Real estate is the most popular second career in America. People come to it from many walks of life, using their skills to make a positive difference. It's no surprise, then, that many real estate agents start on a part-time basis until they build a book of business.

Having a steady second income while you get started with real estate can make it much less stressful. However, once you see some success, you may wish to go full-time. One reason why Homesale Realty agents get a strong start to their careers is knowing when and how to make the switch.

Let's take a closer look at how you can do the same:

• Clarify Your Brand Identity
  Many real estate agents start out doing "a little bit of everything." Before you go full-time, however, it's critical to understand your ideal customer and emphasize them in your marketing. This helps you ensure there's a large enough audience to attract the kind of income you want.
  
  
• Review Your Financial Picture
  If you've already completely replaced your original full-time income, shifting your focus to real estate becomes much easier. If not, review your financial picture and look at the trends. Are you on your way to reaching your goal in a way that would be helped by having more hours to devote to real estate?
  
  
• Ensure Repeatable Lead Generation
  Lead generation is one of the most important elements of real estate success. It will be a key focus of your work for years. By the time you make real estate your full-time occupation, you should have a variety of marketing and lead generation techniques you can do every week. "Telling everyone you meet" isn't enough on its own.
  
  
• Consult with a Real Estate Mentor
  At BHHS Homesale Realty, we emphasize mentorship programs in our talent development approach. When you can take issues to a mentor, you no longer have to reinvent the wheel to solve your problem. Someone who has been where you are and knows where you're going can accelerate your progress to success.
  
  
• Talk It Over with Your Family
  Some real estate agents launch their careers with significant financial and emotional support from family, while others are on a time limit to see results as soon as possible. Going full-time is a big change and will dramatically impact both your income and how you spend your time. Be sure everyone is on the same page!
  
  
• Emphasize Referral Business
  Real estate agents appear most trustworthy when they are recognized local experts with a long history in their community. When you aspire to a full-time role, it's time to build relationships that will last for years. Return to all your satisfied customers, thank them for the experience they provided and ask for referrals.
  
  
• Have a Growth Plan
  There's always something more to learn in real estate, but you can fall behind if you don't specifically set time aside for things that aren't urgent. Decide which skills, tools, and credentials will get you where you want to go, then block off time on your schedule to pursue them every week.
  
  
• Master Time Management
  It's been said that work expands to fit the amount of time you have. With less urgency, you might find you get less done in a day at first. The best way to counteract this is to do work in focused blocks. Consider timing yourself as you zero in on just one task for 20 minutes. Create a distraction-free environment to help you.

Contact BHHS Homesale Realty to find out more or get started.