While being a residential real estate agent is one of the most common career opportunities associated with the real estate industry, it is by no means the only one. Whether you’re looking for something with more flexibility, more structure, higher stakes or lower stakes, there are many other jobs you can get with a real estate license.
1. Real Estate Managing Broker
A real estate broker may be a career path to set your sights on if you’re already in the process of becoming an agent and want to know how your career could continue to grow. It’s one of the jobs that require a real estate license on this list, though not every job we have listed here does.
2. Commercial Real Estate Agent
A commercial agent helps businesses choose and secure locations that are going to boost their bottom line. While sometimes that means leasing great office space, other times it can be finding the perfect location for the next major coffee chain to build a store. For this reason, commercial agents often must put more emphasis on uncovering statistics and data about the area before they complete a transaction.
3. Real Estate Investor
There are two different ways to be a real estate investor: active and passive. You can think of an active investor as your classic house flipper. A passive investor is someone who puts money into a real estate project without having much involvement in the day-to-day management of a project. Even if you don’t have much money to invest, you can still become an investor in crowdfunded real estate investing.
4. Residential Appraiser
A residential appraiser is someone who collects information on a residential property in order to give a recommendation as to that property’s worth. Appraisers can work privately, such as to appraise your home before it’s sold or mortgaged, or for the government, such as to appraise your home to determine its value for tax purposes.
5. Commercial Appraiser
Just like a residential appraiser, a commercial appraiser spends part of their day in the office and the other part of the day in the community assessing properties. While a residential appraiser may rely more heavily on what they learned during their licensing course, a commercial appraiser leans strongly on established appraisers to teach them how to determine the value of a property.
6. Property Manager
When it comes to discovering what you can do with a real estate license, becoming a property manager is often a very appealing choice. A property manager is tasked with the responsibility of making sure a property—residential or commercial—runs smoothly and is, ultimately, making money for whoever owns it. Depending on the size of the property and the strengths of the property manager, some or all of these tasks could be outsourced, and the property manager’s role is simply to coordinate them and make sure the property is upkept.
7. Leasing Consultant
A leasing consultant’s job is to make sure there are tenants in the building. This job can often require you to work evenings and weekends, but a bonus is that it also usually comes with a degree of flexibility. If you enjoy marketing and negotiating, this could be a great role for you.
8. Commercial Leasing Manager
Often assigned to office space or storefronts, a commercial leasing manager negotiates deals and transactions with businesses. A commercial leasing manager may have career opportunities that require him or her to keep a watchful eye on changes in the marketplace, as this impacts the budget businesses have for their various property needs.
9. Foreclosure Specialist
A foreclosure specialist can be employed by a bank or private lender and is responsible for all the documentation and processes that need to be followed when a property is being foreclosed on. They will review the client’s financial statements and process foreclosure cases so the property can be resold as quickly as possible. A foreclosure specialist needs to be organized and great with deadlines.
10. Real Estate Attorney
If you love school and want to keep furthering your education beyond real estate, a career opportunity you may consider is becoming a real estate attorney. Real estate attorneys practice in many different areas. They could advocate for tenant rights or provide consul before a major real estate purchase.
11. Corporate Real Estate Manager
Companies often have openings for someone to come on staff and manage the real estate for the company. Large brands need to lease office space and commercial space. Some companies have real estate holdings that they need an in-house person to manage.
What Can You Do With a Real Estate License?
The real estate industry is so much more than simply residential real estate. It encompasses a broad variety of career opportunities that require different strengths. Once you have your license to practice real estate there are so many different directions you can take your career!
Yazir Phelps is the chief marketing officer at Real Estate Express, a national leader in online learning for pre-licensing, continuing education and professional development. Phelps has over 18 years of experience in marketing fueling growth at Fortune 500 organizations and over five years of experience working directly with real estate professionals. Her extensive background in generating demand for products and services encompasses crucial strategies to a successful career in the field. To learn more, please visit www.RealEstateExpress.com.
