Real Estate Agents Rattled by Market Swings
Experienced and aspiring real estate agents are facing increasing instability and uncertainty. This stems from fluctuating market conditions, changing commission structures, expensive lead generation, and the unpredictable nature of client relationships and listings. Many feel unprepared and lack the practical knowledge needed to navigate these challenges.
SOURCES (60)
“Hey everyone, I'm a 20-year-old Realtor in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and I'm looking for some advice from agents who have been in a similar position. I've been with a smaller boutique brokerage for about six months now. I've been working full-time and have mainly focused…”
I’ve been in transaction advisory, but never had a 15 hour work week
“3 months in, been grinding day and night. I have clients, but they don’t just buy it, it takes them forever to lome smth and they lowball and their offer gets rejected. I currently dont have a software to scrape so i do it manually via facebook, linkedin, insta and reddit. Also, fellow realtors, how much time did it take to make ur first commission? It kinda feels draining to work this much and not make anything, i cant give uo because i want to make my own money. I speak well, find the right pr”
“Totally agree. Also many agents don’t want more business. They are doing it part time, hobby, and are not serious. I don’t remember the stat but most of us producers are the minority of agents”
“Does anybody have any advice for an experienced leasing agent looking to relocate to a city about 2 hours away? I have been a leasing agent for 3 years at the same property and I am very confident in my leasing abilities, I am not moving out of state, just to a bigger city a few hours away. I've found that the pay out there is not looking great compared to what I am currently making, I've had a few interviews and they loved me but were trying to pay about $2-3 less per hour than I need t”
“Question: I’m new to the agency mode, but I’m not new to the industry. Anyways, I’ve seen people operate under a broker while also having their own agency and website, with something like “Agency Owner XYZ, powered by XYZ Broker.” How does that actually work? Do you represent yourself to shippers as your own agency, but then tender the loads and handle the customer setup through the broker you operate under? And why do people do this? What’s the advantage besides having your own name and logo? W”
“Has anyone done both? Looking for perspectives because I’m considering a career pivot. submitted by /u/catlover4everr [link] [comments]”
“Are other agents hearing more from brokerages than usual? I notice more persistence, but I’m unsure if it’s legitimate. Are you experiencing brokerages trying to poach? I’ll have a conversation, but I’m not interested in moving right now. submitted by /u/RowNo8057 [link] [comments]”
“8+ years sales experience. Very outgoing… pats back . And the market is rough. Is it me or the market? submitted by /u/html5lffy [link] [comments]”
“Hi everyone. I’m (26f) almost finished with my real estate course. I’ve been in corporate marketing for four years and I absolutely want out. I didn’t want to work in corporate America but it ended up working out for me that way. I’m realizing more and more as each work day passes that this isn’t the place for me. I’m burnt out, bored, and feeling constrained. I’ve tried applying to external roles to see if an industry change would help, but I think it’s time to make a career change. I’ve been d”
“If brokerage is supposedly such a high-margin business, why do most brokers still seem pretty “normal” or informal? I don’t mean that negatively, but when you look at places like Dubai or LA, even the average real estate agent seems to present themselves like a proper professional — well dressed, polished, strong personal brand, good social media, professional property tours, etc. Why hasn’t that culture really developed in Mumbai? Is becoming a successful broker actually that difficult unless y”
“HUD resources nd local housing authority are probably the best starting points. then talk to local Section 8 landlords/property managers”
“You dont need to find an undeserved market. You just need to find a market. I worked in real estate for 3 years as an agent and now have a virtual assistant agency that works in real estate. I have like a million competitors. It's an established market and need. It's hard to find real needs without trying stuff out. Work in an industry, any industry i think and find things you think you can do better. Im partial to service based businesses because they take so little capital to start.”
