New career at 45 in silicon valley

[kelingdun]

This forum is great. Lots of helpful and professonal ideas. I am first time poster here.

At age 45, I am ready to quit my engineering job that pays very well (silicon valley salary + perks), but work 16 hours days + weekends, and had to put up with all the office politics. With the good salary and mainly
the perks, I have saved up enough to almost retire on. But I feel young
and still want to have a career that is not as demanding.

I have always had the passion for real estate and had done well on the
investment side ( rental house and aprtments). Prior to my engineering profession, I was a store sales person so I think I can do sales.

Getting a sales angent license is obviously the easy part, but my goal is
to get a broker license, and after working for a few years and gain experience and know the business, like to open a brokerage house.

This is where I need help on, especially people from bay area.

- I know with the home price so high, there are lots of new agents since
people perceive real estate agent as easy money. Does it get hard for
new people to make it in the career? I don't think I am detered, as I
won't starve even when no income in the earlier learning years.

- How do I get started? Interview with agency? How do I know which agency
welcome new agent and give good training/support/mentor? I am hungry
and really want this! By the way, any recommendation here is helpful.

- I do want to go to a real estate schoool for my license. Not that I think
I cannot read home study course, I definitly could. But new in the business, I like to listen to professional ( teacher) about the business and
how to succeed. Any recommendation will be great!

[renewbie]

If you are looking for the best advise and knowledge of being in real estate sales, you should read a book at www.realestatecareersecrets.com (http://www.realestatecareersecrets.com) it is a book composed specifically for the newly licensed and the pre-licensed

[BrianChicago]

kelingdun, I am moving from a technical job to real estate as well. In Illinois, you can get a broker's license right away so that is what I did. I'm going at it alone instead of signing on with a brokerage house.

Anyway, I wanted to wish you good luck and to say that our schooling and work experience has taught us to be very logical, analytical, and rational. The average person doesn't think like us. The hardest part of our job is likely to be understanding why people make the decisions they make and learning how to offer the level of service we want to give and get them to choose us at the same time.

You probably already knew that though :)

[kelingdun]

Hi BrianChicago and renewbie:

Thanks for the encouraging word. I agree with you. I think the technical
training (problem solving, technical analysis, data analysis, and reporting) are good training for job like this. I really think I can do well in this new career. I am taking a different approach. I decided to go with a national chain because they have lots of training program. Since this is a total new field for me, I want to invest some time and learn the trick of the trade. My eventual goal definitely is go it alone :)