A CAREER IN REAL ESTATE

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1 A CAREER IN REAL ESTATE A career in Real Estate or as a Mortgage Broker can give you the Freedom you might crave, the Flexibility to work your own hours, the Potential to earn what you want, and the option to keep your existing job. You decide your hours of work. If you re a parent, you can work around your children s schedules and never miss a concert again! If you are considering retirement, part time employment, or supplemental income this might be the perfect career fit for you. Real Smart makes it possible for you take a 5 week course, study productively, write the UBC Exam, and pass. You could be in your new career potentially earning 6 figures for just over $1,900! Compare this to 4 years of university with an average cost of $35,000. Do you have a desire to help people find their dream home? Are you interested in helping people invest or manage their financial needs? If the answer is yes, a career as a Realtor or Mortgage Broker could be for you! What is it like being a Realtor? A realtor is a representative who works with the client to purchase or sell their property. You can work selling Residential or Commercial Real Estate; although most realtors specialize in one area, the BC Real Estate license allows you to work in both residential and commercial properties anywhere in BC Realtors can work in a Team as a Buyer s Agent. You are given clients to work with by your listing agent and you find the right home for those clients. This provides a steady stream of work, without having to do all the leg work finding the listing. If an administrative role is what you are after, endless opportunities are available in this area as well. Along with the buying and selling process, you are also part of the contract negotiations; you provide good honest advice and support through the deal for your clients, while providing the best customer service. A career in real estate provides you with the flexibility and freedom to set your own hours and pace. Successful people in real estate are goal-oriented, persevering, selfmotivated, ambitious and people-oriented. But most of all have a love and passion for real estate property and for helping people. P a g e 1

2 What kind of person chooses Real Estate as a Career? Moms, single parents, retirees, high school graduates, bankers, lawyers, airline pilots, farm workers, musicians, actors, school teachers, fire fighters, corrections officers, and police officers. In other words, anyone from any background can choose real estate as a career. Do you like working with people? Do you just know or have been told you would be great at Real Estate? There s a reason people tell you that. They can see in you what it takes to be a good salesperson. Are you a self-starter? Do you like flexibility? Do you like to work your own hours, create your own schedules? Then Real Estate is for you! What else can I do with my Real Estate License? Although most people begin as representatives in a Real Estate Company, there are many other areas where the license can be used. These could include office administration, either in a Real Estate office or other organization; Land Assembly; Selling Farms or Acreages; working with New Home Construction or Development Companies; Selling Recreation Property; as a Referral Specialist working with out of town clients; as an investor or rent to own specialist; or Commercially selling small or large businesses. What s great about the Real Estate industry is you can choose your clientele. Meaning, you can choose to work with first time buyers, be the condo specialist, or work with million dollar listings. It is up to you. Whatever you choose, remember you have the flexibility to do one or all of them. There is no limit. You are your own boss. You have control over how you spend your time and how much you earn. The possibilities are endless. What can I expect to earn? You typically earn a commission, which is a percentage of the sale price or flat fee negotiated with the homeowner when you list a home. You will receive this fee after the home is sold and has completed and transferred title. How many houses you sell directly correlates to how much income you earn. This is why it is very important to connect yourself to a company that has successful realtors, excellent training and the best industry reputation. Here s a peak: (NOTE: this is just an example. There is no set commission structure) Sell price of 1 House - $450,000 Commission could be 7% on the 1st $100,000 and 2.5% on the balance for example P a g e 2

3 Commission $15,750 You could get the full commission or: Listing Salesperson typically 56% of $15,750 = $8,820 Selling Salesperson typically 44% of $15,750 = $7,245 Every Real Estate company has different commission split structures. That is what you will find out once you are in the interviewing stage. Don t worry. We help our Real Smart graduates with this. Can I hold another job or work part time in Real Estate? Yes, you can sell Real Estate and have another job. This was not always the case, but the law changed many years ago. You can work part or full time. Some firms will hire only full time realtors; others allow you to have another job. How do I become a licensed Realtor? Visit and find out more about our Real Estate Course, or sign up to attend a Real Smart Career Night. A Career as a Mortgage Broker Essentially, a mortgage broker is a loan provider who serves as a liaison between borrowers and lenders. A mortgage broker offers the loan products of various lenders, while a lender provides the actual loan money to the borrower. A broker can work within a firm or independently. Typically, a mortgage broker will learn the needs of the borrower and do the work of shopping for the best loan deal from lenders offering that particular type of loan. Brokers usually work with numerous lenders, attempting to match the right lender with each individual client. Some brokers actually have hundreds of lender contacts. Because they have so many lenders from which to choose, brokers are more likely to find loans for borrowers with special needs, like problem credit, than individual lenders. The mortgage broker only offers assistance before the loan process is complete. Once the borrower has obtained a mortgage, the broker is effectively out of the loop and all questions must be asked of the lender. P a g e 3

4 What kind of person makes a great Mortgage Broker? You must have excellent people skills. A sales or marketing background is helpful, though not required. Depending on whom your clients are; having the ability to speak more than one language may also be an asset. You also need excellent written and verbal communication skills. Having computer skills is important since much of the job entails searching online for new sources of funding and quickly running interest rates, credit reports, and qualifying information. A college degree is not essential, but is definitely a plus. Some type of banking background is also helpful, but, again, not required. The main requirement is drive and a desire to help people, while at the same time making money. What kind of hours do Mortgage Brokers keep? Mortgage brokers must be available to work nights and weekends when their customers are available, similar to a real estate agent. They must also be organized and have the ability to multi-task, since, frequently, they will be working with more than one customer at a time. A mortgage broker must also have a sense of urgency. A buyer may not have a lot of time, and the broker needs to get the money quickly so that the buyer will not lose the deal. The broker's sense of urgency must match that of the customer. How much money does a Mortgage Broker earn? Many financial institutions pay finder s fees to mortgage brokers who refer business to them. How Do I Become a Licensed Mortgage Broker? Visit and find out more about our Mortgage Broker Course, or to sign up to attend a Real Smart Career Night. P a g e 4

5 Past Graduates Sharmira Dhanji Deneean Arnold -- Homelife, Cloverdale Corny Woelders -- Landmark, Chilliwack A Career in Rental Property Management A Rental Property Manager acts as a liaison between the tenant and the owner making any necessary day to day decisions about the property based on the agreement with the property owner. Duties might include dealing with rental payments, safety checks and other customary home maintenance as required by the terms of the lease agreement. In most instances, owners rely on their manager to find tenants for their properties as well. Tenants will typically pay rent monthly by cash or cheque, so finding a manager that one can trust is important. Homes and apartments are valuable assets and these owners require a dependable, reliable, conscientious and licensed Rental Property Manager. What are some of the duties of a Rental Property Manager? Advertise vacant property for rent Show available property for rent and interview prospective tenants Evaluate prospective tenants by investigating their backgrounds, credit histories, personal references and employment histories Obtain liability, fire, theft and other insurance on rental property Arrange for regular maintenance and necessary repairs of the property Ensure tenants comply with rental policies and procedures P a g e 5

6 Supervise repairs and maintenance work. Conduct inspections of the property on a periodic basis. Establish and maintain an organized system of collecting rental payments and security deposits. What can I expect to earn? Managing rental property may be a full time career or a side line of your property ownership. It depends upon how many properties you manage, if you work independently, or if you work for a firm. How do I become a licensed Rental Property Manager? Visit and find out more about our Rental Property Management Course, or to sign up to attend a Real Smart Career Night. SIGN UP FOR CAREER NIGHT OR REGISTER IN A REAL SMART CLASS TO PASS! P a g e 6