Almost all professionals sometimes consider ‘moonlighting’, as an option to make some extra cash. However, in the real estate business, this would mean making appointments and a bazillion phone calls and doing everything in your power to meet them during your evenings and weekends when you should be resting and getting ready for the next day at work.
Since this is twice as hectic as compared to most moonlighting opportunities available, this is why most people in the real estate business suggest that you do not try it.
Here are some reasons why:
1) Most brokerages do not employ people part-time as they think that freelancers will not be able to keep with the latest legal developments in the industry which is crucial to avoiding mistakes that can lead to legal complications.
2) The real estate business is a complex one, where every real estate agent learns something new every time a deal is made. Since part-timers only spend half the time, this means that they have half the opportunities to learn, and therefore, might not be able to keep up with the fast-paced demands of the industry.
3) Since clients need to reschedule meetings at different times in the morning, afternoon or evening, working part time only narrows the timeframe within which you can meet clients, due to the demands of your day job. Needless to say, this is a big disadvantage.
However, if you’d like to work as a real estate agent with money not necessarily being your only motivation (which means taking on just a few clients) like housewives, retired folks and school teachers who have their summer vacation, then it wouldn’t be too bad an idea.