Leaving My Career For Real Estate

How It Began

Monday morning begins at 6 a.m. with the sound of my dreaded alarm. Tired, annoyed, and fearing the day ahead I drag myself out of bed attempting to start my day on a positive note. I leave my house at 7 a.m. where I sit in traffic until 8 a.m. to go 9 miles up the road to my job. Once at my job, I sit in a cube from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. taking phone calls from clients looking for assistance with finance. I enjoy helping those that need assistance and are willing to listen to me, but unfortunately that's not most clients are. The majority of the people I work with are calling to yell for something that's probably not related (can't get connected to the internet to check their account, they have 30 seconds to process a transaction that takes 3 days, etc.) After spending hours counting down until closing time, I finally pack my bags and sit in more traffic until I get home. Usually my nightly routine was nothing more than make dinner, watch TV, clean up and go to bed. 

The saga continues the next day, and the next day, until we finally make it to Friday. I spend my weekends in a borderline depressed state knowing that I only have two days of freedom before five days of misery.

 At first, I told myself I am doing what I am supposed to be doing with my life. I graduated college, immediately got a job working in finance, and after a few years of being the new guy I will have a great job with more flexibility. With this mind set I had a goal of out working everyone so I can move through the ranks as quickly as possible to get where I wanted to be, but this is where I ran into my problem. 

During my four years working at this desk job, I exceeded expectations and was a top performer 2 years in a row and was asked to work on numerous projects to help make the role I was in more efficient and effective. Despite my accomplishments, I receive a minimal pay raise and was never able to receive a promotion.

When I realized I was staying stagnant for years I knew something had to change. I started looking for other jobs in finance, but the idea of continuing to work a 9 - 5 sickened me and I didn't want to leave company A so I can do the same thing at company B just for the sake of "change." 

After hours of researching online businesses, work from home, remote finance jobs, how to get rich in 2018/2019, top paying jobs with flexible hours, I came across BiggerPockets.

"That's it! Real Estate!" I told my self. After all I majored in finance with a concentration in Real Estate so this is the obvious path to take. I listened to all the BP podcast episodes and was eager to get this career underway, but there was a few problems. I didn't have time, I hardly had any money after all expenses were paid, and my job stripped away any enthusiasm I had to be productive when I was off. 

I researched as much as could to find options for getting started with real estate investing, but almost everything said work for many years until your cashflow is enough to leave your job. My initial reaction was to start looking for other areas, but I couldn't get my mind off real estate investing. 

I stuck around with my job for about 6 months trying to save up, but found I was developing bad habits from the stress my job created. I was drinking every night to escape the thoughts of my job, I was stressed out all the time and was taking my anger out on everything around me, I wasn't sleeping well, stopped calling my friends and family, wasn't exercising and was hardly eating. "This is not the way a 25 year old should be living, I am too young to be causing this much damage to my body," I told myself. 

Not willing to wait for a job opportunity any longer, I put my two weeks in a signed up for Real Estate school. Immediately I already started to feel happier. No more dealing with clients who don't appreciate my work, no more mind numbing routine of sleep, traffic, work, traffic, eat and repeat. I was on my own now, I took charge and if nothing else I had to pat myself on the back for taking control of my life and doing what was going to make me a happier person. 

6 month's later

Present time. I was fortunate enough to pass my real estate class and exam on the first try and immediately had an opportunity with a local firm. I used to tell myself, "if it wasn't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all" but I now realize my bad luck was a result of my mindset. Leaving my previous job has been the best decision I have ever made. I've put on nearly 20 pounds (and I am a skinny guy, so I was REALLY skinny 6 months ago) I sleep better, don't drink like I used too and I still don't really work out but I am getting there. 

Even though now I lost my health insurance, have almost depleted my bank account getting started as a Real Estate agent, and haven't made a sale, I am so much happier now because I am doing what makes me happy. 

Again, I try to stay positive, but I now can tell myself if real estate doesn't work out I will have plenty other opportunities to take advantage of and if nothing else I removed myself from a toxic lifestyle. That a lone is a priceless change!

Moving forward

I want to document my journey as an Agent/Investor and keep people updated in real time. I would love to be able to influence someone that is in a position similar to what I was in with my previous job to make the change that is going to give them a happier and healthier life. Whether anyone follows this journey or not, it is also special for me to be able to look back on the progress I have made and realize I could have stayed where I was and remained unhappy but was doing what people expected from me, but I believed in my ability enough to make a change for the better. 

Thank you for reading and I hope you can share this with someone that needs a change to create a better life!