With the potential to earn $112,000 a year or more, becoming an agent is often viewed as the most popular career option within the real estate industry. Beyond the unlimited financial potential, you may have the opportunity to work with incredible luxury homes and be rewarded by helping make the dreams of families become a reality. However landing a job in the industry outside of sales isn’t as easy, but it can lead to a fulfilling and lucrative long-term career option immediately after university, especially if you are passionate about property.
Industry Options
Property management, development, land acquisition, appraisal, escrow, loan, lease and sales are just some of the specialties within the real estate field that can be both deeply rewarding and exciting. These are just some of the career options that are available in the industry. It’s a simple fact that everybody needs a home and with over half a million homeless people on any given night in America, there are also many noble options to consider within this career path.
Your Qualifications
Like any entry-level position, if you are looking at your first job in the real estate industry, then you will need to pitch your qualifications. How is your existing degree relevant? Perhaps your philosophy degree improves your sale skills by making you good at negotiations, or maybe your art degree has given you an advantage towards design skills. Making the best of what you have is a good start, but you should strongly consider specialized education options even if you need to finance a new qualification linked more closely to the segment of the industry you would like to pursue in order to improve your standing in the job market.
Key Characteristics
No matter how high your confidence level is as a graduate, existing qualifications with industry knowledge and experience is the key characteristic and differentiator that employers are seeking. As this is ultimately a people industry, forming personal networks and building a reputation for honesty, work ethic and professionalism brings credibility, so don’t just focus on the academic side of things. Stay up to date on industry trends, build your personal qualifications and select a path until you land a job, which allows you to build experience in your chosen sector. After that, chart a career path moving forward. There really is no limit to how far you can go or what you can achieve in this diverse industry.