“Just looking for general thoughts or critique on something I’ve been considering. It’s hard to frame a question because I don’t even know what to ask. I’ve considered moving back to my home state to work as a land agent, actually start as a buyers land agent under somebody else. I’m currently living with my wife+ kids 7 hours from home. We have been here a decade and interested in going home but there just isn’t much work there in my field. I’ve been in love with the idea of owning land my whole”
“I've been licensed for a year and a half now, so far i've only done a couple of transactions (mainly helping family buy/sell) but since then I haven't been able to close anything else, I've hosted open houses for other agents, gone door to door, cold calling people and posting on social media. I'm with a broker that provides Zillow leads but those leads haven't been the best (people not serious, not qualified or I get ghosted 30 mins before a RTT) I'm starting to feel”
“I’m a new realtor I applied to different brokerages and teams, they got back to me. I want to do residential and eventually move into the commercial space if my career permits. I looked into all of these brokerages, saw the glitz and glamor and modern tech/aesthetics etc. My father advised me to talk to his friend, and sign with him instead, he owns his own brokerage. He contacted him and connected us. Now, here’s a little background on him, and I’m wondering what experienced realtors would do i”
“Hey Hey Fellow Realtors! I have some clients that are thinking of relocating to Central Florida - Tampa Bay or Orlando area (they are not sure) - and there are soo many houses on the market for sale. They asked me if I knew what was going on with so many properties available to purchase. They are nervous about buying as they think the prices will decline since the inventory is oversaturated. Can you guys share some honest insight? Thank you! - Charlotte, NC submitted by /u/QCMSCharlo”
“Before I started, I thought I could do open houses to find people to work with but that’s not the case. A lot of people coming through are either looky-loo neighbors, people already working with agents, or people that are significantly older than me. Why would they want to work with me when they have someone more experienced on deck? I’ve held a bunch of open houses and still haven’t picked up a client. Have any of you done well with open houses? What’s your strategy? submitted by /u”
“I’ve been working with a friend that I met outside of real estate and after interviewing many brokerages ended up joining hers based on the training and support they offer (an office paid mentor that helps new agents with their first 3 deals and the agent keeps their entire commission). My friend (not the paid mentor) has been helping me with random questions and offering advice. She knows that my boyfriend wants to buy a house soon. and he does but he’s also still trying to build up his funds b”
“Hey All, Wondering what my fellow Realtors are doing in regards to retirement planning and/or investing. Do you have wealth advisors or independent retirement investments set up? My inkling so far among the Realtors I’m around is that they’re not putting much thought into managing their money properly and planning for retirement. submitted by /u/BaronBolo [link] [comments]”
“I'm in my late 20s, not married, no kids, so I have some flexibility right now but I'm feeling the pressure to figure this out. For the past 5 years I've been in real estate — deals, listings, some investing on the side. I've had good months and really bad months, and honestly the income has just been too volatile to build anything stable on. I know real estate can work long-term, but right now it's not working for me, and I've got family breathing down my neck about not”
“In what situations does real estate make more sense than the stock market? submitted by /u/IllEmployment7926 [link] [comments]”
“Don’t underestimate local college students or newer freelancers who are actually good at TikTok/Reels. Some really talented people would probably love to build a portfolio with a realtor.”
“If you move to where your properties are you don't need to make 210k. Unless you really love living on the coast I'd start there.”
“#1 way to become a pro is having colleagues who are top sales people. This means going to work at the best sales companies in a particular industry. Seeing how other pros work and get developed by a killler VP of sales. It’s 100% worth moving backward in career / title into an SDR role at a T1 sales org and working your way up.”
“The problem is usually peak-hour economics. Courts may look busy evenings and weekends while expensive square footage sits underused most weekdays. Add buildout debt, HVAC, insurance, staff, maintenance, and membership churn, and a full Saturday can hide a weak month. Before buying one, ask for hourly court utilization—not just memberships—plus revenue by lessons, leagues, events, food, and retail. Then stress-test the lease renewal and what happens if a cheaper club opens nearby.”
“Hi! I’ve been in sales for years and have finally decided to pivot into real estate after not feeling ready for so long. I’m struggling to find a brokerage that truly supports new agents. I’m in NC, near Fayetteville, and I’m considering Dark Horse Group and NorthGroup Real Estate. I’m also meeting with Keller Williams and ReMax next week. Is anyone familiar with Dark Horse Group or NorthGroup Real Estate? My focus over the next few months/year is to learn as much as I can, and I’m nervous about”
“Recently moved to a new city (Tigard,OR) out in the Portland metro area. Have no sphere of influence out here, because I am from Utah and was licensed in Utah before moving to Oregon. (Still licensed out there just on active referral status) I only had one transaction out in Utah, so I don’t have very much transaction experience at all. My partner and I moved out here for his career (property management), and ironically dreamed of living in Oregon or somewhere in the PNW before the opportunity c”
“I'm still relatively new to this and one a major problem that I'm facing is getting a quality contractor who does the job right the first time at a good price. I don't know how to solve every problem, so it's hard to weed out who is upselling or overcharging”
“Commission needs to be structured to drive the behavoir you wish to see. £16 per hour isnt a lot so you’ll get inexperience/unproven people. Conversly £23 would be a comfortable ammount to live on for many people. And as such they will be less hungry. Out of those two options I would go with £16 and 10% uncapped and also introduce an accelerator. Don’t leave it to “close as much as you can”, set targets. 7% below target, 10% at target, 15% when they are 50% above target. I set a similar structur”
“We’ve been looking at roleplay as a way to help leasing agents practice, discovery questions, objection handling and closing before they’re doing it with a real prospect. The hard part seems to be making it useful without turning it into another awkward training session everyone hates. Are you doing live roleplay with managers or using AI roleplay tools because ive heard thats a thing too now and what kinds of scenarios are helping your agents improve? submitted by /u/Sad_Survey6684”
“It’s all my own capital. I save and invest a lot and own a real estate brokerage and personally close 80-100 deals a year. Lots of my clients are investors/flippers so as part of our services we offer them hard money or private money on specific flips or deals. I’m underwriting everything and all of the people we lend to are good operators. Some of it is first lien some of it is riskier second lien / bridge debt.”
