Commercial Real Estate Agent

Startup Costs: $10,000 - $50,000
Home Based: Can be operated from home.
Franchises Available? Yes
Online Operation? No

THE BRIEF

If you’re a people person with a head for numbers, you might want to consider becoming a commercial real estate agent. Commercial real estate agents source buildings, storefronts and offices for potential tenants and educate themselves on the statistics and demographics of the locations of the properties they work with in order to sell prospective renters on the reasons why a particular area would be beneficial to their business. You would also have to be prepared to help your clients understand the costs of maintaining and potentially renovating a space as well as any legal obligations inherent to renting a space. While many higher education institutions offer degrees in real estate, it is not required to have one to take your state’s real estate license exam.

ASK THE PROS:

How much money can you make?

Commercial real estate agents make an average salary of $42,500 in the United States according to career site PayScale.

What’s the most important thing to know about this business?

“Never pass up an opportunity to tell people what you do. Never pass up the opportunity to eat lunch with a real estate investor or professional more successful than you.  The harder you work, the luckier you'll get. It is all about action, and there is no better time to get started than right now.” - Josh Altman, real estate agent and investor, star of Million Dollar Listing