Brokerage Advice needed: New Part-time Real Estate Salesperson

Real Estate Broker · Santa Ana CA [South Coast Metro] · Member since 2016 · 459 posts · 202 votes

HI James

See my answers in {brackets}

Greetings, thank you for your time and attention. I'm coming here with humility to ask for your perspective because I don't have any. I'm giving you my questions first just in case you don't want to read the whole post: [dont say you do not have any perspective - you do]

My questions are:

1) Does my law license make me a more valuable prospect for a brokerage or a mentor? [definately, the fact you went to law school and passed - rockets you up on any resume. use that to your advantage] get good at contracts and deadlines and what not and you will be well ahead. in terms of how you execute and what advice I would have to check with the legal hotline with the CA Associaton of Realtors legal hotline]

2) Should I focus on a specific area of real estate sales because of my background such as probate sales or short sales, or something else I haven't identified? Or

[hmm if you know probates - that is a great niche. I would get a few sales under your belt so you can gauge the amount of work and what is needed to do a few transactions.]

3) Does my limited availability hamper my desirability to a broker or mentor, to the point where my legal experience cannot compensate for my current commitments?

[being an agent part time is doable, its not ideal because its a 7 day a week commitment so you are at the mercy of clients and their demands - and they can be demanding just based on the sheer crazy competition of the current market. its alot right now for sure. start slow and team up with someone you would be better off, I always emphasize sustainability and duplicatablity]

Here is my dilemma, I working a full-time job and have family obligations so I can only commit to Real estate part-time. I'm hoping to find a brokerage in Orange County, California (southern CA) that can utilize my skills despite my limited availability. Also I'm not sure whether I should start with a working from the bottom and take anything mentality or whether because of my work experience, I should try to get into a niche area of real estate. [see above] - you have to start somewhere and if you can carve out some time to do so work with that schedule and such

I'll try to keep my background brief: Part of the family business growing up was rental properties. We had about 20 doors. I soured on the real estate business because growing in the 80's technology wasn't around to make our lives easier and trying to figure out drywalling and pluming as an 8 year old by yourself on the weekends was not fun. So instead I went to school, got a job (lawyer) and invested in a 401(k) as Robert Kiyosaki would say. Well after reading RIch Dad Poor Dad and now that the kids are older and the family is healthy, I have come to accept that I actually really enjoy the real estate business. So I started studying and this week I passed my CA real estate salesperson test.

[congrats, as said before you are ahead of 75% of the new agents out there, keep studying - passing the test is the beginning. ]

Currently, I'm an attorney with the Federal Government. Previously, I had a small side practice in the area of Estate Planning (wills trusts, no probate). I'm still proficient in area but I do not actively seek clients. Now I would like to practice real estate sales part-time.

[Hmm Federal government hires agents, just FYI. get some sales under your belt and you will have options,one thing though and this is a big question you have to consider -do you want to be an agent or an investor - two completely different approachs, having license can help. having a solid w-2 will help you buy and fix and own property. many agents suffer qualifying as agents. the w-2 is your ticket to flip and refi etc]

From reading various blogs, part-time real estate agents' success is limited in that a good portion of clients may want to contact their agent or see a property during the day and during the week. Fortunately, I can have some availability during the day and week in my current employment with enough advanced planning to obtain permission from my supervisor. I hope that is enough flexibility for a limited number of clients.

[start with the end in mind - do you want to be an agent or investor. ] even one client might need to see that property on weekends or mondays. or maybe have to see 10 properties. part time is doable. just decide an commit and execute. you'll get there]

Thank you so much for taking the time to read any portion of this post. Any input, advice or directions you are willing to share will be most appreciated. [any time feel free to DM me and will give you my 2 cents]

0 Reply

James Hernandez

OP

Tustin, CA · Member since 2015 · 5 posts · 1 vote

4y

Thank you very much Mr. Massopust. As for right now I would prefer to focus on the sales agent role. I currently have an investment property and would love more in the future, but that is more of a 5 year plan after I get established and settled as a sales agent. Again I appreciate your input and will definitely look more in probate sales. Also thank you for your offer. I will make sure to connect with you on BP.

