r/realtors

I’m currently 19 working a factory Job with just a highschool diploma making decent money but I’m interested in becoming a realtor to add a second job, I don’t know much about the job but would that be a plausible scenario? I currently work 7-5 Monday-Friday and could do realtor work on evenings and Saturdays. I haven’t taken any classes yet but just trying to get some better understanding about the career before I do.

Central Indiana

We are selling for the first time. We bought our home during the covid boom and waived our inspection to get it. Afterwards we have dumped roughly 6 figures into fixing issues we knew would come up. Foundation, electrical, attic, roof, etc.

We are selling our home now and we had gotten offers over asking. We were esctatic and hoped to move quickly as we have two little kids and the whole process is a lot to go through.

The buyers did an inspection and I thought it came back really clean. However, they want us to deduct the cost of replacing the entire HVAC on the house. The HVAC in general is older, but they knew that when they put an offer on the house. The inspection report mentioned it had signs of being older but was in working condition. Beyond that, there were a lot of minor things on the report ( needing a GFCI in a bathroom, and cracks in the concrete walking up to the house).

The deduction in cost takes us over 10k under what our listing was.

I'm worried if we say no, we will have to go back on market, go through the whole process again, and potentially not have the same offers we did the first time because someone will think somethings wrong with the house since it went pending then back on. I find this to be unbelievably frustrating.

Is this normal in real estate?

I’m trying to get better at follow-up notes after buyer and seller calls. A lot of the useful stuff is not the big decision, it’s the small details: why a buyer ruled out a neighborhood, what a seller is nervous about, timing changes, financing concerns, family preferences, or some quick comment they expect you to remember later.

I write notes during calls, but if I write too much I stop listening properly. If I only write the big points, I miss the details that make the next follow-up better. Do you guys record calls when the client is okay with it, or do you just clean up CRM notes from memory after?

I've noticed more listings lately where the photos look almost too perfect.

Recently, I visited a house in Texas after seeing what looked like beautiful interiors and a bright, modern space in the listing photos. But when I got there, it felt completely different the rooms looked smaller, darker, and nowhere near what the photos suggested.

I understand using professional photography, but AI enhancements and heavy editing seem to be making it harder to know what a property actually looks like.

For those with more experience:

• Are there any signs that listing photos have been heavily edited or AI-enhanced?
• Is this becoming more common?
• Any tips for spotting misleading listings before making the trip?

I'd love to hear how others handle this.

I’m looking to collaborate with real estate agents who want to elevate their property marketing.

Instead of relying solely on static photo carousels, I can transform your listings into engaging short-form videos and Reels—often at a lower cost than hiring a professional photographer and video editor.

I can also send you my sample works so you can see the quality and style of content I create.

Here’s what I can help with:

🏡 High-impact AI house tour videos
🛋️ Virtual staging
🤖 Realistic AI avatar videos using your photos and voice (if needed)
📱 Reels, TikToks, and social media ads designed to capture attention

Whether you’re trying to generate more interest, boost engagement, or make your listings stand out in a crowded market, I’d be happy to collaborate and explore creative ways to market your properties.

I’d love to hear how you’re currently marketing your listings and what strategies have worked best for you.

Ok so I am an habitual felon, I’ve been working to change my life over the past year. Will this stop me from getting sponsored by a broker? What all do they look at when they do the background check? I have maintained sobriety, a job, almost have my 90 hour pre license course complete, and I have graduated from Ivy tech within the last year.

Anyone know any reo agent in Long Island ny , westchester ny or Nj
Looking for house cash max 500k

Hi all, I hope this finds you well. I am an aspiring Georgia Real Estate Agent and plan to take my exam next month. I am debating between two brokerages: local Coldwell Banker and eXp Realty. I’ve read about the advantages and disadvantages of both to some degree. A little about me. I have 2 goals for the year following my licensure as a part time nurse and new mom is to sell two homes in order to cover my start up costs and learn as much as I possibly can from other real estate agents. Does anyone have advice for which brokerage to choose if those are my goals? Thank you.

Basically, as the title says. This is of course one of the most challenging and frowned-upon parts of the business because of how scammy people can be, and I'd love to hear how you handle things.

