{"id":3358,"date":"2022-08-03T15:46:11","date_gmt":"2022-08-03T15:46:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/preprod.realtrends.com\/blog\/2022\/08\/03\/12-unexpected-costs-when-starting-a-real-estate-career\/"},"modified":"2025-03-13T02:44:44","modified_gmt":"2025-03-13T02:44:44","slug":"12-unexpected-costs-when-starting-a-real-estate-career","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/preprod.realtrends.com\/blog\/2022\/08\/03\/12-unexpected-costs-when-starting-a-real-estate-career\/","title":{"rendered":"12 Unexpected costs when starting a real estate career"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Although becoming a real estate agent doesn\u2019t involve significant startup costs, nothing in life is free. Like any other small business, you\u2019ll need a budget to cover your expenses. But, unlike other startups, you\u2019ll need a large financial cushion to manage your expenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you prepare for the following unavoidable or unexpected costs, you’ll be in a better position to stay on track. With planning and hard work, you\u2019ll protect yourself from financial stressors<\/a>. Here are the costs of becoming a real estate agent:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Financial cushion. <\/strong>Unless you have another full-time job on the side, you\u2019ll need to save a lot of money in case a home takes months to sell. One of the key factors in deciding if the industry is right for you<\/a> is patience. If you don\u2019t want to wait months until your next paycheck, real estate isn\u2019t for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pre-licensing courses.<\/strong> Before you sit in for your real estate licensing exam, you must take a pre-licensing course at a qualified real estate school. Pre-licensing courses cost $300 to $1,400, depending on your state and could take you several hours to complete. Online coursework is typically less expensive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your personal time. <\/strong>While not a direct cost, being on-call 24\/7 isn\u2019t the most glamorous aspect of being an agent, but it\u2019s a part of the role. Whether you\u2019re eating dinner or at a wedding, a client could call at any moment. While you can take time off work, you\u2019re mostly married to your job, which could affect your relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Examination and licensing fees. <\/strong>Most real estate application fees cost $25 per exam, and you\u2019ll also have to pay for the fingerprinting and background check, which costs $50 to $75. State exam fees vary but are usually $20 to $50. Finally, agents must pay $150 for the license itself, totaling $300 or more.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Off-the-clock duties and tasks.<\/strong> This is another cost that is all about your time. Real estate is a people-first business, meaning customer service is very important. To stay competitive, most agents will answer questions, recommend a contractor, or inspect the house<\/a> after the sale is complete. Most of these services won\u2019t be paid for by your clients or broker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Real estate brokerage fees. <\/strong>Once you\u2019re a licensed agent, you\u2019ll likely partner with a local broker. A broker takes care of the majority of your business expenses, like photocopies, internet, office supplies, and insurance. However, you\u2019ll pay a percentage of your commission or a set fee, back to the broker to cover these items.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Real estate association membership dues. <\/strong>While your membership dues are a tax write-off, they\u2019re still a notable expense. If you choose to become a certified Realtor (or member of the local, state and National Association of Realtors<\/strong>), you\u2019ll need to pay a monthly fee. Even if you don\u2019t, you\u2019ll still likely become a member of your local or state real estate board, which also costs money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Business expenses.<\/strong> Running a real estate business comes with various miscellaneous costs, such as your cell phone and internet bill, office space, supplies, client meetings and gifts, lunches, and software. Some brokers cover these expenses, others don\u2019t, so they may come out of your pocket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Self-employment and income taxes. <\/strong>Real estate agents are self-employed and subject to a 15.3% tax rate. They also have to pay income tax on top of that, meaning you could pay 40% or more per year. Your employer doesn\u2019t deduct your taxes from your paycheck, so you\u2019ll have to pay them when you file<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marketing and advertising costs. <\/strong>Marketing costs are one of the biggest expenses to consider when starting your real estate career. It\u2019s estimated that 10% of your gross commission income will go towards marketing spending. Be prepared to set aside $1000 to $5000 per year on traditional and online ads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Health benefits.<\/strong> One of the benefits of having a conventional job is reduced health insurance premiums. As a real estate agent, you aren\u2019t afforded this luxury. Whether you have dependents or not, real estate agents should keep a portion of their salary saved for health insurance<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

401(k) and retirement savings. <\/strong>While not all employers offer a pension or 401(k) matching contributions, quite a few of them do. Living in the moment is fine when you\u2019re young, but if you don\u2019t pay into your retirement plan, you may work longer than you expected. Plus, paying into your 401(k) offers tax benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Business and liability insurance. <\/strong>As stated, most brokers will pay for your insurance, but that typically only includes errors and omissions insurance (E&O).<\/a> You\u2019ll still have to fork out money for general liability, workers\u2019 compensation (for hired photographers), cyber liability, and business owner\u2019s insurance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Real estate continuing education. <\/strong>Your real estate education will continue for the rest of your career. You\u2019re required to take continuing education classes to meet ongoing licensing requirements. Depending on the course you take, you may earn special designations to determine niche specialty in specific markets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jasen Edwards<\/a> is the chair of the Agent Editor Board of Agent Advice<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Starting a career in real estate can be highly rewarding, but it comes at a price. Here are 12 unexpected new agents costs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15802,"featured_media":4822,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3255],"tags":[],"coauthors":[2768],"class_list":["post-3358","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-archive"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n12 Unexpected costs when starting a real estate career - RealTrends - Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Starting a career in real estate can be highly rewarding, but it comes at a price. 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