Agents study active listings to match properties with what a buyer can afford and wants, then accompany clients on showings and help draft contracts, purchase agreements, and disclosures. A big part of the job is coordination behind the scenes: confirming with lenders, home inspectors, and escrow companies that every condition is met before a sale can close. Much of the workday happens on the road between properties, and because a single deal can fall apart over money or timing, agents need patience for negotiating with frustrated buyers and sellers alike.
Pros
High upside earning potential, with top pay reaching $123k
Faster than average job growth (3.1%) with only vocational or associate's-level training required
High autonomy, negotiating deals and managing your own client relationships and schedule
Cons
Above-average hours, often 40-50 per week including evenings and weekends for showings
Income can be unpredictable since pay is typically commission-based
Fast-paced negotiations with frequent frustrated buyers and sellers under real deadline pressure
A typical day
The day starts with the hot sheet: overnight listings, price drops, and pendings in the neighborhoods where the agent's buyers are hunting. By 10am it's a listing appointment — walking a seller's home, presenting the comparable sales honestly, and competing for the listing against two other agents. Lunch gets eaten in the car between showings; the afternoon holds three of them with a first-time-buyer couple, translating inspection jargon and steadying nerves. An offer lands at 4pm on the agent's own listing, kicking off an evening of negotiation calls between two sides who both feel strongly. Nights and weekends are when clients are free, so that's when agents work; the commission-only math makes hustle a survival trait.
Tasks at the job
Prepare documents such as representation contracts, purchase agreements, closing statements, deeds, and leases.
Present purchase offers to sellers for consideration.
Act as an intermediary in negotiations between buyers and sellers, generally representing one or the other.
Generate lists of properties that are compatible with buyers' needs and financial resources.
Confer with escrow companies, lenders, home inspectors, and pest control operators to ensure that terms and conditions of purchase agreements are met before closing dates.
Promote sales of properties through advertisements, open houses, and participation in multiple listing services.
Workplace & working conditions
Work happens mostly inside a vehicle or piece of equipment, and you work in close physical proximity to coworkers or the public for much of the shift.
The pace is often fast, with real time pressure to meet deadlines, and you're expected to exercise significant independent judgment day to day. The work is highly structured, following set procedures. You'll regularly deal with frustrated or upset people as part of the job.
Education necessary or common
Vocational training, apprenticeship, or associate's degree