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Many moms with young children dream of working from home so they can work and look after their kids at the same time.
Many moms with older kids would like to re-enter the workforce. Some find it hard to do so after a lengthy period out of the working world.
Many moms, after working for many years as an employee, would now like to seek a work-life balance. They want to pursue something that is more meaningful or a career that is closer to their heart.
Many of my friends love the idea of a real estate agent career. During the past 2 years when we go through this unprecedented pandemic period, a few of them contacted me to ask about a career change to real estate. They asked me to share my experience with them.
Is the property agent career a good choice for moms? In this article, I will share my honest opinions on how I feel, as well as the joy and struggles of a real estate mom.
What I Love About Real Estate As A Career
(1) Flexible Working Hours
The obvious benefit of a property agent career is of course the flexible working hours.
Real estate is not a 9-to-5 job. The timing is flexible so we can plan our work according to our schedule. Evenings and weekends are busier if we are doing residential sales.
If we prefer to keep your weekends free, we can consider focusing on the commercial segment. Whether it is the residential or commercial segment, we definitely have more control of our time as compared to working in a 9-to-5 job.
I have 2 boys, one of them in Primary 6 and the other in Secondary 3. Both of them are avid footballers who represent their clubs to play in football leagues. For the past 8 years (and counting!) that they played the sports, I am able to accompany them to their training and watched most of their games which took place almost every Sunday (pre-pandemic, and how i miss those days!).
It is really down to the flexible working hours of our job, coupled with proper time management and identifying our priorities to make this work.
I love to travel. Traveling opens my mind to new experiences and enrich my soul. During my earlier days in the real estate career, I will follow my husband on his working trip whenever he goes to a country I want to visit.
Las Vegas is a place I have visited thrice. I love the energy and vibrancy there. San Francisco is another place I fell in love with, for reasons I cannot describe. Nearer to home, I love Taiwan and this is a country I can go to many times, just to chill and be absorbed in the people-friendly culture!
With the kids in tow now, traveling means exploring places which appeals to them too. Apart from our yearly holidays, their overseas football adventures often give me the opportunity to travel to different countries!
I will always remember my son's participation in The Gothia Cup in 2018. This football tournament is akin to World Cup for the Youths. It takes place in Gothenburg, Sweden. Gothia Cup is really an eye-opener for me. During this week-long tournament, the city comes to live with promising youth footballers gathering there from all over the world. Be it on the street, in the tram or in the food joints, you will see and hear them.
Dreams are so real there.
It would be quite impossible for me to do as much traveling if my working hours is not as flexible. And for that, I am really thankful.
(2) Working From Home Or Anywhere
As property agents, we can work from home or simply anywhere. For people unfamiliar with real estate work, they might think our job is simply to do viewings. In actual fact, we are doing much more behind the scene.
Marketing has evolved over the years. As compared to the traditional ways like flyers, telemarketing, door to door marketing etc, we are doing a lot more digital marketing now. These include Personal Website, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube marketing etc.
Also, gone are the days when real estate agents only provide the buy, sell and rent services. Consumers are more educated and have access to real estate information readily.
Instead of pure transactional duty, we need to be very updated on the real estate market trends, policies and prices etc so as to give good and timely advice to clients.
As the saying goes: Be updated or outdated. This really applies to us.
So all these are work that we do behind the scene. Apart from the occasional travel to the office for face to face training, we can do most of our work from anywhere.
(3) We Call The Shots
We are our own boss. We decide what time to go to work, what to do every day, which customers to work with etc. We do not report to anyone, except ourselves.
One of the things I like most about being a property agent is I am able to decide who I want to work with.
I remembered having a client whom I helped to rent out her property. She was a successful businesswoman who works 24/7 and demanded a lot from the people around her. Though we had a cordial relationship, I decided not to continue with her business as I do not like the stress. This would not be possible if I was a salaried worker.
(4) We Decide Our Income
Like what many said: The sky is the limit when it comes to how much you can earn as a property agent.
I agree with what they said. The income is lucrative if you follow the right direction and put in your heart and soul to work. I have seen many millionaire agents created over the past years in this industry.
What I like also is the ability to adjust my pace when I want to slow down. As we move on with the different stages in our lives, the amount of time we would like to spend on work changes too.
A real estate career is able to give me that flexibility.
