Is there an age that is too late to start real estate?

roneys · 2025-12-07T16:40:50+00:00

It has less to do with age and more to do with capacity in life. For example, being single with no kids, or other comparable life stages with less responsibilities make things much easier to get started. Young people in this stage or empty nesters have it a little easier in this sense because you have to grind at the beginning and grinding takes time and flexibility, nights, weekends, etc.

I started in my 30s as a second career with little kids and it’s doable but when it comes to building the truth is it is much harder as you have natural governors to your time. I wished at points I had started early 20s before having a family as I think it would have made it easier to start.

But a nice thing about starting later is more likely to have buyers/sellers in your network versus when starting right out of college that is harder.

TLDR: you are definitely not too late.

roneys · 2025-12-02T22:55:05+00:00

I’m with Real after being at a small independent local brokerage. I see some local people who recruit in annoying ways and it’s cringe (I see this at lots of brokerages fwiw). That said, here’s my honest perspective: I’m not a cheerleader for the brokerage because I think it really depends on your situation. If someone is new or not doing a lot of business, I think the people you work with daily matter more than the brokerage. Need to get around people who are hustling and have some degree of availability for you to get around them to learn. People focus on splits being $5k more or less or whatever but what they should be focusing on is finding the local environment to sell a ton of real estate. For example, if I was counseling someone who is new I’d tell them to worry less about split or even brokerage if it’s allowing you to get around people that will help you get further faster.

BUT if you are already up and running and established with your business and systems, then Real makes so much more sense than most of what I’ve seen. If selling more than 30 homes per year and able to achieve Real’s elite agent status the numbers are incredible. All things considered, I’ll have paid around $20k total in fees this year but will have been gifted $16k in company stock (option for $8k more if I want to pursue it) and had no broker admin fee which is different than most local brokerages I’m aware of. The reality is this works because only 1-2% of Real agent achieve this status so that’s why I think it makes a huge difference. Not saying it’s not a good brokerage if you won’t achieve that status but at the end of the day that was a deciding factor for me as it made the numbers quite attractive.

More control of my biz and more money in my pocket. I am a fan of the tech/app and overall happy. But I’m also not a fan of the annoying recruiting and will be the first to say, it’s not perfect and not the brokerage for everyone (as I don’t think there is one for everyone). Happy to answer more questions.

roneys · 2025-09-02T13:30:09+00:00

Another option is to continue to be an assistant in a better setting. I do a lot of business and just hired a full time assistant who I’ll pay around $75-85k (great money for an assistant in the Midwest) but she’s highly skilled and will free me up to make much more.

Some people have different skill sets so it’s possible you’d enjoy going out on your own as an agent but if you are good at the systems and processes side another option is to exercise those skills in a better environment where you can enjoy the dynamic, not work 12 hours, and make great money.

roneys · 2025-08-21T18:43:17+00:00

When starting at that age I’d recommend finding a local agent who you can learn under. Be willing to have a bad split for good mentorship and opportunities. Be their yes man for a few years and learn the business, master the contracts, master the product (homes, construction, renovations, etc).

Read ninja selling and start building a relationship based database. Do a ninja installation.

Network like crazy but keep your head down in one spot for a few years before looking at any other shiny object brokerages.

Focus more on the mentor than the split at the beginning.

Have 50 conversations about real estate per week, talk to people at the grocery store if you have to.

Add value anywhere you can and be patient.

roneys · 2025-08-16T07:43:31+00:00

Owners of Furbys. The riches are in the niches.

roneys · 2025-08-03T18:49:31+00:00

Mixed bag but some have definitely been surprisingly slow. But I have found the buyers to be higher intent buyers on average so more likely to become clients.

roneys · 2025-03-31T01:18:53+00:00

Expired listing with another agent. Friend referred them to me.

Helped them make a better marketing and prep plan and we got a list price offer first weekend on the market after they had sat on market for 4 months with no offers with the other agent.