“Ok I need some opinions from people actually involved in real estate. None of my friends & family are in the business so no one really gets it and I feel like I’m going insane. Am I? Licensed for 2 years with a Natl Brokerage— recently moved to a different state & got licensed there as well. Set up an interview with the local branch of the Natl Brokerage I’m associated with in my former state. Everything sounds hunky dory— schedule a meeting for 10am the following week with the managing”
“I live in China. For many years, most of my work and business has been related to real estate and finance — property transactions, commercial real estate, lending-related services, and other local businesses. For quite a long time, these businesses provided me with a good income, and I honestly thought I would probably continue doing something similar for many years. But things have changed. I started noticing the slowdown last year, but it became much more obvious this year. Some of the busines”
“I've been in real estate for years and was recently recruited to apply for a sales position at CoStar. Has anyone made the switch? If so, was it worth it? submitted by /u/pupsandtucks [link] [comments]”
“Hey realtor fam, I recently moved back to WA state after selling RE in Arizona for the past 8 years and joined the brokerage my family works for out of convenience and I feel like I’m getting screwed over in fees. I’m on a 70/30 split and have $22k cap, + a 5% franchise fee, $95 “Tech fee” for a generic website and a sales force CRM. I don’t get any leads or expect any leads from them, so I do all my own prospecting. To be honest, I’m not impressed with what this brokerage provides and it’s hard”
“Late to the party here, but could you offer some advice on how you would study local demand in a secondary market? What are the metrics you'd be looking at to make such an acquisition. Looking to acquire my first CRE property and it would be in a secondary market.”
“If you have the capital and the knowledge required to run it then yeah I’d say go for it.”
“Wholesaling to build up more capital for other avenues could be a great place to start, whether you're wholesaling land or houses. I know a lot of wholesalers making six figures easily and they'll funnel that into some of their long game investments like rentals”
“By putting feet in the fire and buying one. Learned eviction by having to evict. Maintenance by having to complete an inspection by HDA. Happy to answer any questions”
“By putting feet in the fire and buying one. Learned eviction by having to evict. Maintenance by having to complete an inspection by HDA. Happy to answer any questions”
“Oh wow. I heard of him years ago but I stopped paying attention to social media and have just focused on my properties. Crazy how all these experts have crashed.”
“So I could use some advice or encouragement. I’ve been in the business for 6 years now in Washington state. Last year I had a great year 6 transactions always busy and actually made decent money. This year has just sucked. I’ve had 1 good transaction back in March and ever since then has been pitfalls. I lost one buyer because they ended up buying a house off market from someone at church. My brother in law didn’t even consider me when looking for a home. Now my office is downsizing space and I’”
“Most technical people in your exact situation over-research and under-talk to real buyers. Pick one narrow problem you already understand well, find 10–15 people who have that problem, and just ask them how they currently solve it and what annoys them most. The answers will give you clearer direction than any market report. Marketing becomes much easier once you can describe the pain in their own words.”
“do you have real interest or only interested in the money...because real estate is indeed highly PROFITABLE but also RISKY at the same time, so make your decision wisely”
“The “you didn’t retire, you changed employers” point is probably the biggest thing to think about before picking one of these paths. Agent, LO, wholesaling, flipping, PM most are just another job, not passive income replacing a $210k W-2. With 10 SFRs already, I'd focus more on building systems so the portfolio can grow without becoming another full-time job. That's a process problem, which is exactly what engineers tend to be good at. Can you get to 20-30 doors without needing to touch”
Word of mouth tenants? Who is giving you leads like that?
“I’m a newer agent in NC (greater Charlotte/Lake Norman area) and I’m considering leaving my current team to move to a different brokerage. I’m currently on a 50/50 split, so I’m looking for something with a better commission structure while still having good support. NorthGroup has caught my attention, particularly the Cornelius office, but I’m also considering a few other brokerages. For anyone who currently works at NorthGroup (or has recently worked there), I’d love to hear your honest experi”
“A Mushroom farm or will do commission based Real Estate Sales and use this money for runway until I close my 1st real estate deal.”
“I left because: I operated part time, in addition to my full time job. I was subject to the weather and always working on nice days, which in the first few years was great. Got to be outside. A week of rain would always set you back. Get tired of running down non paying or late customers. The lawn guys always the last guy paid. Snow is brutal. Life circumstances changed Good help is hard to find Poison Ivy sucks I have a very good career. I landscaped because I enjoyed it. I was good at it. Admi”
“Before giving up a $210k salary, test whether time is the constraint. For 90 days, track where deals die: sourcing, underwriting, capital, contractor capacity, or management. If capital is the bottleneck, the W-2 may be the strongest part of the current model; if qualified deals consistently die because you can’t act on them, try buying back time or reducing hours before replacing the whole income stream.”