TOP 10 REASONS TO BECOME A REAL ESTATE AGENT

TOP 10 REASONS TO BECOME A REAL ESTATE AGENT:

1. Unlimited Earning Potential
2. Flexible Hours
3. Freedom to work where and when YOU want
4. Can raise a family and work without sacrificing one for the other
5. No technical skills needed
6. Autonomy
7. Entrepreneurial
8. People Centric
9. Healthy balance of analytics and creative
10. Real Estate market is booming now – jump in

There are more than five million people in the United States employed in real estate fields such as:

• title insurance


• construction


• mortgage banking


• property management


• real estate appraisals


• brokerage and leasing


• real estate development

Over a third of the world's wealth is tied up in real estate.

**http://www.careers-in-finance.com/re.htm

And, Agentcampus can help you with your path to success.

As important as the field of real estate might be, it is also worth recognizing how interesting the work in this field is. Real estate professionals are tied to the development of our society in a very direct way and participate in decisions that will shape the way we live for centuries. Work in real estate is personally rewarding, ever-changing and challenging.

Take some time and complete the 2 minute Agentcampus Career Survey in order to consider your potential in the field of real estate. CLICK HERE FOR SURVEY

Real estate jobs tend to be more entrepreneurial and create opportunities to become wealthy if you have the right mix of analytical skills and entrepreneurial drive. Below, you will find various job functions that you could be involved in with a real estate license:

Residential Real Estate Agent/Broker

Real estate agents and brokers are usually independent sales professionals who contract their services to real estate brokers in exchanges for a commission-sharing agreement (normally six percent). There are over 400,000 real estate brokers and agents in the United States . To become a broker you must be at least 18 years old, a high school graduate and have passed a written test on property laws and real estate transactions

Commercial Real Estate Sales

Commercial property brokerage offices use sales associates who market office buildings, hotels and many other types of commercial real estate for brokers. Commercial real estate sales people usually specialize in a particular property type such as apartments, retail, office, hospitality, shopping centers and industrial plants. Most of the large commercial brokerage companies in the United States provide a great deal of local market data and research in order to be able to service a cadre of sophisticated clients who are making multi-million dollar investment decisions. Several trade organizations represent the various commercial real estate subspecialties including the American Industrial Real Estate Association at http://www.csz.com/air.html, the Hotel and Motel Brokers of America at http://www.primenet.com/~amhb/ , the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties at http://www.naiop.org/, the Real Estate Exchange-a forum for women in commercial real estate-at http://www.ctre.com/rex/, the International Council of Shopping Centers at http://www.icsc.org/, and the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors at http://www.sior.com/. Additionally, the Commercial Investment Real Estate Institute (CIREI), through its education program, has been conferring the Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) designation since 1969. You can visit their web site at http://www.ccim.com/.

Real Estate Appraisers

Real estate appraisers provide unbiased estimates of a property's value and quality. Appraisers usually work for banks or for appraiser firms and will normally value properties by finding comparable sales in an area or by estimating the discounted value of cash flows expected from a property. This profession is less cyclical than real estate brokerage because appraisers are required when homes are refinanced-a time historically when the real estate market has been slow. You can learn more about this area from the Appraisal Foundation .

Property Managers

Leading real estate owners require professional property managers. Managers are responsible for negotiating leases, ensuring that tenants are satisfied, that rent is paid and that rents reflect market conditions. The career of property manager requires good interpersonal and analytical skills and a fair amount of negotiating prowess. This job is personally rewarding and allows you to really learn the real estate markets should you wish to embark in business on your own. The Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM) is the trade association representing property managers. Their training programs include the Certified Property Manager (CPM) and Accredited Residential Manager (ARM) designations. The IREM web site is at http://www.irem.org/.

Real Estate Advisory

Institutional investors are purchasing real estate more and more. But real estate is not like a stock or bond that you can buy and put in a vault. Real estate advisors help investors care for property and, more importantly, se lect property in the first place by suggesting areas and property types that are likely to experience price appreciation in the future. This job is fun and one that you can get into after getting experience in investing or property management. People who are good with statistics and excel at client contact do well in this job. An example of a leading advisor is Jones Lang Wootton which has 70 offices world-wide.

Development and Construction

Are you willing to work hard and take risks to develop new properties? Then a career in real estate development may be for you. You can enter this business working for another developer, moving up to construction manag er, or you can strike out on your own, starting with some smaller transactions. Good developers are results-oriented and know how to get work on time which involves managing labor, establishing time estimates, getting appropriate equipment operators and c onstruction crews.

Real Estate Entrepreneur

Real estate is one of the last bastions of the free-enterprising entrepreneur who buys properties in hope that they will rise in value because of improvement in market conditions or renovations. Since WWII some of the weal thiest persons in the world have been real estate entrepreneurs. To make it in this career you need to be savvy, hard-working, willing to take risks and fortunate. Remember, their are others who would also like to become wealthy in real estate who will be bidding on the same deals and properties that you will. It is important, then, to think carefully of how you can succeed in this market through better wits, a superior management approach or a unique niche strategy.

**http://business.fullerton.edu/finance/relui/careers/careers_joboptions.asp

If you know that Real Estate is for you and you know that you will be licensed in due time, but would like some more material to read.

Below, you will find highly recommended Books About Real Estate Careers that Agentcampus Career Consultants recommend.

Your Successful Real Estate Career by Kenneth Edwards. Dave Liniger, Chairman of the Board, RE/MAX International, Inc writes: "A hard-hitting and comprehensive guide for anyone looking into real estate as a career. Edwards takes the subject seriously and really covers the territory -- from getting a license to surviving and thriving in a tough business. A valuable book on the real estate shelf."

Opportunities in Property Management Careers , VGM. Career Horizons, Lincolnwood , IL . Over 200,000 people will work in property management. Ever think of running a mall or buying land? Then you should really pick up a copy of this book.

Real Estate Career Starter , By Mary Masi. Learning Express 1998. How to launch your career in real estate.

Real Estate Careers: 25 Growing Opportunities , By Carolyn Janik and Ruth Rejnis. John Wiley & Sons. You'll find descriptions of a wide variety of opportunities from pro's who've been there

Additionally, one or more of the following Magazines and Journals should be on your subscriber list:

• Corporate Real Estate Executive , NACORE International, 440 Columbia Dr., Suite 100, West Palm Beach, FL 33409, (407) 683-8111.


• Journal of Property Management , Institute of Real Estate Management, (312) 329-6000. Contains a help-wanted section but you must be a member to subscribe.


• Journal of Real Estate Research , American Real Estate Society, Department of Finance, Box 8233, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND 58202.


• Mortgage Banking, Mortgage Bankers Association of America , 1125 15th St., NW , Washington DC 20005 . (202) 861-6555. $40/year. Covers the mortgage market.


• Real Estate Finance Today , Mortgage Bankers Association of America , 1125 15th St., NW , Washington DC 20005 . (202) 861-6555. Focuses on mortgage banking, the mortgage-backed securities market and loan services.


• Real Estate Issues , American Society of Real Estate Counselors, Naitonal Association of Realtors, (312) 329-8257. $27. es on major changes in real estate markets (e.g. role of REITS) three times a year. Very good background reading.


• Real Estate Today , National Association of Realtors, (312) 329-8449. This is the leading magazine read by residential real estate agents and brokers. Full of articles and ads about the residential real estate business. Cost $25 a year ($3 if you be long to the National Association of Realtors).