Hello, I'm a 23 year old guy. I'd like to make my way into the real estate field within the next 4 years. I absolutely love real estate and I have an incredible idea on how to get clients, especially buyers. I plan to move to Las Vegas next year and hopefully become an agent within 2 or 3 years after that.

My problem is that I fear people will not want to work with me because I simply look too young. I'm 23, probably will be 26 when I begin my real estate career and I look maybe 18 to 20, on a good day. I doubt I'll look much older 3 years from now.

It's different different for a girl (young female agents I think have an easier time), but no one want to buy a house from a kid (or atleast one who looks like a kid).

I'm very intelligent, I always dress very well, I have a very adult attitude and demeanor, and I'm very good looking (not a bias observation, I've been "the good looking kid" since I was a kid, and all through school). But I fear I will not be able to gain their trust due to my boyish looks.

Anyone else have this problem? I'm considering starting a work out regimen to build muscle and perhaps make myself look thicker (I'm pretty thin).

I KNOW I could get buyers, and I KNOW I can master the Las Vegas real estate market, but will the buyers trust me once they meet me face to face? I'm thinking it will be "less" of a big deal because it's Las Vegas, and people might be a bit more laid back. I know I'll have to use my marketing skills to overcome this handicap.

Any advice?

Grow a beard. LOL

I think that you'll need to just make sure you have a mature persona that lets everyone know that you KNOW what you are doing and you are capable of handling their needs.

Rather than see it as a handicap find ways to use it to your advantage and play it up.

I started real estate just after having turned 24. If you don't worry about it, are professional, knowledgeable, and at least ACT confident, very few people will give you any trouble. Some of my best clients are well outside of my generation and they dont' give me any trouble.

I overcome all of those issues by going far above and beyond satisfying my customers. I feel that if I'm only satisfying them, I'm not doing a good job. Instead, I try to find ways to give them more than they expect constantly and consistently. Having this approach will solve a lot of problems before they ever even happen.

If you have an especially young looking face, consider not using your photograph on your marketing material. Other than that, if you are confident in yourself you'll do fine.

And if all else fails, use a good one-liner such as "well, since I'm young, I haven't had the time to learn all the tricks that the older agents use to pull money out of your pocket without you knowing!"

It's not an issue unless you make it one.

I started at age 23. I'm still selling 2.5 years later and haven't done too badly. You're being your own worst enemy here. I would consider facial hair, perhaps a receding hairline like myself....gain some weight.....look old.

I'm kidding....

Seriously, just do what you do man. And I wouldn't wait that long to get into real estate if you don't have to. I have to ask: What's holding you back from getting in now?

He probably read about saving up nearly a year's worth of money to live off while he gets started.

That's what's stopping ME! Argh!

I'm still working on building what will be the source of 99% of my clients.

Also, I don't live in Las Vegas yet...YET. =p

Also, it must have been a lot easier for you, and I don't mean this as insulting, but judging from the pic on your website, you look a solid 30 - 35 years old. I couldn't grow a beard if I tried or gain 10lbs.

well, you are going to get your license now, right? there is nothing to stop you from trying to get work from your SOI in the meantime before you go 100%. Any commission you may get could go in a special "New Career Account." One average deal could get you $3,000 or more! (If I sold a $150,000 house, an average for around here I would get about $2700.)

I signed up for the first 2 classes Saturday...they start in May. The second 2 classes will be taken in the Fall. I just don't have the time or money right now to take all of them.
But it's a start!

You sound exactly like me! I was 22 when I got my license. I am now 24.

So tell us. What is this big idea that you have to get buyers? You won't be in the business for a few years, so you have no need to worry about anyone stealing your future clients. Can you tell us?

Just for finding a buyer? 2.7% for one side of the sale? I thought it was like 1.5%. Wow. In Vegas, most houses are $200k+, and if I sold one a week.... =D

I really really cannot. It's an online service and others here would for sure try to do it before I did (although they probably would fail). Because of my vast knowledge of the internet and how to utilize it, I will be one of the first realtors I've seen to TRULY take advantage of the internet.

wow.....

Wow what?

The fact that you are young probably means you already have a huge friends list on My Space and will be a pioneer when it comes to videos (podcasting) on You Tube or by capitalizing on new technology like Adobe's "Apollo" or from Microsoft's "Silverlight". I still would not try to re-create the wheel completely. I would get your feet wet as a REALTOR in your home state NOW and maybe be a young male version of Perky_Assistant who happens to now be Perky_REALTOR You could make money which would help you fund your future plans by helping agents with their web sites, marketing, and the old dinosaurs on how to read their e-mail or scan, copy, and paste etc. or forward e-mails to phones, or cleaning cookies, files, history, and defragging etc. Some of the agents, have had laptops for years and don't know to do that or debug etc. You could be the resident tech person and still learn the real ends and outs of this wonderful business. They really don't teach you how to be a real estate agent in class.

The following is an edited post from Agent 007 who just happens to be from Las Vegas. Which he failed to mention! Go to Want your opinions post to read. The "advice" gives insight on the way various agents think. Plus I always have doubt when someone says "With all honesty," or statements like "you have no need to worry". Be careful of what you say on this site. "This is a dog eat dog business"