Starting a Real Estate Career at Any Age

When I first started in real estate, I was unquestionably the youngest agent in the office being only 22 years ancient. Most of these agents were the same age as my parents – and the oldest agent in our office was 89 years ancient!

There were times when I felt frustrated because of my age. When I met people, I often felt like they automatically assumed I knew nothing about real estate since it was obvious I did not have 10+ years experience under my belt. Others I wondered if they worked for me only because they felt terrible for me and wanted to help me get started.

After about a year in the business though, I noticed that I no longer felt like my age was a disadvantage. Instead, I realized it was a pretty strong advantage – I was the most computer literate agent in the office and had no problem using email or going online. I was able to make my own brochures and print materials, which saved me money compared to paying someone else to do it.

The only thing that the older agents had on me was their years of relationships. Many had past clients from previous businesses or jobs they could fall on. They had older children in school, so knew many of the teachers and other parents which could bring them business. They had adult children with friends who were buying their first homes. Many of the older agents in the office didn’t have any more real estate related experience than I did, several starting a career in real estate to occupy themselves through retirement or to supplement their social security income.

The point of this article is to say that really just about anyone can start a real estate career at any age. As long as you’re the legal age of 18 in most states, that’s the only age criteria that needs to be met. Instead of seeing your age as a hindrance – see how it can be used to your advantage. If you are younger, take advantage of the marketing techniques the older crowd isn’t – starting a real estate blog and website or sending out email newsletters. If you’re older, brainstorm for some ways on how to network with others and consider finding a niche market that you have experience in. It doesn’t matter what age you are to start a real estate career – it is all about your motivation and the drive to succeed.

JscRenttoownHomes 5 pts

The primary advantage to being young is you have the required time it takes to build a business so you can still be around when you are older. I'm not trying to be a smart alec. The fact is this is a tough business, and one is far better off paying dues at a younger age.

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Jon in Louisville

I really thinks it comes down to the individual and less about their age. If they have been a failure at 5 other jobs, and have decided to give real estate a whirl, they are likely to fail at it as well. Conversely, if they are able to succeed at other careers, then they probably have the drive, and discipline to make things work regardless of their career path - or age.

Jaki@inexpensive home decor tips

true, that being younger has some advantages over the "older" real estate agents. My concern is how competitive the field is. It seems like there are way too many agents and not enough homes for sale in my area. Just a thought.

Chris at Wavefront Lasik Guide

Great advice and info. A lot of success in real estate seems to rely on your overall personality, work ethic, and how good of a salesperson you are.

James Boyer New Jersey Relocation

Yes, there can be quite a number of advantages to being young and in real estate. I still think the barriers to entry are set way to low by NAR though.

Carolyn Gjerde-Tu

While I am not that young, I am still on the younger side of agents in my office and I do think it helps me with clients under 40 years old. I communicate the same way they do, quick response to emails and phone calls.

kouji@haiku poems examples

i agree. one issue that might come up is that older people might not trust someone so young with a transaction involving large sums of money. but as you accumulate clients, you develop a portfolio of past successful transactions you can use to persuade prospects. and you make a good point about technology, a younger agent who is computer savvy has a huge range of options available to him (from blogs, to online advertising, and more), which older agents do not have access to.

Michael Oliver

You are 100% correct being younger then the rest has a lot of disadvantages however when leveraged correctly it also have a lot of clear advantages. Some of the most is once you actually understand what your role is working first time buyers will be much easier for you and as time goes by you should be able to leverage that into a lot of family and friends since I believe the first time buyers are in the most "need" of representation. Since you will be closing in age it makes it much more comfortable for the buyer and agent to relate to each other and understand the needs of the clients very well. I personally stared when I was 18 and now several years later I think I hold a clear advantage over most agents due to experience gained and relationships where first time buyers and now becoming first time sellers and moving up to larger nicer homes.