Can I Do Real Estate Part-Time?

As I teach pre-license, post-license and CE classes for Hondros College, students often ask me if they can work “part-time” in the real estate industry.  My answer to that question is usually, “maybe.”  In other words, maybe and maybe not…

First, it is difficult for anyone to jump from the security of a full-time job with benefits to the uncertainty of a real estate career.  As such, I often recommend that students keep their “day job” while they explore real estate sales work part-time.

This early part of a typical student’s career might involve a lot of nights and weekends and the good news there is — that’s when many buyers and sellers are available to meet with you as well. However, potential real estate clients want service 24 hours a day.

If you are going to work part-time in real estate, it is essential that you can still service your clients around the clock. First, a website with lots of information about you and your services is essential.

Secondly, you may want to join a team and/or partner up with other agents within your brokerage so that you — as a team — can service your clients essentially around the clock. When you’re working your day job, your partners can service clients, and when your day-job ends, you can then service clients.

Such partnerships might actually involve several newer agents all keeping their day jobs, helping each other fill certain time slots in a full-service plan.

Another key issue starting out part-time is that your language needs to change. For your real estate business, it’s not “I can help you” as much as it’s “We can help you.” The “we” is you, your team members, and your broker.

Try this yourself …

“Hi, I’ve been licensed 5 minutes and I’m here to help you”. 

Versus 

“Hi, we’ve been in business since 1981 and we are here to help you.” 

See the difference? “We” is much more powerful than “I.”

As well, starting in real estate part-time and keeping your day job will require the help of your significant other, parents, children, and others. The first year or so can leave you little time with your family or friends — but the payoff may well be much more time with them once you can work real estate full-time.

Another issue is responding to client inquiries. Most potential clients these days want immediate answers. Can you answer your cell phone during work hours? Can you forward a team cell number to a partner agent who can always answer? Are emails responded to within minutes, hours, days? You may not even have an hour to respond before they call someone else.

Lastly, beginning agents (part-time and full-time) need to start developing a social networking presence and also initiate so-called “content marketing.” All this requires time and effort to create and manage. Here again, finding other agents who you can work with and/or share responsibilities among may be the answer.

Can you be a part-time agent? As I alluded, maybe. But starting out part-time is often the best way to be working full-time in the real estate industry soon thereafter.

Mike Brandly, Auctioneer, CAI, CAS, AARE has been an auctioneer and certified appraiser for over 30 years. His company’s auctions are located at: Mike Brandly, Auctioneer, RES Auction Services and Goodwill Columbus Car Auction. He serves as Distinguished Faculty at Hondros College, Executive Director of The Ohio Auction School, an Instructor at the National Auctioneers Association’s Designation Academy and America’s Auction Academy. He is faculty at the Certified Auctioneers Institute held at Indiana University and is approved by the The Supreme Court of Ohio for attorney education.