Take care,

1 Reply

Rob Massopust

Real Estate Broker · Santa Ana CA [South Coast Metro] · Member since 2016 · 459 posts · 202 votes

4y

Ok thats a doable approach.

Keep us posted

0 Reply

Marcus Auerbach

Investor · Milwaukee - Mequon, WI · Member since 2010 · 5k+ posts · 7k+ votes

4y

@James Hernandez I have been an investor for about 13 years and an agent and team owner in Milwaukee for 6 - I have some concerns about your plan, but let me say this first, I don't want to put cold water on your plans, I just want you to go in eyes wide open!

You don't need to worry about your attractiveness, any brokerage will happily sign you up. They just let the market do the weeding out. 90% or so quit after one year and it's hard to say who that is.

Part time is tough. Most clients work and want to see properties after work. I do this full time (more than 40 hrs for sure) and close about 50 deals a year. In my book if you don't close 20 deals a year you don't know what you are doing as an agent. National average is 7 per year I believe, you can Google that.

Part time is a way to get started, to transition to full time.... what's your end goal?

Sometimes I have an attorney agent on the other side and typically that is bad news. They tend to overcomplicate things and often try to come up with twists to one up an agent without a law degree. I am sure you are not going to do that :-)

The pattern I see with career changes is that individuals comming from people jobs usually do best. Like teachers, sales people, hospitality. Working as an agent requires mostly people skills. Understanding construction gives you an advantage- I have done so many remodels that I just know what to look for and what it will cost. I am also an engineer, which helps with that part, not with the people skills, I had to work on that.

There is no point is specializing as a new agent. Generating leads is the hardest thing and you can't be picky. You need at least several sources.

That crazy part is that people don't hire you because of your skills. Read that again. They think all agents are the same anyway. That is how even horrible agents have business! It's just a matter of being social enough. That was hard for me, because as an investor I could never find an agent who knew more than me, so I thought people would be happy to work with me. That was a tough realization to find out the market place is giving me almost no credit for my skills and knowledge... it helps of course later in the process, but not in the initial stage.

Hope this helps! Let me know if you have further questions!

1 Reply

Peter MckernanBusiness Member

Residential Real Estate Agent · Irvine, CA · Member since 2013 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes

4y

@James Hernandez

1. Yes for sure it does and just a little tip all brokerages want new agents so it will be easy for you to jump in!
2. I think you should jump into real estate sales and try everything that is in the sales side, then you will naturally and passionately be pulled towards the area you are the best in.
3. This is really how you make it, I work full time as a firefighter and sometimes 4-6 days straight and still make it work for my clients. It is how you make it and what you put into it, just like law school as an example. Some people go to a smaller law school that has an OK reputation and turn out to be the best attorney. Same thing in real estate!

The McKernan Group4.958 Reviews

Website View Page

0 Reply

Ty AshBusiness Member

Real Estate Agent · Milwaukee, WI · Member since 2018 · 201 posts · 132 votes

4y

Hi @James Hernandez!

Hoping to share my own experience on your current situation!

1) Does my law license make me a more valuable prospect for a brokerage or a mentor?
I agree with the other members that any brokerage will want to take you on. This career path will give you back what you put into it so take advantage of mentors and resources at your brokerage of choice. Also know that the template for a successful Agent business is out there. You just have to take action.

2) Should I focus on a specific area of real estate sales because of my background such as probate sales or short sales, or something else I haven't identified?
Again, in total agreement with other members! Lead generation is your new "Job". You have limited control on these leads but many start by tapping in on their sphere of influence where they already have strong relationships and trust.

3) Does my limited availability hamper my desirability to a broker or mentor, to the point where my legal experience cannot compensate for my current commitments?

Again in agreement with @Marcus Auerbach! Have you defined your end goal and what that looks like personally and professionally? I started as an agent part time and found that acting as an agent for my peers where I was full-time created synergy with our schedules to the point where they didn't notice my "lack of availability" (time typically made up late at night using tools like scheduled emails to keep in contact and provide updates as well as reviewing listings). Working with a team that knows your goals will accelerate your progress as you learn how to provide top notch service to your clients.

Let me know if you have any more questions and hope this helps!

