I'm a newer agent (3 months) and unfortunately I didn't plan enough ahead to have 6 months living expenses saved when I started RE. I've got another 9-5 job now and the plan is to take everything I earn from RE and sock it away until I have the savings to jump in full time.

I'm wondering how many of you experienced agents started like me, and what did you do to expedite the process? How did you market? What did you do in your time after work to make the process move faster?

I'm already working one high-end buyer and working my SOI, but I'm looking to make the jump ASAP.

How did you spend your limited time? What worked and what didn't?

I worked my FT job for about 3 months after getting my license. I had a few closings and made the switch.

I quit my FT job less than a month before 9/11. So, after my pipeline fell apart, I worked odd jobs and tended bar until everything leveled out.

I worked RE when I could. Sometimes I put in 60-70 hrs/week between all my activities.

It can be done, but your discipline has to be tpo-notch.

Holy cow does your discipline have to be top notch!

I had a FT job but luckily it was in the real estate software and technology industry where I was able to learn A LOT about the business because I was an instructor for thousands of Realtors about how to combine RE and technology at our seminars.

I worked for the company for nine years but I did it for a year after I got my license. Good luck and again to quote Greg "It can be done"

I've definitely been working on my discipline. Cable's gone. Try not to sit down until I'm going to sleep.

Any specific pointers? Things that helped you along?

Discipline is huge, but once you've disciplined yourself, how did you spend your time away from your first job?

What kinds of marketing? How did you spend the night hours, since you can't really be actively showing houses or getting listings when it's late?

I'm looking to find out how to best and most efficiently use my time to make my real estate business grow.

I know that I'll be very successful in RE. It's just a matter of getting all four wheels on the ground.

I spent a lot of time on the internet reading groups just like this one. I liked the fact that unsolicited - what were successful agents that were doing it full time talking about? What were their successes? What did they do that didn't work. How did they handle dealing with "new" agents? One of the first things I did was to ignore all traditional "Get leads!" and "Get rich in real estate" seminars, literature, ads, articles, marketing, etc. Throw them out. I compare these people and companies to the Gold Rush. The only ones that made money during the Gold Rush were the people selling the pans and pick axes - not the diggers that were actually doing the work.

I simply lurked for a long time on sites like this and watched. I also got out and shook hands with a lot of Realtors and not even the ones in my office. I would go to Open Houses and introduce myself to the agent. Not to snipe their visitors but to see what they had out. Did they have a sign in book? Were they playing music? What most people considered stupid stuff - I looked at as a buffet compared to a single dish restaurant. - I might not use everything that's offered but I would rather have the choice than to limit myself to one thing.

Typically I would get there about 10 minutes before the end of the open house as to not disturb any business that they might have. While I was there I would introduce myself and let them know that I was going to be breaking into the biz soon and what was their advice? What were their challenges? What did they do when they started? I even went along with some big name Realtors in my office just as an observer to how and what they did. The good thing about it was that I learned things that I am still using today. I learned what to do and more importantly what not to do.

Lastly, I scoured all of the information that I garnered over the year and figured out that I needed to at least specialize in one thing - just do one thing better than anyone else. Relo's? Renter's? Investors? Foreclosures? High end homes? Low end first time buyers? White collar? Blue collar? FHA? VA? HUD? It doesn't matter, pick something and study it to its very nucleus. Know more about your specialty than anyone and brand yourself as the expert. Know it from beginning to end, backwards and forwards. I know a hundred Realtors that won't even go near VA or HUD properties (including myself) but guess what? I know a Realtor that makes a killing in it because that's what she chose as her specialty.

Choosing a specialty mixed with everything else that I mentioned in my learning process got me to where I am. Now, I make a wonderful living because I took the steps that other Realtors in my area didn't want to bother with - I took foreclosures...fast forward two years later and guess what? Investors and flipping foreclosures is a hot business here! Now, I am known as the "Foreclosure Guru" in my circle of friends and colleagues.

Hope this helps and good fortune to you in your pursuit.

I worked 2 jobs for 8 years. Now when I look back I don't know how I did it. When the time came to go full time RE it was pretty simple. Almost all of my clients during that time were my friends from from job 1 so it worked out well. They worked the same hours as me.

I work 2 jobs currently. I work from 6:00am to 8:00 at the airport then go to real estate all day and return at 7:00Pm and work till around 9:00. The airport job provides insurance to part time employees as well as On call pay. This means if something happens they can call me and I will come back to work. Its a pretty nice gig considering I only work 4 days a week and get 32 hours of pay. 4x4=16 plus on call pay! Anyways it can be done and its not that bad.

Set a goal to meet a specific amount of people per day.

This could be neighbors, small businesses, etc. Always ask for their business card (or note name, address, etc.).

Hand out free info to some neighborhoods. A lot of folks mail info- deliver it in person. It is not a sales call, just you introducing yourself to the public. Again, try to get name, address, email, etc.

Add these folks to your SOI. Send out an informative article once a month. YOu would be surprised how quickly your list grows.

Keep in contact via phone or in person to as many as you can, too.

I am another 9-5 worker by day, realtor by night. Currently I pay a company to handle all of my pay-per-click and other online marketing and it keeps me busy enough evenings/weekends. I have a flexible work schedule that allows me to leave during the daytime to go take care of showings etc. when needed.

I recommend you keep the day job (need the benefits) until you have closed a few homes. Once you have done it a few times and feel 1. confident in your ability, 2. know you enjoy doing it - then you are ready to make the switch to full time.