A career in the real estate industry bring with it thoughts of flexible schedules and big commission checks. But how flexible is being a real estate agent? Many moms think about a real estate career but wonder if they will have to commit all their evenings and weekends to working with clients.

Will You Have to Work Evenings and Weekends As a Mommy Real Estate Agent? by Tina McAllister

Are you a Mommy thinking about a career in real estate? Wondering how it will fit into your schedule as a busy Mom? Real estate can be an enticing career. For the most part, you are the captain of your own ship, you are your own boss.

Many people like to go into business for themselves because they want to be in charge, they want to be the boss. Then they quickly learn that when you own your own business, EVERYONE is your boss. Every single customer is in essence your boss! And this can’t be more true than for real estate professionals.

There is a certain amount of flexibility when you work real estate. Let’s face it; you don’t typically have clients wanting you to meet at 6am. Or even 9am. In fact, many agents joke that other agents are late-risers. But as a Mom, you probably don’t find that an issue since the kids probably already get you up first thing!

You WILL have to work some evenings and weekends!

But with that “no set hours” sense of freedom comes the reality that a real estate agent needs clients. She needs to talk with clients, meet with clients, show clients properties. You get the idea.

And your typical client will have a working schedule from 8am to 5pm. You may be able to call or email them during the day. But listing appointments and showing homes will most likely take place during the evening and weekend hours.

So…if you’re thinking that real estate is a business you can work while the kids are in school or while your babies take their naps, think again. But you will be able to do work during those hours, and with a little help from others, you can streamline your business so you don’t feel like every evening and weekend is being spent away from the very family you want to financially support! You are still in control and you can set limits on when you are able to meet with clients, and it’s important you do so from the start in order to create a healthy balance between your real estate business and family responsibility.

Tina McAllister is a ghostwriter for busy professionals and the author of The WAHM Agent. She also runs WAHM Biz Tips, a site providing business tips and more to work at home moms.
Article Source: WAHM Articles

If you’re a mommy looking to begin her real estate career, your first step will be getting your education. And before you step foot inside a real estate licensing class or spend a penny on your licensing courses, you’ll want to consider a few things.

What a Mom Should Consider Before Attending Real Estate School

by Tina McAllister

Once you’ve decided that real estate is the career for you, you need to get educated! Your state’s licensing requirements will let you know your options. Some states allow you to obtain your pre-licensing education online. But there are states where online licensing courses are currently not an option. For example, in Arizona, those who want to earn their real estate license must take classes in person at an accredited real estate school.

Your state’s department of real estate will inform you as to which schools are accredited to provide the required licensing courses. There may not be a lot of choices when you look for real estate schools in your area. But if you have several to choose from, make sure you look into each one carefully. Price should not be the only issue, though it is a critical component!

When you are looking at attending a real estate school in person, typically the classes you will be required to take in order to take the state exam will be bundled together for one price. And in fact, the bundle is usually a savings off of taking each class piece-meal over time. Prices vary all over the country, but expect to spend anywhere from $300 to $800 for your pre-licensing education. The more schools that offer the pre-licensing courses, the more competition…so that means you have bargaining power. If one school costs a little more, but is closer to home or has a better schedule, don’t be shy about asking that school to match the competition’s price.

Time-wise, you should look for a school that offers enough classes to fit your schedule. As a mom, it may be difficult for you to take any accelerated schedules that cram all the courses into the shortest time frame possible. But if you can, go for it! Sometimes it’s nice to just whiz through and get it all done so you can move onto that state exam while it’s still fresh in your mind. And you don’t want to be in a situation that if you miss a class you have to wait another couple weeks before it’s offered again.

Other factors to consider are the drive time and even the parking situation. With the cost of fuel these days, you don’t want to drive clear across town every day or several times a week, for several weeks. Factor in the cost of gas and your pre-licensing school costs just skyrocketed! And parking can definitely be an issue of concern as well. Imagine getting to school with just minutes to spare. Yet you can’t find any place to park!

Being required by the state to attend a real estate school in person shouldn’t be seen as a deal breaker. While you will definitely have to carve time out of your busy schedule to make it to school, it also gives you time away from all other responsibilities so you can concentrate on learning everything you can about real estate. And that’s a good thing!

Tina McAllister is a ghostwriter for busy professionals and the author of The WAHM Agent. She blogs on business tips and more for the work at home.
Article Source: WAHM Articles

As a Paralegal, my favorite area of expertise was in the coordination of real estate closings.  I worked very closely with Real Estate Agents, mortgage lenders, attorneys, and of course, clients.

The real estate industry can be very lucerative, and many people think it’s just a matter of showing either residential or commercial property, and then collecting a commission check.  But there’s far more involved than meets the eye.

If you’re interested in entering the real estate industry, you need to know the real costs involved. From license fees to initial business cards and signs, you want to know how much to budget so you can become a real estate agent.

