Embarking on a new career is a pivotal moment in anyone’s life. Making such a big decision requires careful consideration of one’s interests, personality, and skillset. In other words, what path not only leads to success, but fulfillment? To begin answering such a big question, some young professionals prefer maintaining a sense of career flexibility for the freedom to explore other options until they find that perfect fit.
A surprising first career that can lead to many different career paths is real estate. With its diverse career opportunities and highly transferrable skillset, beginning a career in real estate can serve as the basis for a successful career wherever it may lead.
Below are five reasons beginning a career in real estate can develop lifelong professional skills and even lead to unexpected career opportunities.
5 Reasons Real Estate is a Great First Career
Fertile Ground for Professional Skill Development
From hunting for the perfect fit to closing the sale, experiences working in real estate can vastly improve a variety of skills useful in both professional and private life. Digging for the best property to meet a client’s needs can prove you have the market research skills needed to foster customer satisfaction, which is something found in every industry.
Ensuring a client’s experience is world-class, and they get just what they want, demands problem-solving that also functions as invaluable life skills. Navigating complex negotiations can vastly improve communication and, equally important, listening skills. Each of these experiences won’t just grow skills but can foster confidence and drive future success.
Highly Transferrable Skillset
Real estate is more than just property transactions. It is far more human and is largely based on relationships. If someone can work well with people, listen, and meet client needs, they have a very strong chance of succeeding in anything they set their mind to.
Young professionals can hone these exceptional interpersonal skills during the normal course of a real estate career that sees them market, network, and negotiate with people from all backgrounds. There are also more detail-oriented tasks such as budget management, navigating contracts, and refining sales and marketing techniques based on data that can sharpen one’s attention to detail and offer some insights into the type of work a person enjoys. These skills are highly transferrable, and can help identify strengths, weaknesses, and maybe even ignite a new passion.
Building Connections for Long-Term Success
People are at the heart of real estate. From helping clients to negotiating with other agents to word-of-mouth referrals, offering world-class service through care and attention is at the core of a real estate professional’s journey. Establishing meaningful connections with clients is instrumental in establishing a successful real estate career. Equally important are the relationships built with peers on the job or in the off-hours, sharing insights or offering one another comfort or advice. Moments like these can leave lasting impressions and establish connections one can lean on throughout their career.
Diverse Career Opportunities
Many are initially drawn to real estate because of the flexibility or entrepreneurial spirit it offers as they seek to blaze their own trail. As they do, experiences teach them where that trail is headed, and often can lead in very unexpected directions. A unique advantage to a career in real estate is the freedom to explore other opportunities that have a natural overlap, whether in skill development or a direct overlap with the industry.
Insurance, for example, directly intersects with real estate, and often real estate professionals earn an insurance license to offer both to their clients, expanding their earning potential. Finance also has overlap with not just real estate but insurance through life insurance. A career in finance could lead to a career on Wall Street or as an investment banker or fraud examiner. Some real estate professionals even work seasonally as tax preparers.
For a deep dive into real estate career opportunities and side hustles, check out our blog 5 Real Estate Side Hustles for Career Growth.
Real estate offers multiple avenues toward a diverse portfolio and a lucrative career.
Some professionals work in multiple states, either seasonally or because they work near a state border. This is known as either real estate portability or real estate reciprocity based on what business activities an out-of-state real estate professional can do. This approach offers further flexibility and opportunities to further develop a real estate business or brand into other markets.
Market knowledge can also help real estate professionals make smart investments of their own. Their knowledge of property values, market trends, and experience closing deals can be valuable assets. These skills can also help real estate professionals branch out into property management, consulting, or even education.
While the industry offers professionals a solid foundation, additional training and education specific to these pursuits are often beneficial and sometimes required.
Of course, young professionals are not alone in their journey into real estate. Many of these experiences, while formative, do require their own preparation. Real estate prelicensing and, in some states, real estate postlicensing education is required to help new licensees learn the ropes and set the stage for early success. After all, real estate requires constant learning and evolution to respond to changes in client preferences, industry regulations, and many other factors. Staying on top of this is deeply ingrained in the real estate industry through real estate continuing education that helps pass this valuable information and best practices to all professionals to maintain an industry standard.
For help beginning a journey into real estate, reach out to our award-winning Support Services team at 877-488-9203 today.