As far as I can think back I always enjoyed being in an office setting. My father used to be an Insurance Salesman when I was little and whenever I had to stay at his office for one reason or another I would always pass the time away happily playing office even answering some calls for my dad. As I got older my dad used to give me tasks to do like filing or stocking the insurance applications for him.
Now when I look back it doesnt seem like a very important job but I used to enjoy that I was helping my dad in his business and I used to look up to him the way he talked to his clients giving them information on different types of insurance and their different coverages, for a long time I wanted to be an insurance salesman just like my dad. Now that Im at the age where I need to start looking and preparing for a career I the desire of being an Insurance Salesman isnt as strong as when I was little but being involved in the business field is my definite career goal.
Thats why I decided to do some research on the career of a Real Estate agent. Before we go into the information that I found on a Real Estate agent, its important that we first see what kind of temperament or personality that I have and what kind of jobs would be best for my temperament. For this the best way to go is to take the Kiersy Character Sorter (II) online and the Personality Mosaic from our Your College Experience 4th Edition workbook.
The Kiersy Character Sorter is a series of questions that you answer either yes or no depending on your preference between the two. Once your finish the questions you submit it into the computer and you get a reading of what kind of character you have. The Personality Mosaic a series of statements that you select based on your preference and then score at the end to get a personality type result. These two tests helped me to see how I measured up and what characteristics of my personality can be used in different fields.
The results of the Kiersy Character Sorter showed that I am an extrovert, that is a person that is outgoing more like a people person than an introvert. The results also showed that Im a sensing person and a thinking person, rather that a person that goes by feelings I think things through. Finally, the result showed that Im also a judging person, which perhaps means that I weigh things out and than make a judgment on what to do, evaluate more than a perceiving person would.
The Personality Mosaic had somewhat similar results, they said that first Im a conventional person, then a social person and then an enterprising person, in that order. The last part of the Personality Mosaic was to look at the different jobs that went along with the different personality types. Some jobs that interested me in the Conventional category were accountant, data processor, hospital administrator, insurance administrator, office manager and database manager. In the Social category were the jobs of teacher, school superintendent, insurance claims specialist and convention planner.
Fourth Edition, (1991). The description that I came up with was that a real estate agent coordinates activities of real-estate department of company and negotiates acquisition and disposition of properties in most beneficial manner: Supervises staff engaged in preparing lease agreements, recording rental receipts, and performing other activities necessary to efficient management of company properties, or in performing routine research on zoning ordinances and condemnation considerations.
Directs appraiser to inspect properties and land under consideration for acquisition, and recommends acquisition, lease, disposition, improvement, or other action consistent with best interest of company. Authorizes or requests authorization for maintenance of company properties not under control of operating departments, such as dwellings, hotels, or commissaries. Evaluates and promotes industrial-development potential of company properties. Negotiates contracts with sellers of land and renters of properties (Dictionary of Occupational Titles, 1991).
A real estate agent has many responsibilities as you can see from the job title description. The next step in researching a career is finding out what kind of preparation is required in order to become a real estate agent. The surprising thing that I found was that not much preparation is needed to become a real estate agent, its more based on experience rather than schooling. According to the Princeton Review (1999) the only things real estate agents have in common in terms of preparation are high school diplomas and communication skills.
There are a growing number of people entering the field with a college degree and some colleges even offer courses in real estate. These courses along with business courses are helpful but the real learning takes place once an agent enters the field. There are a great number of agents that come into real estate from outside unrelated careers, attracted by the flexible hours or the potential for part-time work. You do need to have a Realtors license before you can call yourself a realtor.
Every state requires that a broker or agent undergo a series of examinations and log some experience before he is granted his license (Princeton Review, 1999). There are many preparatory courses offered by real estate boards that help the broker or agent pass the state exam. Once you have your license, however, you must renew it yearly without having to repeat the tests, but every state has its own exam so if you want to work in another state you have to pass their exam (Princeton Review, 1999).
Its not very hard to become a real estate agent but it does take special preparation to pass the state exams, going to college helps but isnt going to guarantee anything. Its always good to find out what kind of money a career makes, for this I turned to the Bureau of Labor Statistics 1998-99 Occupational Outlook Handbook. According to the handbook real estate agents make anywhere from $15,000 to $70,000 a year depending on their reputation and repore with customers. The handbook was also helpful in finding how many real estate positions were held in the US in 19996, which was 408,000 employed real estate agents.
This information shows how this career is open to how you apply yourself; there really isnt anything that holds you back from making a lot of money except maybe a slow month. I talked to a real estate agent and he told me that at the beginning he made zero dollars in six months, but then he suddenly had four sales in a row and made enough for the rest of the year. My chances of getting into this field are good, according to the Princeton Review (1999), 80 percent of real estate agents are male while the leftover 20 percent are female. A real estate agent works an average of 50 hours a week.
So, in order to do well in this profession I would have to put in some work. The career of a real estate agent is very appealing to the ambitious. From the information gathered on the career, it is a very open position where one can achieve great success but yet its a job that requires many hours and talking to people. Its a position that requires exceptional communication skills in order to do well; agents must develop close productive relationships with their clientele. I feel that I can see myself as a real estate agent, but its going to take a few struggling years in order to start enjoying success.
The road for preparation doesnt seem like a hard one, Ive already taken many steps toward gaining business experience. Ive worked two summers in the Purchasing dept. of my hometowns school district working on projects and answering phones. In high school I took as many business related courses as I could and I graduated with a Business Technology Academy Diploma with Honors. I feel that the road towards being a real estate agent is only as far as making a decision on whether or not I want to take it on. From the Information that I found the career of a real estate agent is quite inviting.