(5) True Satisfaction
To be in the same profession for 2 decades and counting. I think it speaks a lot about the passion I have for my work.
I love the fact that my work allows me to know a person in depth. My relationship with my clients typically starts off as a business relationship. For some clients, it stays that way.
But for many others, we become friends. I especially treasure clients who appreciate the work that I put in, often above and beyond my duty.
On the last day of 2019, I sent messages to my clients wishing them a happy new year. A simple reply from one of my clients touched me deeply.
Real estate is the product that connects me and my clients. The income that was generated put food on the table, improves our lives and allows me to pursue my interest.
But what I truly love about my work is the relationship that was built, and the lives that were improved through my work.
To me, that is the most meaningful and what kept me going for so long.
What To Take Note About Real Estate As A Career
For every benefit that comes with a real estate career, there is always a flipped side if we abuse it. Throughout my years as a real estate agent, I have seen many who came into the industry but left after awhile. I have also witnessed many who are still going strong after many years in the industry.
(1) Control Over Our Working Hours
As mentioned above, one of the benefits of a real estate agent career is the flexibility in working hours. However, flexible working hours can also mean no control over our time.
I remembered during the earlier days of my property agent career, I often meet clients in the late evenings after dinner. Our discussions will sometimes last till past midnight. I also had clients who called me at 10pm on Sunday evenings and we spent 2 hours discussing their moving plans.
On top of that, I have calls coming in throughout the day enquiring about the properties I am marketing.
After years of leading such hectic and unbalanced life, I decided it is time to draw a line between work and my personal life. Now I prioritise what I need to do according to their urgency and importance.
Ultimately it is all about time management and what is important to you at that point in time.
(2) Discipline
Lack of discipline is really one of the top reasons why real estate agents could not succeed in this industry.
We are our own boss. We do not have fixed working hours. Neither do we have a fixed working place to report to every day. It is easy to spend our days drifting from task to task, seemingly busy but actually achieving nothing.
It is important to plan. What are the goals we want to achieve this year? With a clearly defined goal, we can break it down into micro goals to be achieved within a shorter time frame.
A clearly defined goal followed by a good plan plus discipline is almost the key to success as a real estate agent.
(3) No Basic Pay
Property agents do not receive basic pay. This is a common obstacle for many who wants to make real estate their career.
I totally understand the fear of leaving a salaried job to make real estate a full-time career. This fear magnified as you grow older and have a family to feed.
I have been asked many times how I conquer the fear of having to survive without a paycheck for an unknown period of time when I first joined the industry.
For me, it was not a difficult decision to make then as I had no children. Financial commitments were low.
Honestly, it will take much more consideration if I were to make the decision now as compared to before.
For a start, it will be good if you have savings to last you for at least 6 months. As real estate agents, we get paid only after we sold or rent a property. The lead time to receive our commission for sales transaction takes longer than rental transactions as the paperwork to complete sales transaction takes around 3 months.
"But what if I cannot close a sale? What if my savings run out?"
There are always risks to every decision we make. But isn't life about taking risks?
If you do not have the courage to lose sight of the shore, you will never cross the ocean.
Take the leap of faith. If others can do it, why can't you?
And yes, I will still make the decision to join the real estate industry if I were to make the decision now.
I hope what I have shared is helpful to you. If you find it useful, please feel free to share my article with your friends. Do subscribe to my website to receive more real estate career tips.
As real estate moms, it is especially important to be in a team with like-minded individuals. The reason why I go into real estate management and setup REALTeam is simply to empower women through a rewarding real estate career.
If you are thinking to take the leap, let's have a non-obligated discussion on how myself, together with NAVIS and HUTTONS, can help you achieve what you hope to achieve in this career.
Drop me a whatsapp or schedule an appointment with me using the link below.
See you soon!
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About The Author
Vivian joined the real estate industry in 2002.
Having been in the real estate business for almost 2 decades, she knows the rewards and challenges that a real estate agent face.
While the real estate career offers lucrative income and flexible work hours, it also presents many challenges - financial insecurity as we do not have basic pay, time management as we juggle work, children and family all at one time. Only those who have walked the same journey will understand.
Vivian would now like to pay it forward by mentoring fellow agents, especially women who want to build a real estate career.
It is her vision to see women achieving their dreams, and live their lives with purpose and passion through a successful real estate career.
Call Vivian at 98577714 to embark on this journey.