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Watch any of the glamorous pseudo-reality real estate shows on TV, and you might be tempted to become a part-time real estate agent. There’s a ton of money to be made just by opening doors and looking glamorous — Right? Sadly, nothing could be further from the truth. Most of the agents you see on TV wearing $1500 outfits work 80+ hours per week. In my first few years in real estate, I regularly logged 50+ hour weeks. And I wasn’t alone. Most of the agents in my office worked equally long hours.
So, if so many agents, including myself, work crazy hours, can you be a part-time real estate agent and still make money? As a real estate coach, I hear this question all the time. The short answer is yes! To give you my longer answer, I’ve put together this step-by-step guide to becoming a successful part-time real estate agent. I also include tips and tricks to help you find your first clients faster than most new agents. Let’s dive in!
5 steps to becoming a part-time real estate agent
Step 1: Take the real estate prelicensing course and pass the real estate salesperson exam
It’s boring, I know, but the first step to becoming a part-time real estate agent is to complete a prelicensing course and pass your state’s exam to get your real estate salesperson license. Every real estate agent in the country must do this; yes, even the stars of Selling Sunset sat through prelicensing school!
The specific requirements vary from state to state, ranging from 40 hours of classes in my home state of Massachusetts to 180 hours in Texas. Check with your state for the specifics, or read our helpful guides for getting your license.
Worried about passing your exam? Take as many practice tests as possible and schedule your exam as quickly as possible so everything is fresh in your mind when you take the test. Trust me, it’s easier than you think!
Step 2: Interview brokerages and select the best fit for you
Notice I said “interview brokerages” — unlike a traditional job interview, you’ll be in the driver’s seat. Since most brokerages will hire you as an independent contractor instead of an employee, the risk they’re taking is minimal. They won’t be paying you. You’ll be paying them.
Go into your interviews with this mindset, and you’ll be more likely to ask the right questions to determine which company is the best fit for you. Here are a few questions to ask a broker to see if they’re the right fit:
Questions to ask in your brokerage interview:
- What training do you offer new agents?
- What support do you offer part-time real estate agents?
- What are the fees and commission split structure?
- What’s your commission cap? (Many brokerages cap their portion of the commission split, meaning highly successful agents will earn 100% of their commissions beyond that cap amount)
- Do you offer a mentorship or coaching program?
- Could I speak with a few other agents who started their careers here part-time?
- What do you think about X brokerage? (Asking about the reputation of their competitors can give you valuable insight into other brokerages. How they answer the question may also tell you something about the broker.)
- Are there any contractual obligations or money I would owe should I choose to leave the brokerage?
Tips for finding the right brokerage for you:
When I first got my license, I interviewed nine different brokerages. Don’t be afraid to talk to everyone you can, and take as much time as you need to make your decision. Some won’t hire brand-new or part-time real estate agents, and that’s okay. You’ll want to find a brokerage that is excited to take you on, train you and help you build your real estate career.
Lastly, remember that most large real estate companies are franchises, meaning the agent experience can vary significantly from office to office — even in the same company. The best way to determine the right fit for you is to meet the owners or managers of your local offices.
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Step 3: Consider joining a team
Joining a team as a part-time real estate agent has many benefits: leads, mentorship and support, to name just a few. You will typically have an additional commission split with the team, meaning you will take home a smaller percentage of each commission check than if you were a solo agent. Yet sometimes, there’s enough business coming in from the team that agents earn more money on a team than they would earn on their own.
The challenge is finding a team willing to hire a part-time real estate agent. Think about it: if you’re a super successful agent running a team, you’ll want your team members to be available to run out and cover showings and host open houses every weekend. I’m sure there are teams out there that are structured to take on part-time agents, but that’s not the norm. To find the right team, I’d recommend calling every team in your office and asking your broker or manager if they know any teams who are hiring. Specifically, ask if they’d be willing to take on a part-time agent and be prepared to sell yourself and what you’ll bring to the table!
Want to learn more about the pros and cons of joining a team? Check out these videos I created explaining 7 PROs of joining a team and 7 CONs of joining a team.
Step 4: Create your business plan
Okay, you’ve got your license and joined a brokerage; now it’s time to create your business plan! For part-time real estate agents, the most critical part of your business plan will be how you spend your free time. It may sound counterintuitive, but your time is your most valuable asset as a part-time real estate agent.
First, look at your calendar and determine how much time you’ll have to dedicate to finding and serving clients. Is it nights and weekends? Is there one day a week you can work on your real estate business? Maybe you work from home in your full-time job and have more flexibility during the day.
Get super clear on exactly how much time you’ll have available (or you can make available), and block off that time in your calendar.
