Real estate is a great way to make money, especially if you want to do it alongside another activity that earns you some income, too. There’s a lot of freedom and fun that can come along with working in real estate — it can have some seriously significant returns and rewards in it if you go about doing it right, but it’s definitely not without its challenges. Of course, anything that’s truly rewarding will have significant challenges that come along with it, and working in real estate is definitely not without its fair share of challenges. You might be wondering whether or not you’re truly cut out for a role selling homes and properties, so we’re going to talk about some of the ups and downs that come with being a real estate agent. If slinging property is something that might be in your future, knowing about these pros and cons might be able to seriously help your decision. It might also help to dictate the level to which you actually involve yourself in the selling of real-estate. There are plenty of ways to get into that field without actually doing it full-time, so we’ll talk about some of the best reasons to do it, and some of the things you’re going to have to make sure you watch out for.

Perhaps the biggest upside to working in real estate is that, to a large degree, you get to be your own boss. You’ll very likely work with an agency, but for the most part you get to monitor and regulate your business activity on the day-to-day basis without having a boss or supervisor looking over your shoulder. You can start your very own real estate practice and REALLY have complete autonomy over your work, but if you’re participating with an established agency (which is the route to go if you’re just breaking into real estate) then you’ll definitely have a superior or two to whom you have to report. Another pro is that your income doesn’t have to be directly proportional to how much or how hard you work. If you can figure out how to sell great homes without putting too much effort into it, then all the power to you. Of course, those who work the hardest typically wind up faring the best, but if you can work smart instead of hard then that’s totally your prerogative.

This brings us directly to one of the biggest cons in the real estate industry, however, and that’s the fact that you’re by no means guaranteed a steady income. Real estate can be incredibly feast or famine, so you should be prepared for tough times if they roll around. You also might have to work at it for a year or so before you actually make a sale — not to mention the fact that you’re responsible for investing in your own signs and promotional materials. When it all pays off, though, a career in real estate is incredibly rewarding. Whether you’re selling the most expensive Tanglewood real estate or simple suburban condos, there are great rewards that can come along with smartly starting your career in real estate.