Julian, the bottom line is you need to look professional so cover up the tats. And that means in the summer too! Don't flaunt them unless you are trying to market to a demographic that would appreciate it. I think you already know that though.

I think the tattoos coupled with your age could give the impression of immaturity so be careful.

I was blond when I started my career. Did people look at me & think "dumb blond"? Who knows..but once I started talking it was clear that I was professional & knew what I was doing. Learn the industry, give great customer service & beat the stereotype.

Getting back to the college thing. Yes, college is expensive these days and it's value has to be considered in light of its expense. It was a no brainer when I was younger to go to college, but the world has changed and owning your own business is the best route to financial independence today -- not a corporate career.

What hasn't changed is how college expands your horizons, stretches your mind, and makes your life richer through more complex ideas and the ability to think logically and critically. It enriches your life and makes you a more interesting person (to yourself as well as to others).

Tattoos, like any other difference, can alienate some people, intrigue others, and are what you make of them. My granddaughter has a friend who gets teed off every time someone stares at her tattoos. She lets the tattoos work against her. My granddaughter starts talking to the person staring at her tattoos and doesn't get defensive. She's so cool about it that other people who might not accept someone with a tattoo accept her. I know she'd be great in real estate just watching the way she handles other people's reactions to her tattoos.

If anyone in New Jersey is Interested in becoming a Real Estate Agent, we are capable of sponsoring and training you so you can be on your way to great success!!!!!

Jennifer Fern
Director of Marketing
Striker Realty
Jennifer@strikerrealty.com

Wow Real Estate is very life changing. One thing I have observed that I could give as advice is..... Real estate is more than a career it is a Lifestyle. Your life and quality of life you will portray throughout your career wether it be a Rich quality of life or very poor like many americans working minimum wage jobs. Everything you do is dependent on your skill and judgement while getting into the field and while in the field of Real Estate.

(Again this is all information from my observation as a 16 yr old interested in Real Estate)

<3 Paulie <3

Hehe is that admiration or another form of response? Hehe

I got into real estate as a second career after my first career (animation!) was pulled out from under me (traditional animators were all laid off - they only want 3-D now). I thought I had people skills after dealing with difficult animation directors at Disney and Warner Bros studios... but it was NOTHING compared to the challenging people and situations I've encountered in the real estate biz. The treatment you may receive from clients and even from other Realtors can be demoralizing if you are not emotionally mature and surrounded by moral support from family and friends. It's not just the difficulty making money during the first years... it is the interpersonal blows you may take that you weren't ready for and did not anticipate. If it were not for my sense of humor I might have ended up in the "funny farm" or going 'postal'. Hahahahahahah.

Here in Florida the stats are that 85% of the newly licensed agents leave the business within their first licensing period - that is, before their first two years are up. When I worked at a big national franchise brokerage with over 50 agents it was like a revolving door... new faces in each month, and new faces out. Lack of income is one reason, and deciding they cannot deal with the discouraging interpersonal blows is the other.

I like ass tats on chicks in thong bikinis.

As you've probably heard by now, the real estate exam has nothing to do with what an agent does on a daily basis and needs to do to be successful. It doesn't help you figure out how to generate leads (prospecting), deal with clients, and close deals.

The secret to success is that there is no secret-period! You have to pay your dues while managing your emotions and stress level, because there will be stress.

Can you handle spending quite a bit of money with no guarantee of success, and maybe no commission check for 6 months, maybe longer? I thought I was totally prepared and knew what to expect before I started. I did research and read books, and talked to people, but I still wasn't prepared, however, it is one of the best decisions I've ever made.

No, college isn't for everyone, but it helped me with discipline, and I even learned some things along the way. My Public Relations/ Journalism degree is something nobody can ever take away from me, and I'm proud of it. Taking marketing and advertising classes helped me with real estate too. I also worked with the public for 20+ years, which helped me know how to deal with people, because unless it's just me, I've had some horrible clients and extremely difficult transactions. You may give your clients first class service, give it 110% effort to do a great job, and things beyond your control can still go wrong.

Sorry to sound so negative, but you need to hear this. I usually try to be much more positive on the forum, but this business can be rough. It can also be fantastic and fun.

Best of luck to you!

Thanks for chiming in, carealtor:
AMEN!!! It's certainly NOT just you! And I hope it makes you feel better to know that. I think it's important to open up about what it's really like to be treated badly by horrible clients. Some of them seem more like caricatures than real people. I've experienced a variety of mistreatment in this business that sets itself apart from all other aspects of my life. I have close friends (other Realtors) with whom I ride around during Caravan each week, and we process what we've all been through ... and we describe people and situations mercilessly and then we just have a good laugh. Knowing we are not alone in these experiences is so healing, IMHO.