Set your realistic and stretch goals for the year:
Next, decide your goal for your first year. This can be a number of units sold, a specific income you’d like to net or another metric you chose, as long as it’s specific and measurable. I’d also encourage you to set a realistic goal as well as a stretch goal.
A realistic goal could be three to five homes in your first year, with a stretch goal of five to 10. Of course, if you already have friends looking to buy or sell and want to work with you, or better yet, if you’re buddies with a developer who will give you a neighborhood to sell, your numbers could be higher.
Step 5: Go find clients!
Now comes the most challenging part of selling real estate — finding clients. We call this lead generation, and it can take many forms. At a basic level, it’s simply finding people who want or need to buy or sell real estate. Some of the more traditional lead generation methods are cold calling expired listings, calling For Sale By Owners (FSBOs) and door knocking. These methods do work; however, they’re a grind. It’s a lot of rejection, and it requires tremendous grit and tenacity to see any success. There are much better ways to find clients as a part-time agent.
The best way to find clients as a part-time real estate agent
Most part-time agents I’ve coached have found their first clients through someone they already know, either directly or indirectly through a referral. If you’re working part-time, your best bet to finding your first clients is your existing sphere of influence. These can be your friends, family, coworkers at your full-time job or even your neighbors. Anyone who knows, likes, and trusts you.
Even if no one in your sphere needs to move right now, every person you know has their own sphere of 150 people, on average. So, by staying top of mind with the people you already know, you’re also tapping into their networks. That’s where most referrals come from!
Step 6: Serve your clients at the highest level
Congrats! You have a client! Now it’s time to do a fantastic job for them, and hope they will send you referrals and become a client for life. Assuming you’re not on a team, you’ll be solely responsible for handling every aspect of the transaction — from the showings to the inspection to the final walk-through — all while managing your client’s expectations and emotions. Buying and selling homes is one of the most stressful parts of life, and real estate agents need to support their clients as they ride the emotional ups and downs of the transaction — from celebrating the accepted offer to navigating the scary mold situation the inspector found.
Providing great customer service can be tricky for part-time agents, but it is possible. You just need some help. Enlisting the help of other agents in your office is the best way to serve your clients at the highest level.
Leverage other agents in your office to help you serve your clients:
Find an agent in your office who you get along with and trust. It’s best to choose someone with more flexibility in their schedule. Either they work in real estate full-time but aren’t crazy busy, or they are also part-time but work different hours than you. Then, decide how you’ll cover for one another. Think of it like the buddy system.
The cleanest way to do this is to pay each other an hourly rate. I’ve seen agents offer anywhere from $25 to $50 per hour. You both track how much time you spend covering for the other and then write a check or Venmo. This is also my favorite hack for taking a vacation as a solo agent! I once paid another agent $600 when I returned from a European trip, and it was worth every penny.
Once you have another agent covering for you, the clients always have someone available to call; they feel taken care of and nothing falls through the cracks. Win-win-win!
8 Tips & tricks to help you land your first clients — fast
1. Start with your sphere
We’ve talked about this already, but it’s so vital that it’s worth repeating. Do not be a secret agent! Let everyone in your sphere of influence know that you got your real estate license and are excited to work with buyers and sellers. It can be scary to put yourself out there. I know. But remember, your first clients — and your BEST clients — will come from your sphere of influence!
So post an announcement on all your social media accounts and email everyone in your address book to let them know you can help them. I’d even send a postcard to everyone for whom you have a mailing address. Every little bit helps!
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2. Get comfortable saying, “I don’t know”
It can feel intimidating to jump into a new career, especially part-time, and many agents I work with worry about not knowing all the answers to their client’s questions. It’s a little counterintuitive, but saying you don’t know the answer and will find out actually makes you more professional. Said confidently, people will think you’ve been in the business full-time for years.
Here’s the script:
3. Invest in lead sources that leverage your time
Finding clients always costs something, whether that’s time, money, or (usually) both. If you’re short on time, consider investing in lead sources that allow you to leverage your time. A few examples:
- An ISA (Inside Sales Agent) — someone to cold call and set appointments with sellers for you.
- A direct mail service with pre-designed templates you can choose from. — we love Handwrytten for sending cards that look like you wrote them by hand.
- Purchasing leads through an online platform such as Market Leader
4. Make the most of your commute
If you’re driving to and from your day job, make the most of your commute time by listening to real estate audiobooks and podcasts. Building this habit is not only a great use of your time, but it will also help build your confidence as your industry knowledge grows.
