Careers

A career in Real Estate or Mortgage Broker can give you the Freedom you might be craving, the Flexibility to work your own hours, the Potential to earn what you want and you can keep your existing job if you like.

You can work alone or in a team environment. Work for a developer selling lots or condo projects and have set hours. The possibilities are endless.

You can be a Realtor and a Mortgage Broker at the same time if you want. No more 9 -5 with 2 weeks holidays and fighting rush hour traffic that is only getting worse.

You decide your hours of work. Parents can work around their children’s schedules and never miss a concert again!

Thinking of retiring or working part time or supplemental your income? This is your answer.

Where can you go, take a 5 week course, study hard, write an exam, pass and be in your new career with the potential to earn 6 figures for just over $1,900? Think about that. 4 years of university is an average $35,000.

Real Estate is not age restrictive. Just starting out or kids growing up, or Retiring….it does not matter what your age is. We all bring our personality and life’s lessons to this career. Minimum 19 years old – Maximum…well that’s up to you! As long as you have the desire, the interest in working and helping people find their dream home, or investment or arranging their financial needs and treat this like your own business you will do well.

We all Need Real Estate
We all Want Real Estate

So it’s not a hard sell. But the question of the day is “Do we need and want it through YOU!”

You are the product. If we like & trust working with you, we will be your customer for life and don’t forget…. we have friends and family.

Find out more about these exciting careers below.

What is like to be?
• Realtor
• Mortgage Broker
• Rental Property Management

A Career in Real Estate

What is it like being a Realtor?

Real Estate is a career where you are the Representative who works with the buyer to find them the home or investment they are looking for and /or work with the homeowner to sell their property. You can work selling Residential Real Estate (homes) and/or Commercial Real Estate –( businesses, industrial property ).

You are licensed in BC is valid for both. Most often Realtors specialize in Residential or Commercial Real Estate. Often Realtors specialize even further and become “experts” in Condominiums or work primarily selling small businesses. Whatever your best at or most interested in is up to you.

Many Realtors prefer to work in a Residential Development, selling townhouses or condominiums. This provides steady hours when show homes are typically open.

Teams are popular. You can work in a Team as a Buyers Agent. You are provided the clients buy your listing agent and you find the right home for those clients. This provides a steady stream of work, without having to do all the leg work finding the listing. Or perhaps you would like to take on a more administrative role that is also available in the team as well.

Along with the buying and selling process, you are also part of the contract negotiations, provide good honest advice and support through the deal for your clients, while providing the best customer service.

A career in real estate provides you with the flexibility and freedom to set your own hours and pace. Successful people in real estate are goal-oriented, persevering, self-motivated, ambitious and people-oriented. But most of all have a love and passion for real property and helping people.

What kind of person chooses Real Estate as a Career?
Moms, single parents, retirees, just complete high school, bankers, lawyers, airline pilots, farm workers, musicians, actors, school teachers, fire fighters, corrections officers, police. People that have just moved here from other countries.

What nationalities become Realtors?
You know that is a good question because, in our classes it is really great to see every walk of life. We see every age, every educational background – from grade 10 education to PHD. We see every colour, every religion, every personality! That’s the beauty of Real Estate, there is room for us all to share in our communities.

What else can I do with my Real Estate License?
Most people begin as Representative in Real Estate Company. Other possibilities include office assistant, licensed assistant to a Realtor, and assistant in a department of a large real estate organization.
• Land Assembly
• Sell Farms or Acreages
• New Home Construction – sell lots and build new homes
• Sell Recreation Property

What’s great about this industry is you can choose your clientele. Meaning, you can choose to work with first time buyers, or be the condo specialist, or work with million dollar listings. Choose the clientele you are most comfortable working in.

• Referral Specialist- work with all out of town clients
• Investors or Rent to own Specialist
• Commercial – sell small or large businesses

Whatever you choose, remember you have the flexibility to do one or all of them. There is no limit. You are your own boss. You have control over how you spend your time and how much you earn. The possibilities are endless.

