Staying active military/ get RE/ working on the side

[Anthony Ronco]

I am doing a full career in the military.  I still have awhile to to go before I retire. Someone told me I should get my real estate license and to start learning how the industry works. I want to know if it's possible to be active military and be a real estate agent at the same time?

I was told that doing it on my own will be more of a pain then anything. Joining a team was a suggestion I was told look into. I just don't know how that all works and if it is even possible?

[Colin Smith]

@Anthony Ronco,

In my opinion, you really need to decide what your intentions are. You're likely on BiggerPockets to learn about real estate investing, not how to be a Realtor. Again, this is only my opinion, but I don't believe having a license teaches you one thing about being able to invest in real estate. In fact, I work with many agents on a regular basis who truly know very little about real estate investing. I frequently end up acquiring their clients over time. I have hear horror story after horror story of agents giving really bad advice to their clients. I'm not saying the agents were giving bad advice to try and close a deal, I truly believe these agents just don't know how to properly invest in real estate. Properly being the key word. Anyone can buy a house and rent it out, but making a truly great investment is another story. All that say, you can get your license and learn how to help clients buy and sell houses and not learn a thing about real estate investing.

If you're wanting a lifestyle of cash flowing investment properties and you're only buying or selling a few houses a year, I would recommend trusting a professional agent who understands investing to do their job. The DIY agents out there frequently get themselves into trouble in bad deals or lawsuits from from individuals they have bought or sold homes to because they didn't do enough CYA on their paperwork or failed to disclose something.

If you're truly looking for another job, then I think being a Realtor is a very rewarding career if you truly have a passion for real estate. In all honesty, it's not hard to get a license. On the other hand, it is extremely difficult to find clients to be successful enough to make a living at it and this is why we see so many people come and go from the career field. 

If you have more questions about what it looks like to be an agent and you're still questioning pursuing your license or not, feel free to hit me up with more questions!