[email protected]

0 Reply

Max Gradowitz

Bakersfield, CA · Member since 2016 · 378 posts · 307 votes

4y

I have a similar story, but in reverse. I did RE sales full time until going to law school. After getting my law license, I practiced law full time and did RE on the side for a couple years. Then, I decided to get my RE brokers license and started a small brokerage and a small team. I manage both practices now.

As far as your questions, I think finding a small boutique brokerage that will accept your situation is your best bet. I could be wrong, because I've always worked for small brokerages, but big box places seem to be looking for someone to give them lots of daily training, a desk in the office, etc. I would suggest looking for a small brokerage managed by a broker that will have the time here and there to answer any questions you have. I honestly don't think anyone will find your law license more appealing, they really just want someone who will make the office money. As far as time limitations, I don't think that's a big deal. Most people want to view properties after business hours and on the weekends anyway, but just make sure your clients understand your situation.

Good luck to you however you make this work. Feel free to message me anytime if you have any other questions or want suggestions.

0 Reply

James Hernandez

OP

Tustin, CA · Member since 2015 · 5 posts · 1 vote

4y

I apologize for taking so long to get back to your replies. Thank you all for your time and input.

Mr. Auerbach, I have to admit I am probably one of the attorneys that would over complicate the process. I pride myself as being detail oriented (crossing all the Ts and dotting all the Is) which is the nature of my profession. Thank you for making me more self aware and the warning that in real estate it can be too much and unnecessary. I will try to strike a better balance when approaching real estate transactions. As for the one's upmenship.... yeah that's why I stayed clear of litigation. I probably would have lost my law license for smacking the opposing attorney.

As for my goals: I would want to keep this as my part-time practice. As mentioned I have a wonderful attorney position with the federal government that I wouldn't dream of leaving until my young kids are out of the house. In my opinion my current employment provides the income, flexibility, and low stress needed to retool and service a select number of clients each year.

Unfortunately, I do not have a construction background. I am extremely comfortable speaking to people from various social and ethnic backgrounds and adjusting my speech to each groups needs. Also I have lots of experience counseling client's on matter given my legal background.

With regard to your comment that "people don't hire you because of your skills" that causes me concern. My purpose of writing this post is to help me determine how or if there are brokerages and clients that would prefer to hire me because I also have a legal background.

Thank you again for your input.

0 Reply

James Hernandez

OP

Tustin, CA · Member since 2015 · 5 posts · 1 vote

4y

Mr. McKernan thank you so much for your reply. We also mets YEARS ago. I'm glad to see you are doing well. Thank you for sharing your experience and the analogy. You have given me hope that there are clients who would be willing to work with me despite my limited schedule. Thank you very much.

Mr. Ash thank you for your reply. I appreciate your perspective of focusing more on lead generation. I was thinking about getting a certificate for probate/trust sales, but you are right. I'm going to take whoever I can get and I haven't figured out how to get those leads yet, so that is where my focus should be. As for executing and taking action, that was never a problem in my youth. But with age and family obligations that has been a problem. Just now I had to tell my young daughter to go away because I needed to draft this email. So just know you were the cause of making a young child cry... I hope you are happy with yourself.

I haven't put as much thought about joining a Team. I have seen many articles discussing the up sides of joining a team but few discussing the downsides of joining a team. I will have to look into it more. Thank you

Mr. Gradowitz thank you very much. First off congrats on having a practice and a brokerage, I wish we were closer. You answered a question that I had but did not express. Small boutique brokerage vs big box. From all my research I have narrowed it down to setting up an appointment with Keller Williams and EXP. The idea of a small boutique brokerage seemed the most appealing to me because I would not get lost in the shuffle and they could/would actually put my skill sets to use. But from the little I researched it seems like most small boutique brokerages are family businesses. I worked in a law firm like that before. They were wonderful to me, but at the end of the day either you were a family member or not. I will put more effort seeking out smaller brokerages where I can interview.

Thanks again everyone you have definitely saved me a lot of time from spinning my wheels. Best wishes to all of you.

0 Reply

Brokerage Advice needed: New Part-time Real Estate Salesperson

Brokerage Advice needed: New Part-time Real Estate Salesperson

Most Popular Reply

9 Replies