But what makes a Realtor successful?
It’s actually pretty simple. People want Service back! People want to be heard and listened to. Follow through. Your clients want you to make them feel they are the only client you have. The company you work for will train you to learn the in’s and out. Real Smart also has a fantastic Kick Start with Real Smart Program we would be happy to let you know about once you pass.

How do you do this?
It’s actually pretty simple. What would you want? Go above and beyond with customer service. Talk is cheap. Show them you are dependable, reliable, someone that is resourceful and someone willing to step up and take charge if needed. Your client wants to be assured you will be the best negotiator when it comes to their contract and you will get them the best price possible.

What can I expect to earn?
Ahh, the 64 million dollar question! You typically earn a commission, which is a percentage of the sale price or flat fee negotiated with the homeowner when you list a home. You will receive this fee after the home is sold and has completed and transferred title. (typically 3 months after the sale) How many houses you sell directly correlates to how much income you earn. So this is why it is very important you line yourself up with a great company that has successful realtors, great training and the best industry reputation.

Here’s a peak: (NOTE: this is just for training purposes. There is no set commission structure)

Sell price of 1 House – $450,000
Commission could be 7% on the 1st $100,000 and 2.5% on the balance for example

Commission $15,750 You could get the full commission or:

Listing Salesperson typically 56% of $15,750 = $8,820
Selling Salesperson typically 44% of $15,750 = $7,245

Every Real Estate company has different commission spit structures. That is what you will find out once you are in the interviewing stage. Don’t worry, we help you with this.

Can I hold another job or work part time in Real Estate?
Yes, you can sell Real Estate and have another job. This was not always the case, but the law changes many years ago. You can work part or full time. Some firms will hire only full time realtors, others do not mind if you have another job.

How do I know if I will be any good? I have no sales background?
Do you like working with people? Do you just know or have been told you would be great at Real Estate? There’s a reason people tell you that. They can see in you what it takes to be a good salesperson. Are you a self starter? Do you like flexibility? Do you like to work your own hours, no boss? There are physiological tests you can take as well to discover what kind of personality you have and does it match with this career.

Real Smart works with BC’s Leading Life and Career Coach to help you learn more. Just ask us about this.

What can I do if I am still not sure?
Well, we all need to step out of our comfort zone sometime. But if you truly are unsure, do some more homework and call up some real estate companies, make an appointment with the manager and ask them about it. See if you can speak with a Realtor there. The thing is, you must go into this industry because you want to. Don’t let other’s discourage you. If this is what you want to do, then do it! If you are unsure, you need to ask yourself why? What is it you are unsure about? Whatever it is DO NOT let FEAR hold you back. That would be a shame if you gave into that.

That’s a bit about Real Estate as a Career. Sandy started her career at age 21 and worked through raising 3 children and now owns and operates Real Smart Real Estate Training.

Anything is possible, if you love it and believe in you!

Real Smart Real Estate Training
Training people just like you for a dream career – 5 Weeks!

A Career in Rental Property Management

What are some of the duties of a Rental Property Manager?
• Advertise vacant property for rent.
• Show available property for rent and interview prospective tenants.
• Screen the best candidates for your rental property by requiring written applications with credit and employment references.
• Evaluate prospective tenants by investigating their backgrounds, credit histories, personal references and employment histories.
• Obtain liability, fire, theft and other insurance on rental property.
• Arrange for regular maintenance and necessary repairs of the property.
• Assure that tenants comply with rental policies and procedures.
• Supervise repairs and maintenance work.
• Conduct inspections of the property on a periodic basis.
• Establish and maintain an organized system of collecting rental payments and security deposits.

A Rental Property Manager acts as a liaison between the tenant and the owner. Often, the property manager makes any necessary day to day decisions about the property based on his agreement with the property owner. He or she will deal with rental payments, safety checks and other customary home maintenance as required by the terms of the lease agreement. In most instances, owners rely on their manager to find tenants for their properties as well. Tenants will be paying rent typically monthly cash or other so finding a manager that one can trust is important. Homes or apartments are valuable assets and these owners are looking for you as their manager to be dependable, reliable and conscientious. As well as be licensed.

