PT Real Estate Agent

[John Jabson]

Being a PT real estate agent with no intention of ever going full-time....good or bad idea? Time consuming? Profitable? Not profitable? any ideas would be helpful...

[Ibrahim Hughes]

IMO working as a realtor is only financially feasible if a) you have a spouse who serves as the primary bread winner and the Realtor gig is only to 'help ends meet' and/or you only need the part time income, b) you supplement it with investing, c) you're doing enough volume to afford an assistant (usually reserved for more experienced and successful agents) or d) you're servicing higher end clients ($500k+ priced homes - in which case you're sure to have an assistant).

Additionally, many agents make the mistake of working against market trends. In other words they take on a lot of buyers in a seller's market or vice versa. This only adds to the challenges in making a living as a realtor.

The way it's typically done, with the realtor job being a major (not necessarily 'primary') source of income and servicing first time home buyers (who require a lot of hand holding), it becomes a challenge that causes many agents to throw in the towel and seek more 'secure' employment.