How to go about looking for a job in the real estate world

Question

I am a one of those inspired newbies sitting here wondering where in the world I should begin. My wife and I are currently living in San Diego, though we have been considering moving to a more new-investor-friendly market. I am sick of my job and have decided to quit in the next month or so as it is draining my love of life and not paying me enough to do it. I am considering looking for work in the real estate world since I want to begin investing in real estate in the near future. My natural inclination has been to get into the remolding side of things because I am someone that enjoys working with my hands and my most of my current experience is in HVACR working on pharmaceutical freezers and the like. This means I know my way around a lot of the basics of many trades including plumbing, electrical, carpentry and of course HVAC. I have however also considered trying something totally new. I've considered everything from real estate agent or appraiser to property manager or just going cold into fix and flipping for myself full time.

I have a lot of flexibility in options and I am looking for any advice on where to get started. I am especially interested in any insight into getting in touch with good contractors or investors that would be willing to swap hard labor, passion and any other value I can give them for on the job training in these areas. Any words of advice are appreciated.

BiggerPockets has blown this whole world wide open for me and I am very excited about the possibilities that it opens up for me and my family in the future!

Cody L. · Answer

I’d be happy to hire you as a property manager if you make your way to Houston. We are so short staffed right now it’s crazy. Damn 3% unemployment isn’t helping business owners who are trying to hire/retain people

Abel Curiel · Answer

Hey Nate,I'm sorry to hear your job has been making you feel that way. I totally get it... especially as a married man, we need to feel happy in order to make our wives happy. That being said, you certainly have some options as to what you can do to get involved in the industry. Working with HVAC, plumbing, electric, etc. is a great way to get started. I'm not sure if becoming an agent will fit what you're looking for. Its not as enjoyable as HGTV makes it seem. Theres a lot of behind the scenes stuff that you have to do in order to jump start your business. Not to mention, you won't get paid for about 3-6 months.I recommend using BP to find local meet-ups. Other meet-ups can be found on eventbrite and meetup.com.You can also use the BP search function to connect with agents, contractors, and investors in your target market. It may take some time to make quality contacts... its kinda like dating hahaLastly, if you see a lot of renovated properties in your area that are listed by the same agent/company, you can reach out to them and tell them your story. They may be able to introduce you to investors.Best of luck to you moving forward!Abel

Nate Grettenberger · Answer

@Cody L.Nice, that is very central. My wife and I where looking a little further south but I’m sure that she would have a better time finding a good job in that area.I’m actually trying to decide whether or not to get my real estate license here in California, I have so little experience or skill to offer people like yourself and it seems getting my license may be one of the better ways to get something worth offering.

Cody L. · Answer

Thanks but we're only in Houston. The only thing I have remote people do is some of our leasing/marketing follow up using an online web based CRM. Right now I normally do it since it's hard to find people to use the tool correctly, but honestly at some point I'll farm it out to a local leasing/marketing person as part of their R&R or find some dude in India to manage it.

Cody L. · Answer

Mostly inside the 610 loop. Here's a map. If I zoomed out further there is a few more but not much.

Mitch Hagy · Answer

How about Dallas/Ft. Worth Cody? Looking for some help up here?

Nate Grettenberger · Answer

Wow Cody, that’s actually a tempting offer. My wife and I were just in Houston six months ago looking a property and visiting friends. We actually made plans to move there in February or March and then decided to delay our move indefinitely while I look for some experience here, where my wife has a stable job.I’ve noticed you around the forums before because you are originally from San Diego and invest in Houston. I know you have a lot of property there but where in Houston are the bulk of the properties located?

Nate Grettenberger · Answer

Hi Christina, thank you very much! I would love the opportunity to hear your story and get your thoughts on the market and my situation.

Christina Labowicz · Answer

Hi Nate, I am a commercial real estate agent focusing on multi-family 2-4 units and apartment complexes, I'd be happy to share how my journey has been and share some insight to the current market!

Nate Grettenberger · Answer

@Able Curiel Thank you for taking the time to reply, and thank you for the advice. Looking to my wife’s happiness and what’s best for our future family has been a huge guiding factor in my thought process.Yea I have kind moved away from the idea of being an agent or broker, though I may get my license at some point just to have personal access to the MLS.I do really prefer more personal face to face conversations so I like your advice about looking for local meet-ups. I will certainly do that. I have a meeting planned with a friend and local agent next week. This week has become the starting line for me. The time to switch from thinking about it to taking action.Thank you for the well wishes!