Potential
Managing rental property may be a full time career or a side line of your property ownership. It all depends how many properties you manage, if you work independently or for a firm. The potential income is the standard rate pay for the industry working for a firm. To find out more, I would suggest

Administration
• Evaluate your property
• Review and process resident (non) submissions.
• Provide ongoing property assessments to maximize revenue opportunities.

Tenant Services
• Oversee the rental process including fielding inquiries and hosting showings to qualified, prospective parties.
• Conduct thorough applicant screening through credit reports and reference histories.
• Negotiate rental contracts including rates, terms and renewals.
• Coordinate tenant move in.
• Liaise with tenants on your behalf regarding all matters related to the property.
• Provide 24-hour emergency contact and care.

Financial
• Collect and record all income and expenses using “trust accounting” procedures.
• Oversee the payment of expenses.
• Provide monthly income and expense statements.
• Extend preferred rates on some property expenses.

Marketing
• Develop and execute targeted strategies to market your property.
• Work in collaboration with industry colleagues to expand tenant searches for the property.

Maintenance
• Arrange and oversee repairs, maintenance, and contractual services as required.
• Purchase equipment and supplies deemed necessary to maintain the value of the property.

These are just some of the duties. To find out more, I would recommend to speak directly to some Rental Property Management companies.

Real Smart teaches the Rental Property Management Course through our exclusive E –Learning Online Program.

Click here to view the Rental Property Management Course Demo.

A Career As A Mortgage Broker

How much does hiring a Mortgage Broker cost?

In most cases, there is no cost to work with a mortgage broker. Many financial institutions pay finder’s fees to mortgage brokers who refer business to them. In a few specialized cases, some fees may apply – however your broker will always let you know up front, so there will be no surprises later.

What kind of person should a Mortgage Broker be?

You must have excellent people skills. A sales or marketing background is helpful, though not required. Depending on who your client’s are, having the ability to speak more than one language may also beimportant. You also need excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Having computer skills is important since much of the job entails searching for new sources of funding and quickly running interest rates, credit reports, and qualifying information.

A college degree is not essential, but is definitely a plus. Some type of banking background is also helpful, but, again, not required. The main requirement is drive and a desire to help people, while at the same time making money.

How Will I Learn To Be a Mortgage Broker?

Once you pass the UBC Exam, Real Smart will assist you to find the right company for you. It is very important you take this time and search out the various companies, meet the managers, and interview them.

You should look for a company that has a solid, proven, training system in place, just like us. You don’t know what you need to know yet, but just like our school, the Company Managers or Trainers do. Don’t leave your career — your future — in the hands of anyone not willing to train you. Why would you?

Cheap = Cheap + Failure + Frustration + Disappointment + Out of Business.

Training = Educated + Success + Financial Freedom + Business Expansion.

We will help you choose! We even provide you with the right questions to ask their current employees.

What kind of hours do Mortgage Brokers keep?

Mortgage brokers must be available to work nights and weekends when their customers are available, similar to a real estate agent. They must also be organized and have the ability to multi-task, since, frequently, they will be working with more than one customer at a time.

A mortgage broker must also have a sense of urgency. A buyer may not have a lot of time, and the broker needs to get the money quickly so that the buyer will not lose the deal. The broker’s sense of urgency must match the customer’s.

For information on training to become a Mortgage Broker visit UBC Sauder School of Business. For information on the Real Smart Training Courses to help you pass the UBC exam for this course click here.

Real Smart has had thousands of students become Sub Mortgage Brokers. We work closely with many top Mortgage Broker firms and are happy to share our insights.

Whether you are considering what company to work for, or what company to learn the course from, it comes down to this:

Does the company work Full Time? We do at Real Smart.
Can you pick up the phone and get the owner and/or staff after hours? You can with Real Smart.
Do they have 10 years of proven experience like we do at Real Smart?
Are they members of the BBB A+ Rating like we are at Real Smart?
Does the company have the most current innovative learning tools that noone else has like Real Smart’s “Secret to Math” or the Online E-Learning Programs?