What does it take to be a realtor? Why choose this as an occupation in your opinion.

I’ve held a real estate license since 1976. I actually worked fulled time for only a couple of years, then I only handled things that fell into my lap. It’s a sales job and the competition is fierce. I remember reading that about 10% of agents get 90% of the work. You see people do things that you know are wrong and agents pretend to all be friends but they aren’t. I had fun selling houses but it didn’t determine whether I could eat or not so I didn’t have a lot of pressure. I’m now an attorney and only handle real estate sales if it is in conjunction with some other type work for a client.

Why an attorney now ? How do you go from realtor to attorney ?

You go to law school. Realtor was never my career. I come from a real estate family and everyone is licensed. The family is in real estate investing, not sales.

Okay I understand… Family thing.
Looking for Characteristics of a realtor

if you have the aptitude for sales and are a self starter you could do ok.
As a contractor I sometimes am involved with realtors and I have to say that at times they come off as a little bit shifty.

You need to be able to work independently as there is no one looking over your shoulders.

You need to have an ability to handle details (all of the paperwork).

You need to be responsible about money because your paydays come as feast or famine when you close deals.

A realtor sells. Sells high-stakes goods. Must be a charming people person and knowledgeable about their product, from the neighborhood to a range hoods. Must project a natural fit with the type of neighborhoods they want to market and the type of people who want to live there. Above all, sales.

network, network, network. It’s sorta political in some areas and it helps to be tight with home builders, inspectors, etc.

You have to be a people oriented person with an up to date knowledge of the market at all times. You have to be able to keep a professional, good natured attitude no matter how other people are behaving.You have get use to working every hour of every day, and most of the time you are working for free.

To become a Realtor I took a week long class, passed a class exam, then passed a state exam, then joined the Realtor’s Associaion. Abracadabra—Realtor. I decided to pursue it because I like to work with people, liked looking at houses, the housing market was hot, and I moved a lot, so I figured I could save my side of the commission. People who do really well at real estate tend to advertise themselves a lot, and work on getting a lot of listings. It is very important to be professional and have good follow through, because referrals are also a big part of the business. Realtors, especially back during the housing boom, made a lot of their money buying property themselves and flipping it.

Also, you need to be able to make very little money the first year or two. Because, even the best, most successful realtor, probably had a very slow first year. As someone mentioned above very few Realtors make big dollars.