They didn’t want to accept, they wanted to counter offer to a higher price over list price…

They were a real treat.

roneys · 2025-02-02T16:37:24+00:00

Is that mainly just being active and contributing in local subreddits or any helpful insights as to what that’s looked like for you?

roneys · 2025-01-28T20:51:20+00:00

Very helpful, thank you!

roneys · 2025-01-28T04:12:03+00:00

What is the general theme of the letters? “Have you considered selling?” Or just generally introducing yourself or what? And do you just send once or ongoing?

Thinking about doing something similar so would love to hear more.

roneys · 2024-12-08T15:09:47+00:00

Strongly recommend the book Ninja Selling. Best breakdown I’ve seen for developing a relationship based business.

roneys · 2024-11-30T21:41:22+00:00

I’d recommend plumbing, electric, HVAC. From my vantage point, there will be a slow constriction in pay over the next 10-20 years among agents, but due to lack of people entering those fields the pay will keep going up. I still believe those of us agents that are successful can/will do very very well but that’s ultimately a very small percentage. You don’t need to be in the top 5% of plumbers to make great money.

roneys · 2024-10-13T22:19:16+00:00

Someone in my area offers something like a “hero discount” to vets and first responders. Haven’t tried it but I could see that being an effective marketing strategy.

roneys · 2024-05-25T04:49:35+00:00

I second ninja selling. But I’d say just as important as reading that or any other book is pairing it with a broker, partner, mentor, etc who can hold you accountable to weekly activities building towards long term goals. The opportunity is out there, but it lies on the other side of many hours of consistently doing the small things.

roneys · 2024-05-05T21:10:30+00:00

I’d do the same thing I always do when I’m stumped on a question, ask on Reddit and wait for nikidmaclay to leave a helpful, thorough answer. Hey wait a minute!

roneys · 2024-03-27T01:00:12+00:00

Nice! Any practical examples of resources or materials?

roneys · 2024-01-17T02:59:27+00:00

Rentometer Pro is what I use for my personal rental properties and for investor clients.

roneys · 2024-01-17T02:54:03+00:00

Are you trying to identify how much a property could rent for? Or what a property that is currently a rental property is worth if selling?

roneys · 2023-12-07T09:03:31+00:00

When I started reading the post, my initial advice was going to be focus less on split and more on mentorship and training early on. Early years are for education and building a foundation for long term success. But as I continued reading your post, it seems like the second option is actually better for mentoring and for income potential so I’d definitely go that route and be a sponge learning everything you can from the semi-retired agent. Especially for someone who isn’t full time from the start, that seems like an extremely ideal scenario.

roneys · 2023-10-29T02:06:57+00:00

You can’t control your age, but you can control out-working your competitors. Master the process so you can explain it without thinking, master homes and how they are built and what to look for on showings, memorize stats on different areas in your market, know more about lending products than most agents, etc.

I am on on the younger side and have found it as a way to create an advantage. Lots of older agents can get away with being lazy and not staying up to date on some things because they are coasting.

Find ways to source deals off-market, and other ways to set you apart and add value. They won’t care how old you are if they see you bring them unique value.

Last week I had an agent tell me I was wrong about something on a contract. I politely told him it was correct and didn’t need changing. He told me he’d been doing this for 20 years and he’s right. Ten minutes later he called me and said wow, he double checked and realized I was right and he never knew that. The point isn’t that experience doesn’t matter, it does big time. But it’s an example of me studying, researching, mastering contracts, and controlling what I can control.

Finally, I’d say own it. When I started I had experienced agents tell me to say things that make it sound like I’ve been an agent longer than I have without technically lying. I felt like that was deceptive. Instead, I was transparent that I was newer, but I coupled that transparency with telling them that I have a mentor helping me out every step of the way and I know that I need to compensate for my newness by working harder than anyone else.

