As most of you read in a previous thread/post of mine, I'm an aspiring agent in Canada that is almost done my six month course and will be writing my exam at the end of the summer.

Last night, my professor (who is a very successful real estate broker) said that the key is to get to five years as a real estate agent (with the first year being the toughest) and after the five years your in "cruise control".

Would you guys agree with this?

Please discuss...

Someone told me that it will take at least 2 years to find out whether or not you are good enough to make a living in Real Estate and then 5 years to ascertain whether you ENJOY it ? Around here, most aspirants drop out after 6 to 9 months.

I doubt that anyone in this profession has found it to be equipped with Cruise Control or any kind of Auto-Pilot button. After 18 years, I know I still have to Hustle.

This is definitely not an area for those requiring immediate gratification. It's all deferred . . . . maybe I'll get mine after 20 years ?

I'd agree. the first year is the toughest.

2nd year was easier.

3rd year- Im doing ok, I stay busy, better than alot of agents. I'm in my third year though.

Cruise control by 5 years- I doubt it. 20 years- I doubt it. There are to many equations for that. Sure your process can be the same, but then you look at is it working. Should I change it. Your plan should be a living thing. Its a baby, it needs to grow, change, plan. There is no formula.

Statistically after 5 years you are a success. Same holds true with marriages as well. Put a marriage on cruise control, watch it crash and burn. Same with a real estate career.

I am just completing my 7th year and looking for to the next seven.

My first 2-3 years were a learning process and I kept very busy selling mostly new construction. Years 4-6 were riding the wave of lots of sales and years 6-7 were an eye opener and definately not heading into cruise control. Over the past year I have learned to reinvent myself and adapt to the changing market conditions. I no longer focus on new construction, but am now focusing on the REO market and feel I am rounding out my knowledge and skills. I plan to be in the career for many years and actively pursue designations and have my broker's license.


It's what I love about the real estate, it is always challenging and there are so many avenues to pursue.

The people who hit "cruise control" are the people who are hurting now with lower sales.

Splain this to me, Lucy - I'm selling more real estate right now than agents who have been in the business longer than I've been alive, or who've been in the business for at least 10 years. Okay, we can understand why I'm doing better than the dinosaurs, but there are more than a few agents with way more experience than me who are tending bar to make money.

Am I rich? Hell no. Am I working my a$$ off? You betcha. Anyone who says this business is easy is lying. It may be easy during boom times when there are more buyers than sellers but not now.

I'd ask your "successful" real estate broker professor how his "cruise control" works. Maybe if you're a broker with a bunch of kick-a$$ agents working for you - yeah I can see that. Or maybe if you have a competent assistant or two - they're doing the work while you think you're in "cruise control..."

I am too much of a megalomaniac to go into cruise control. LOL

A Friend/Competitor of mine from one of those "Franchisee Firms" (who I still respect) told me once that YOU DON'T GET INTO REAL ESTATE; but rather REAL ESTATE GETS INTO YOU ! That's what they mean when they say if you ENJOY what you do, you'll never have to WORK a day in your life !

He said he could tell within 3 to 4 months if a New Agent had caught "The Bug" and was going to thrive on the excitement and uncertainty of this business or wither in the face of the frustrations that are inherent in this realm where we mix human frailties with making decisions involving big money.

Some never fall in love with the business but still stick it out and are destined to become miserable old cusses.

Don't know how you could ever be on cruise control in this profession. This business is harder than it looks, so I think you have to really enjoy it. Talk about ups and downs!

OK Gang, Here it is. REAL ESTATE is a BUSINESS. Any Business that has ever made it over time, did NOT do it by putting their Business on Auto Pilot. Do you think Donald Trump sat down after his first million and quit??? If you will put together a system that generates Listing and Buyer leads, buld on that and have it set up where assistants can take care of this when you get 2 busy. Then add buyers agent and listing specialist etc. Then you can phase your self out to a owner president of your business. NEVER assume your customers are yours. I get them solid clients all the time. And if you can't handle that, there's always Beauty College! Never quit...BigC

Unless cruise control means that the systems are already in place, there is a certain level of expectations from doing certain activities. In some ways, cruise control to me could mean stability. I think in this market, it's possible.

Hm I would say but you need to watch the road pretty carefully.

Probably the broker was reffering to the refferal graph.

There is a statistical proven graph that goes like this:

Years 1 and 2 usually is 80 percent new business and 20 percent refferal.

Years 3 and 4 is 50 percent new business and 50 percent refferal.

Years 5 and 6 is 80 percent refferal and 20 percent new bsuiness.

So if you make it a certain amount of time doing the right things the refferals will start to happen.


Of course there are exceptions to this.People that don't apply themselves and people that already have a strong sphere from another career can take longer to grow there business or a shorter amount of time.


Real estate is so vast and residential is such a small part of it. I think brokers make a huge mistake with agents. The question should be do you enjoy real estate?? If that's a yes they just haven't found the niche that excites that agent yet. The broker might not offer that so the agent might need to go elsewhere to find there path. If the agent is trying it for the money and doesn't like r.e. then they need to leave the field.

Well, if that's what the broker/teacher meant then he didn't communicate it clearly, or else this original poster didn't communicate it clearly because I got the impression of "cruise control" meaning: sit back, relax, it's all smooth sailing from here.

I actually agree somewhat with the OP's broker. My first three years I worked incredibly hard. 60-80 hours a week, worked from vacation, pulled all-nighters on a regular basis. Why? Because everything I did took a long time since I didn't know how to do it yet. In other words, I spent the first years of my career doing two things... creating my systems and building my database.

And yes, indeed, exactly at five years, everything fell into place and my 60+ hour workweeks dropped to no more than 30. I could do a CMA in 30 minutes, instead of 5 hours. I had automated checklists for new listings and pending sales. My SOI delivered business to my door without any effort on my part, so I didn't have to prospect (at all).

And frankly, I got bored and restless. There were literally some weeks where I didn't even work 15 hours and was making plenty of money. Is that a good thing? Probably, but it's easy to get distracted from your business when it takes so little time!

Jennifer, up early huh? Maybe my post wasn't very clear. Build your Real Estate Business (If you love it) like a business, one block at a time. Bring the people on to help you when you find your self being pulled in 10 different directions. I personally still do my own prospecting techniques myself. I do the part I love and let other people handle the things I call work, Closing docs, talking w/lawyers, bankers etc. Thats the key. After time set your self up to do what you love and it will not be work. I do agree there is no auto-pilot, you still have to land the plane your self. Ya'll have a great profit day! BigC

What I he meant by "cruise control" is that after five years, you will know enough people and enough people will know you for your business to thrive!

Basically, work your behind off for the first four years and when the fifth year hits, your going to be making money in the business.

My goal is to work hard and be successful in the market for years to come, I don't want to get into real estate for a few years, I want to be in it thirty years from now so that I can still sell and build my business around the cities I was born in and grew up in as a youngster.