Do you know why you want a career in real estate? You may love to sell, love to help people, or feel you would be a natural. The perception that real estate sales as a career with flexible hours, unlimited income, and glamor might motivate some.

Many people come to the real estate industry as mature adults, rather than young people fresh out of school. The primary reason for this is that selling homes is expensive and income is irregular. It takes confidence to make it as an independent business person, which is what a real estate salesperson is. Even though you will be supervised by a broker, you are essentially building your own business and will be responsible for your own productivity and expenses.

Although it's true you can set your own hours, income needs demand that you frequently schedule yourself to please your clients. Income can be unlimited, but so are the very real costs to develop your name (personal brand awareness) and expertise and to market listings.