Want to become a real estate agent at 18 years old? If you reside in the United States, then you are in luck. In 48 of 50 states (Alabama and Alaska being the exceptions), you can become a licensed real estate agent at 18 with the completion of all required education. In Alabama and Alaska, you must simply have proof of being at least 19 years of age by the time you sit for your licensing exam.
While varying widely across states, the most important factor in becoming a licensed agent is the completion of education requirements. As a practicing real estate agent, you will be serving in a fiduciary capacity and representing clients in some of (if not) the largest transactions they will make in their lifetimes. With real estate transactions consisting of such large sums of money, it is critical that you be knowledgeable, professional, and humble enough to ask your broker for help when you have questions.
The completion of state education for your license will help equip you with the foundational skills and knowledge necessary to get started in the industry, and working with a great brokerage will help take you the rest of the way.
Common Concerns of Young Real Estate Agents
Becoming a real estate agent at 18 can be overwhelming. The average age of new real estate agents in the United States is 40+ years old according to Zippia’s data science team. When surrounded by peers that are often more than twice your age, it can be intimidating. Here are a few of the most common worries that we hear from young agents.
Do I Have to Own a House to Help Others Buy and Sell Theirs?
The purchase and sale of a home is often times the biggest transaction an individual will be a principal party to in their lifetime. One of the common concerns that we hear from young agents is that they do not feel like they are qualified to help others buy and sell homes because they do not personally own a home.
Is this a valid concern? Well, it depends. As a more senior agent myself, if I were to move across the country to a new market and hire an agent, I would not care if they owned a home or not. Sure, it can be helpful to have a firsthand understanding of the client experience, but that is not a dealbreaker for me as an agent nor is it one for most consumers. The most important quality is expertise.
Expertise in a market is not something that can only be gained through time. Young and hungry agents have the ability and likely the time to study their markets and become intimately familiar with the data. Being the foremost market expert with a clear understanding of the data and local market trends makes you as a young agent fiercely dangerous in the marketplace.
Start by studying monthly market numbers and looking for trends. Each morning, check the local MLS hot sheet of new listings and become familiar with the different listings available. For your first six months, make it a point to be touring at least three to five new listings each day as you get a feel for the market and build familiarity with different neighborhoods, styles, amenities, and price ranges.
What if People Don’t Take Me Seriously Because of my Age?
There are plenty of things that we can change about ourselves. Our appearance, accent, even our names. However, we cannot change our age. Everybody gets older, and everybody was once young. Now whether or not everyone is able to empathize with this sometimes harsh reality or not, most acknowledge this and will not hold it against you.
When I meet new agents, one of the most common things that I hear is that they are winning listings and buyer clients because they are young. Being young comes with its benefits as well; benefits such as energy, a satiable hunger to succeed, and aggression that is not as common amongst older agents. Many homeowners want an aggressive and energetic agent representing them, working hard to get them as much as possible for their home and make the best deal on their purchase.
Are there consumers who won’t work with you because you are “too young”? Sure. There are plenty of people who just will not mesh with you for one reason or another, and part of your job in real estate is weeding out those consumers as quickly as possible in order to more quickly meet those that you work well with.
How Do I Build a Network When My Peers Are Teenagers?
One of the biggest points driven home to new agents is to contact everyone in your sphere of influence. In fact, it’s one of our favorite lead generation methods as well. Hint: your friends and family want you to succeed and are going to be some of your best sources of referrals. Do not throw away or disregard your friends just because they are not buying a home themselves. Do they have parents, aunts and uncles, cousins, grandparents, or family friends who may be looking to buy or sell in the next year? I guarantee that they do.
Begin building your network through your existing network. Meet the parents of your close friends, the friends of your aunt, even the women of your grandma’s Tuesday night bridge club. The more conversations you have with adults, the more chances you’ll have to discuss real estate and help someone with their needs to buy or sell.
As you make more connections, they will introduce you to even more of their peers.
Additionally, local real estate associations and brokerages are often host to countless vendors who want to work with you. Lenders and title companies often visit sales meetings, continuing education classes, and open houses to meet real estate agents. Make the connection and take them to lunch to learn more about their business, but more importantly, them.
You Can Become a Real Estate Agent at 18
In conclusion, it can be overwhelming becoming a real estate agent at 18 years old, but it is very doable. Real estate is one of the most difficult industries to break into and takes extraordinary levels of discipline that many older adults lack. By jumping into real estate at such a young age, you have the potential to have a head start on pretty much everyone else and put in more reps over your career.
Get started now, and begin building your business. We want to see you succeed and are rooting for you.
