Wholesaler vs RE Agent

[Aaron Guadiano]

Hello all,

I am new to BiggerPockets and I love seeing all the new opportunities that are possible with this platform. I was recently laid off of from my previous corporate job and it made me take a good look at my life and where I am going with it. I've always been interested in Real Estate and with the unfortunate event I encountered I told myself maybe this is a sign that I can now attempt to make my interest my career. I have done some research and I am thinking about getting my Real Estate Licence. However, I seem to keep getting pulled to the side of Real Estate investing most of you on here know as 'wholesaling'. I think what pulls me to this venture is I seem to understand that while RE agents work for commission, Wholesalers work for profits. Most RE agents commissions are capped (~6% per deal?) but with profits it seems like the sky is the limit. 

I've also looked into work with local Wholesale brokers (i guess you can call them that) and they ask for a Licence. From what i understand you don't need a licence to wholesale and why would I work for a wholesale broker when lots of people are doing it solo and not giving up the profits for commission. 

Can anyone with experience in this please shed some light on this? also id love to hear from wholesalers and RE agents. 

Thanks!!

[Omar Khan]

@Aaron Guadiano Both roles - RE agents and wholesalers - are not an easy path to riches. They are very hard endeavors with every major MSA being saturated i.e. it is hard if not impossible to stand out. 

RE agents might have a cap but they have a higher chance of making #s in volume especially if they work with a good brokerage. For wholesalers, theoretically, the "sky might be the limit" but historically speaking not many people have last more than a year in wholesaling. 

None of them are investing. They are jobs/businesses that have to be treated as such.