about what kind of job offers these kids get… Like is there a drastic difference in the job offers between the kid that got the Polisci degree from GW and the one that went to Slippery Rock? You know what I mean.</p>