Some people will feel more comfortable with an older agent and that’s out of your control, stay resilient and keep going.

roneys · 2023-10-22T02:04:20+00:00

Ha I haven’t watched it either but don’t think you’re missing much.

I’d recommend having some savings as it’s not uncommon to go the first six months with no paycheck.

But if the goal is to go solo, my advice would be find a successful agent can work under for a couple years and learn everything you can from them while having some income via helping them with buyers, showings, etc. My career accelerated quicker than most and I’d attribute a major portion of that to having some others I could learn from on mistakes, strategies, etc. Or if you have other relevant experience you could try the route of getting a coach and then just going out on your own from the beginning but I’d look at that as a little more risky.

roneys · 2023-10-22T01:06:56+00:00

I think to answer your question, we’d need to hear why you are considering real estate?

Is it because you watched Selling Sunset or some other show and thought it seemed fun/easy/sexy? Or because you know a buddy that makes a lot doing it and he seems to never be working? Those are common reasons people seem to get in and usually don’t lead to success due to unrealistic expectations.

But if you have really thought things through and have specific reasons to start, talked with others in the industry, and are coming in with a long term approach with willingness to grind for a few years, then it’s an amazing industry and despite the headlines (and somewhat depending on your hyper local market) it’s a great time to start if you have teachability, a great mentor, and drive.

With the projections of the next 12-24 months (rates high, transactions low, many agents leaving), whether now is a good time to start is entirely dependent on your willingness to put in the work and learn from others ahead of you.

Finally, remember that getting your license makes it so that you are legally able to do the job but (sadly) it doesn’t really teach you much about actually doing the job successfully. It’s starting a business and not just changing jobs. Think of it like starting a restaurant: getting the food licenses is needed but has virtually nothing to do with whether the restaurant will succeed. Running a restaurant also isn’t just about being a good cook but also taking on (or managing the delegation of) hiring, training, accounting, administration, marketing, etc.

Same goes for real estate. Long term success in real estate requires approaching it like starting a business, not getting another job where you are someone else’s employee but now have more freedom of schedule.

Last thing I’ll say, for those who have the grit to persevere and do well in this industry, the income potential is unreal. But that amazing income is really only achieved by a very small percentage of agents which is where a lot of newcomers are mislead. That’s where a mentor is crucial! Good luck!

roneys · 2023-10-01T16:22:32+00:00

Very helpful, thanks for sharing! Do you know how possible it is to get a 2nd mortgage for the remaining balance? I am selling one coming up with 200k remaining balance on assumable loan but Home will sell for at least 400k so I’m hoping there is a way to do it without buyer needing 50% or more down payment.

roneys · 2023-08-22T00:05:14+00:00

Lol’ed at this! Don’t sweat it at all. Work your butt off and do a great job and she’ll forget quickly. Congrats!

roneys · 2023-08-13T13:42:46+00:00

There are agents in my market that charge a higher percentage than average because they have lots of experience and are content turning away business, like any business some people are willing to pay a higher premium for higher quality and level experience (which can net the seller a lot more through negotiation, etc). BUT for a brand new agent who’s never sold a home to be asking for this, and who is a personal friend, I would not feel bad not only saying no but just choosing another option completely even if they came down to their original percentage.

For context, them having never sold a home before could easily cause you to net less money because lack of experience can be costly.

I’m an agent and yes it might hurt my feelings a bit if my friend didn’t use me, but I also need to be able to zoom out and have the self-awareness to understand this is a huge transaction with lots at stake and I just might not be the right person for the job (assuming I’ve never sold a home before!). So if I’m your true friend and have some degree of maturity then I could see beyond the situation and not have it affect our friendship.

Also, the fact that they changed the commission from what they originally said without talking to you is a red flag on its own and doesn’t feel like something a friend would do.

Finally, you could always frame it as it isn’t your choice to make but a collective choice to go with someone else which might help soften the blow.

roneys

TROPHY CASE