*Job
Description:
Buying or selling a home or property can be one of the most perplexing
and financial events in peoples' lives. Because of this people turn to
real estate brokers and agents when buying and selling real estate.
Real estate brokers sell, rent or manage real estate properties owned
by other people for a certain fee. Brokers and agents arrange meetings
between buyers and sellers and search titles. They may offer to help in
arrange financing in order to make a successful sale. They often handle
the closing sales, but in some cases this is handled by lawyers or
lenders. Real estate agents spend a quite amount of time getting
listings, checking out properties to sell or lease. They keep check on
similar real estate that recently has sold in order to determine a fair
market price for the property.
Real estate agents generally works independently for a licensed real
estate broker for a commission on sales he or she makes. They have to
have a through knowledge of the market in and around their communities
and which neighborhood best suits their clients desires and what price
range they can afford.
The real
estate market trend can be volatile at times according to how stable
the economy is and what the interest rates are at the present time.
Selling residential property and homes is where most real estate agents work. Some of
the larger firms specialize in selling commercial or industrial real
estate.
*Education/Training:
Requirements
for sales agents is to have a brokers real estate license, be at least
18 years old and a high school graduate. Between 30 and 90 hours of
classroom training is required in most States for a real estate sales
license. Every 1 to 2 years these real estate
sales licenses need to be renewed. Real
estate college courses, business administration, finance and economics
are helpful. For those who plan on starting their own company, business
courses in marketing and Accounting is essential.
Many real estate agencies offer their own real estate training classes
for both beginners and experienced agents. There are quite a few number
of colleges and universities that offer classes in real estate. At
some, students can earn an associates or bachelor's degree with a major
in real estate; others offer an advance degree in real estate. Many
real estate associations that are a members of the National Association
of Realtors sponsor courses in real estate fundamentals and legal phase
of real estate.
*Job
Outlook:
Employment in real estate for
brokers and agents is impacted by swings in the economy and interest
rates. With the increase in technology and the Internet many people are
by-passing real estate brokers and agents and searching out real estate
information online; still with increasing housing needs and real estate
being a sound investment the job market is expected to grow between 9%
to 17% through 2014.
*Working
Conditions:
Their working schedule is
often unpredictable as they have to show homes and property in the
evenings and weekends to suit their clients schedule. Because of
advanced telecommunications and the ability to get property data over
the Internet many real estate brokers and agents work out of their
homes. They often work more than the typical 40 hour week. Although
many work evenings and weekends and are on call they can pretty much
set their own schedule.
*Estimated
Average Annual Earnings:
With
commissions and salaries added in, for sales agents real estate pay can
range anywhere from $23,500 to $58,110. This all depends in which area
and location an agent works in.