Here are my favorite audiobooks, both real estate and entrepreneurship books:
- The Millionaire Real Estate Agent – by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan
- Shift – by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan
- How to Win Friends and Influence People – by Dale Carnegie
- Start With Why – by Simon Sinek
- Rich Dad Poor Dad – by Robert Kiyosaki
Some of my favorite real estate and leadership podcasts:
- Empire Builders (Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify)
- Bigger Pockets (Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify)
- The One Thing (Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify)
- Win Make Give (Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify)
- How I Built This (Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify)
- We’re Your Friends Now (Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify)
- The InvestHER Podcast (Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify)
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5. Turn your everyday activities and interactions into lead-generating opportunities
This is a mindset shift more than anything else. You’re likely interacting with many people in your daily life — from the barista at the coffee shop to your kid’s friend’s parents. Your goal is to make the most of those interactions and subtly help everyone in your life start to think of you when they think of real estate. It takes time and consistency, but it’s the best way to find clients fast.
Incorporating real estate into your normal conversations is the best way to do this. Just remember to keep it casual and stick to storytelling. Here are two quick examples of what I mean;
Examples: “I was listening to a podcast this morning all about investing in real estate in Mexico, and it was fascinating!” or “I had a crazy weekend; we had 40 people come to the open house I hosted!”
Another easy hack is to buy yourself some swag. Wearing a hat, vest, or shirt with your company or team’s logo will help open the door for more real estate conversations. They’re a little cheesy, but you can buy laptop stickers and t-shirts that say, “Ask me about real estate.” If that’s your vibe, go for it!
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6. Get your family’s support
If you have a partner and/or children, enlist their support in your new venture. They can act as referral generators for you! I don’t have kids, but I’ve seen agents offer a powerful incentive to their kids, like a trip to Disney World if Mommy or Daddy sells five houses this year. Wouldn’t those kids be super excited to talk to everyone and try to find buyers and sellers for you?
Your time will become even more limited as a part-time agent because, let’s face it, you’ll be taking on another career. And you will face rejection. All real estate agents face rejection; it’s part of the job. So, having your family’s understanding and support will make it much more bearable emotionally and mentally.
7. Exude confidence and build trust
You might have to fake it at first but always speak and act confidently. One common myth is that clients care how long you’ve been in the business. Most don’t care as long as they trust you can do the job. Most clients won’t mind that you’re a part-time agent as long as you confidently explain to them how they will be taken care of throughout the transaction (remember the buddy system!), and you can build trust with them.
Confidence and building trust with your leads will drastically improve your success as a part-time agent and help you sign your first clients faster.
8. Talk to others who’ve gone before you
Many successful agents started their careers part-time. There’s no reason you need to reinvent the wheel. Seek out those who’ve been where you are now and pick their brains. Don’t be shy — most agents are more than happy to sit down with newbies and share their wisdom. Ask your broker or manager to introduce you to the top agents who started part-time.
Ask how they managed their time, how they found their first clients, and how — or if — they finally transitioned to full-time. Come with flattery and humility, and most successful agents will share their secrets with you like I’m doing here. Want to pick my brain? I run a monthly mastermind call where agents share their strategies and brainstorm new ideas. to sell more real estate. I invite you to join us!
Part-time real estate agent salary: How much can you make?
Real estate agents, whether they work part-time or full-time, do not make a salary. We’re paid a commission for every transaction. How much you earn as a part-time agent will depend on many factors, including the price of the homes you sell and how hard you work. Data from the most recent NAR (National Association of REALTORS) member profile showed that 62% of agents with 2 years of experience or less earned less than $10,000 annually. Not great, right?
The good news is that how much you earn as a part-time agent is entirely up to you. If you join a luxury team or start flipping houses, you might make that in one sale! To get a clearer idea of how much you’ll make, ask your broker, team leader, or, better yet, another part-time agent.
The full picture: Can you be a part-time real estate agent in 2024?
Yes! As long as you’re focused and don’t give up on your lead generation efforts, becoming a part-time agent is absolutely worth it. Those efforts can lead to a successful career in real estate. It’s all about your ultimate goals for your business and your life. Maybe working part-time is the end goal, or maybe your goal is transitioning to full-time and quitting your day job. Either way, hopefully, the advice I’ve shared here will help you achieve it!
About Ashley Harwood
Ashley Harwood began her real estate career in 2013 and built a six-figure business as a solo agent before launching Move Over Extroverts in 2018. She developed training materials, classes, and coaching programs for her fellow introverts. Beginning in 2020, Ashley served as Director of Agent Growth for three Keller Williams offices in the Boston metro area. She’s now the Lead Listing agent for the Fleet Homes team in Massachusetts and a regular contributor to Vetted by HousingWire. She created The Quiet Success curriculum and has taught thousands of real estate agents nationwide. She has also been a guest speaker at top industry events and has been named a leading real estate coach by prominent industry publications.