My neighbor died 2 months. Great guy, very nice. I'm sure his family will be selling the home, and I'm actually interested myself. Unfortunately, I cannot find an open probate case and perhaps there won't be one since the home is owned in a trust.

In the past, I've approached these estate 3 times, all people I know. My track record is:

1. Sent a note and photo of me with the neighbor. Never heard back.
2. Connected with attorney handling the estate. Connected me with homeowner, who was really appreciative. I showed the home a few times, but they sold directly to someone else. No problem, happy to have helped.
3. Connected with homeowner way too late. Got along great, but she already had multiple offers on the table.

I've never reached out to an estate of someone I did not know and don't plan on it. I would love to hear general advice.

I’ve been picking the brains of two agents who broke into the $1M+ price point, and both said basically the same thing: they posted higher price-point content until people identified them with luxury, and they deliberately farmed neighborhoods where the $1M homes actually are.

Sounds simple.

So for those of you who’ve tried to move up-market and it hasn’t happened yet what got in the way?

Didn’t know which neighborhood to commit to?

No luxury inventory to post about?

Sphere is all first-time buyers? Genuinely curious what the real blockers are.

I’m currently a wedding photographer looking to move into real estate photography/become an agent. I currently do a lot of traveling for my business out of state and want to cut down on that. I’m used to being a business owner and growing a clientele, so I’m not afraid of that.

I have a meeting with two people. One with Keller Williams and one with a private agency. The owner at the private agency already wants to hire me to do real estate photography, but I will have to become an agent with my own funds (classes and licensing).

Keller Williams sounds like it won’t cost me anything but it’s further away from me and no opportunity for real estate photography (yet).

I really want to go with the private agency as the owner sounds really awesome and will even seek a better space for the team at this location so I can have my own desk.

(Also… what do you do in office everyday as a realtor???? a new one?)

I have so much to learn and I admit that. I want to do what’s best for me in the long run. I am scared to pay a lot of money just to never sell a house.

I don’t need a ton of extra income but enough to have some extra for my husband and I, he’s the bread winner (somewhat… I make great money with wedding photography but it’s VERY stressful and takes a lot out of me) We do want to start a family soon so I still can’t give up the flexibility of being a business owner.

Would you go with KWilliams or a private agency? I’ve never done with before seeking advice.

Dm me

I am really curious as to how many agents have friends who don’t use them. Every year I have at least 2-3 friends in my sphere who end up not using me. We talk about real estate, I send them houses, I give them their house value etc, but for whatever reason they end up going a different direction.

I understand it is going to happen, while it’s a gut punch, I don’t take it personally. They should do what they think is best.

But I do wonder if other agents experience the same thing. I’m curious if there is an “acceptable average” of friends not using them.

To be clear, I’m not necessarily looking for sympathy. If I’m in the acceptable range of friends not using them, then that’s good. If I am above the acceptable range, then I have some work to do.

I hope this makes sense!

P.S. this is the hardest part of the business in my opinion.

P.S.S. I know a lot of people know multiple agents. It’s just about being top of mind when the time comes.

For context, I’m an agent selling high-end condos and penthouses, and I’m realizing my current business cards look way too generic. Handing a thin, cheap-feeling card to someone looking at a multi-million-dollar property just feels completely wrong and just ruins the first impression.

I want to completely redesign them so they actually feel premium and stand out. For those of you dealing with luxury clients, what makes realtor business cards look luxurious to you? Is it better to go with super thick paper, a matte texture, or some subtle metallic foil? I just want something clean and high-end that a buyer will actually keep instead of tossing out.

Please suggest any printers that do really personalized and premium cards, thanks a lot!

Any recommendations of a broker for a new agent like me to join?

I have become so interested in a career in real estate; and I’ve been doing as much digging as I can to learn what the job is like!

Are there any realtors from the PNW here that can give me their take on the job, the market, and maybe what they love/hate about being an agent?

Is social media marketing really the way to go today? (Broad question I know)

Did you guys begin with a mentor or just completely on your own?

If there’s anyone interested in answering questions, I have so many 😂

Thanks!

