Getting a full time job in the real estate industry.

[Sean Thompson]

Hello Everyone!

My wife and I are Investors here in the Kansas City area. We currently have a duplex, and our primary residence. We have had that duplex for over 3 years now, and I would like to change my primary focus to real estate. 

I am a automotive technician by trade. I started 5 years ago when I decided that I wanted to work on cars. Without a degree, I went and got a job at a local tire shop. Worked there for 6 months, and then moved up to working at a chain store here in the midwest called "Tires Plus". Over the years, I have changed jobs a few times to take advantage of more learning and higher pay. I have gone from $8 an hour at the used tire shop, to over $28 per hour as a qualified and certified Automotive Technician. This was due to being a fast leaner, a hard worker, and always negotiating for higher pay. All of this has been without going to school to get a degree in automotive. I just figured that I could learn more by actually doing it, and immersing myself in the industry. 

Unfortunately, I have reached the top as far as technician pay goes. Not many technicians make much more than I do. I could try to get a couple more dollars per hour being a technician, or I could change my style of job and maybe become a service advisor, but honestly I have become very burnt out of the automotive repair industry. 

I would like to take the same enthusiasm, hard work, and quick learning that I put towards automotive, and do the same with real estate. I have found that when you immerse yourself in an industry, it is the fastest way to learn and succeed in that industry. 

I have been doing research into jobs that are real estate related, and I am having a hard time with finding something that meets the financial needs of my family. We are a single income house hold (my wife is a stay at home mom) and I make sound 48K per year. We have tried to adjust our budget to try and cut down on spending, but even then I would still have to make at least 42K per year to cover our family expenses every month. 

I have looked into different jobs such as Lease Agent, Real Estate Agent, or a maintenance guy/handy man. The issues with these is that  (from the research Ive done) the starting pay for a lease agent is too low, real estate agent takes a while before you start making a decent income, and being handyman/maintenance guy isn't much different than what I do now.

So, Im turning to the Bigger Pockets Community for suggestions! I need a job that is in the real estate field, that makes at minimum 42K per year. I can literally do anything I set my mind to, I just need a direction! Any ideas?