Start-up Costs a Mommy Can Expect When Entering the Real Estate Industry

by Tina McAllister

Are you a Mom interested in entering the real estate industry? If you’ve ever pondered jumping into real estate, you want to have a good idea of what kind of costs you will incur as you start your business. Because there are costs involved in becoming a licensed agent.

First and foremost, you will have to pay for schooling. You probably have some options in terms of where (online vs. offline) and their respective pricing. But you will still have to pay. You’ll be looking at anywhere from $250 to $800 for the licensing classes.

There are a few instances where brokers may pay for your education. Especially if you are currently working in the industry in some capacity and your boss wants you to become licensed. In that situation, you should definitely get your employer to foot the bill. Some brokers even have their own school where tuition will be refunded if you sign with them as a licensee.

And don’t forget to ask the school (whether online or offline) if there is any tuition assistance available. For example, active duty military can typically get discounts or assistance. It never hurts to ask. There’s a lot of competition out there. In fact, some online schools will beat out their competition’s price by 10% if you show them the numbers. So it pays to do a little legwork in order to save a few bucks on the schooling.

Another cost that you won’t be able to shake is the state exam and the state license. Each state has an exam you will be required to take and pass before a license will be issued to you. Exam fees can range from $25 to $200 but can also include other fees, such as the state license, so it’s important to understand what is included. Each state has a department of real estate website, or at least one page dedicated to professional licensing and all your education, exam and fee requirements will be found there.

Additional up-front costs can include fingerprinting and background check fees. Again, this information may be found at your state’s department of real estate website.

But what about after you have the license in hand? When you interview brokers and decide where to hang your license, you will find that each broker is different in terms of what you can get and what is expected of you. Many will expect you to attain membership in the local Association of REALTORS and the fees associated with that will also gain you membership into the state and the national associations as well. But you may have to fork out anywhere from $100 to $200 for the annual fees. Not only will this provide you entry into the largest professional association in the nation, but it will also provide you access to the MLS, also known as the Multiple Listing Service. This is important, as most homes for sale and rent can be found in your regional MLS.

Other start-up costs can be business cards and signs. There are ways to cut costs. You can have some temporary cards made inexpensively online through websites such as VistaPrint. And the same is true of signage. With a little bit of searching you can save $20-$100 on your initial order of signs by just looking around online.

You will also need a lockbox key. This will run you somewhere between $80-$120. This is the gadget that will allow you access to homes with keys kept in lockboxes. This is pretty much a must-have. And if you plan on working with sellers, you will want at least one lockbox in your inventory. This will also run about $80-120. But it’s good to have on hand so you’re ready when a client is listing his home with you.

Starting up a career in real estate isn’t expensive, but it does take some money. You’ll want to budget at least $500 to $1000 to begin your real estate business, but if you think of it as an investment towards a long and successful business, it’s well worth it!

Tina McAllister is a ghostwriter for busy professionals and the author of The WAHM Agent. She also runs WAHM Biz Tips, a site providing business tips and more to work at home moms.
Article Source: WAHM Articles

When I network with small business owners and online marketers, I often find myself asking them if they’ve launched their blog yet. Adding a blog has so many important benefits and it’s no wonder that huge corporations and megastores are also getting into blogging. Especially for the micropreneur however, blogs have several distinct advantages. Here are a few.

1. A blog is search engine food! Google and the other big search engines love content and a blog can help you get free search engine traffic. Recently search engines are giving more weight to blogs because they want to offer the freshest, most relevant content to Internet searchers.

2. Blogs create community. Because they are interactive, a blog draws people back to your site again and again. Your visitors will read your post then leave their comments, read comments left by others, and come back to see how the conversation is flowing. Blogs are much easier to manage than message forums too. With RSS (Real Simple Syndication), people can subscribe to your blog feed and be notified automatically when you update your blog.

3. Blogging puts you in control of your site. Posting to your blog is as easy as typing an email or a word document. Why pay a designer to add a page to your website when you can update your site whenever you like, easy as pie? You can blog as often or as rarely as you like to serve your particular needs.

4. Blogs help you grow your bottom line. There are many ways you can add additional monetization streams to your blog so you can make more money in your business without working harder.

5. Your customers love blogs. They can ask you questions, read info about your products and services, and share their opinions. A blog has a more friendly feel than a website.

6. Blogs help you know your target market. As you observe who is leaving comments on your blog, you get to know your market better. This education helps you be a smarter marketer.

7. Conduct market research. A blog is an easy way to conduct surveys and polls to help you get inside the mind of your customers. This information is invaluable to you.

8. Blogs help your customers get to know you. A blog gives your customers a chance to see your personality shine through. People buy from people they like!

9. Blogging is fun. I’ll admit it, blogging is addicting once you get going! There are so many benefits to your business. What’s not to love?

10. As a small business owner, you have a limited marketing budget. Blogging is a free marketing tactic – it only costs you a little of your time.

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