I’m looking for advice from people who have experience with marina acquisitions, distressed commercial real estate, seller financing, lease options, campground operations, waterfront redevelopment, or raising capital for messy real estate deals.
I’m involved with a marina property in Michigan that I would personally love to acquire or be involved with long term, but I’m trying to think through the structure realistically instead of emotionally.
The seller is potentially willing to either seller finance the property to me or give me a lease with an option to purchase. My struggle is capital. Even if the seller is willing to carry the purchase price or give me a lease-option structure, I would still need capital for insurance, taxes, utilities, cleanup, legal/title work, campground setup, store inventory, operating reserves, and general stabilization.
This is not a clean, turnkey marina business today. It is a distressed waterfront asset with real upside, but it also has real problems.
High-level facts:
Marina property in Michigan
Large waterfront site
Existing marina infrastructure, but the docks need service
Channel likely needs dredging before the marina portion can really operate
Existing primitive campground potential
Possible store/convenience component on site
Potential winter boat/camper storage revenue
A number of abandoned boats/campers/trailers on site that need to be legally addressed
Seller may be open to seller financing
Seller may also be open to a lease with option to purchase
I do not have the cash to purchase or stabilize this outright
The marina portion probably cannot be counted on as phase-one income because the docks and channel need work before that side is viable.
The way I am thinking about it is more of a phased stabilization plan.
Phase 1 would be cleanup, abandoned vessel/camper disposition, campground operation if licensing allows, winter boat/camper storage, and possibly reopening the store/convenience side.
Phase 2 would be figuring out docks, dredging, marina operations, and whether the property has redevelopment upside.
Potential phase-one revenue ideas:
Primitive campground from approximately April 15 to October 15
Possibly 50–60 primitive campsites if the county/state would allow it
Maybe $30–$50/night depending on demand and improvements
Winter storage from approximately October 1 to April 1
Potentially 50 boats and 50 campers at around $1,000 each for the season
Store income from ice, firewood, snacks, drinks, camping supplies, bait/tackle, boating basics, and possibly alcohol if licensing allows
Abandoned vessel/camper cleanup and recovery work
Known or suspected cost issues:
Insurance could be around $35,000/year
Water could be around $3,500/month during operating season
Electric could also be around $3,500/month during operating season
Property taxes could be significant
Cleanup will cost money
Campground licensing/compliance may require work
Docks need work
Channel dredging would be a major future capital item
Closing costs and carrying costs on an acquisition would be significant
One possible structure is a lease with option to purchase. For example, maybe 12 months with no base rent, but I would take over utilities/taxes/NNN expenses and try to stabilize the property. The property would likely still be marketed for sale during that time. If another buyer purchases it, I would be paid through the sale/commission side. If it works operationally, I could potentially exercise the option or bring in capital.
Another possible structure is full seller financing, but even with seller financing, I would still need capital for closing costs, insurance, taxes, utilities, legal/title work, cleanup, campground startup, store inventory, and reserves. The seller financing solves the purchase-price problem, but it does not solve the operating-capital problem.
My concern is that a NNN lease or seller-financed acquisition on a distressed non-operational marina could become a trap if I am paying taxes, insurance, utilities, cleanup, and operating costs without enough income coming in quickly.
I am trying to figure out what a smart structure would look like and how to bring in capital without overleveraging myself.
Questions for people who have done something like this:
Would a lease-option structure make sense here, or is that too risky with the NNN expenses?
If the seller financed the full purchase price, what terms would be necessary to make this survivable?
Would investors consider funding a stabilization phase if there is no clean marina income yet?
How would you structure investor capital for a project like this?
Would you treat the campground/storage/store as the phase-one business and ignore marina income until dredging/docks are solved?
How would you underwrite winter storage and primitive campground revenue?
What diligence would you require before signing anything?
What protections would you require in the lease/option?
Is there a way to structure this so I can stabilize the property without taking on unlimited carry risk?
For anyone who owns or operates marinas/campgrounds, what am I missing?
How would you approach capital partners for a deal like this?
Would you pursue this as a lease-option first, seller-financed acquisition, or bring in a larger capital partner/developer from day one?
I am not looking for generic “just raise money” advice. I am looking for practical deal-structure feedback from people who understand distressed commercial property, marinas, campgrounds, seller financing, lease options, capital stacks, or operational turnarounds.
The emotional side of me wants to own this place badly. The business side of me knows the structure has to work or it could become a financial disaster.
Any thoughts from people who have actually structured, financed, operated, or turned around something like this would be appreciated.