Becoming a real estate agent in Oregon

[Joyce Chan]

Hi everyone,

I am rookie right now and deciding to see if becoming a real estate agent is suitable and right career for me. I want to get some advice from professionals like you and what my next steps should be. Let’s talk in this forum and get some help from you! 

[Bob B.]

@Joyce Chan

I obtained my license in 2017 after already building some momentum in real estate business. Like @Jay Hinrichs mentioned above, it's not an easy job. People hope that it can be done part time or only after work hours but that's a pretty big stretch. Starting out, you have to be willing to do whatever it takes, whenever it's needed in order to get deals closed and start building momentum. 

I literally just went and mowed a lawn and replaced some window locks on a listing of mine. Not because I had to, but because I knew it was the right thing to do at this very moment. Anything to give us an edge at the right times.

I did not join a team. From the day I became licensed it was approximately 6 months until my first closed brokerage transaction and saw any kind of commissions due to the license.

This is where the "reserves" part of the conversation come in. Be ready for it to take some time to see your investment of time (and it will be a heavy investment) coming back your way. 

If you stay consistent, however, the business will begin to grow. 

Because of persistence, follow ups, and consistently cold prospecting on a daily basis, in my first full 12 month calendar year licensed (2018), I have been able to replace my previous salary. I don't think that my results are out of this world good, nor are they bad, I just share them for context. I work quite a bit more than most since I'm single and I am able. I likely work an average of 12 hours per day. Every day. This is split between investing and brokerage, but it is still a substantial amount of time in the arena.

The industry is not for the faint of heart. There are many speed bumps, deals that just fall apart, and people who change their mind on you along the way. I highly recommend if you do go for it, you get into a group of other people who are pursuing similar goals at the same time you are. 

Find a few friends who are at the same level as you, and also find a few who are 2-5 years further along the path that you'd like to go down. Those who are at your level will be your war-story friends. You'll need people to debrief with as it can be a lonely road and you will want to share success and losses along the way with people who can relate.

Those who are 2-5 years ahead of you are who you should really be learning from and paying attention to. What are they doing and how are they doing it? What is making their businesses successful? You should value these friends' time and make sure you are contributing in some way some kind of value to them. 

Happy to share more, these are just some thoughts as you consider diving in.

Good luck!