The Pros and Cons of Being a Real Estate Agent

The Hidden Underbelly of the Real Estate Game

This article is not a public relations general text message about the delightful world of real estate. It's the real down-low about how realtors actually live. Like an out of work actor working as a waiter or a substitute teacher working one day a week, real estate agents enjoy a substatus in the American workforce. Real estate agents can get a bad rap. If you are considering a career in real estate, read on.

Ever wondered what the actual psychological stress and financial burden of your average real estate agent is? Real estate agents bear significant impact of a wildly fluctuating real estate market. One year can bring about a total eclipse of any real estate agent's life and career. There are certain constants in every real estate deal no matter what the geographical region. Here's why the real estate agent lives in a gray area.

1. Namby Pamby Status

People know that you must have a legal knowledge of the realty trade rules, law and finance, and must undergo continuing education. Yet realtors are often the butt of jokes in media and comedy sketches. Every call-in client or emailed customer inquiry wants customer service that never ends. Only a few actual commissions must cover all of this work. And the media rains down headlines blaming realtors for being "greedy" selling people homes they shouldn't have applied for because they couldn't afford them. When did enabling the purchase of the American home become a criminal act?

The day of a real estate agent can feel like the final round of Jeopardy. Anxious buyers want 5-minute updates on every detail of their deal. Sellers want blanket assurances that nothing will go wrong in the most volatile real estate market in 40 years. The most clueless of clients react with shock if realtors can't answer laundry lists of real estate questions yet never fail to resent the earned commission on each sale. Realtors must handle both people who want to use them to get into the field and peers and others who undercut their efforts and steal their listings.

2. Rollercoaster Markets