Dual Career Real Estate Agent?

[Erik Pierson]

I'm sure there's many people out there on the BP forums who either currently or have previously held a real estate license. I would love to hear from anyone who has worked as an agent as a 2nd job or side business. I currently have a "W-2" job that I work 40-50 hours a week. I love real estate and have been considering a career change but do not want to leave the security of my current job to pursue it if I don't have to. Even if I did not make it a career change I figure I could use the extra income and industry knowledge to help with investing. I met with a couple realtors to discuss the specifics of getting my license and ask some basic questions but I'm really curious to hear about your unbiased experience. How did you manage your time? How much longer did it take to get your name out there and build up a client base not doing it full time? If done successfully, is it worth the extra income? Does being in the industry help you on the investing side? Any feedback is appreciated!

(I'm located in the Northern Virginia area)