Real Life Retirement


Two More Retiree Jobs  

Today the real estate world is a total mess.  In good times, however, selling real estate can be a terrific, high paying job for retirees.  You can work as much or as little as you like.   It is also a good way to continue to be an active part of your community.  

A nice bonus of the job:  a well-groomed, older real estate agent easily conveys the impression of being knowledgeable and reliable --desirable characteristics in a real estate agent.

Virtually  all real estate agents are "employed" as independent contractors, who decide for themselves how much time they spend selling homes and how much time doing other fun things.  And the payoff can be substantial: thousands of dollars in commissions for selling just one home.

Here are the steps to becoming a real estate agent.

1.  Take the classes your state requires before you can be licensed.  Classes are offered online or in a classroom setting and usually cost under $500.  Some states require some college education before you can become a real estate agent.

2.  Take the real estate licensing test conducted by your state. 

3.  Talk to several real estate companies in your area.   By joining a big national company, you will have a certain level of "instant credibility".  They also will provide ongoing education and supervision while you are getting started.  They will also demand a bigger part of your commissions.  Local independent real estate companies may give you little or no support when you start out--and still take a big chunk of your commissions.  All of them will require you to sign a contract.  
A Real Life Retirement:

Mary and her husband retired to Phoenix.  After her husband passed away, she decided to become a real estate agent for two reasons.  One, of course, was to have additional money.   The second was to have a place to go every week to keep active in her community.  She only sold three or four small homes a year, but it gave her enough money to splurge on the occasional cruise as well as trips to visit grandchildren.  And she built up a new network of friends.

Real Estate Escrow Coordinator   

Someone has to follow up on all the paperwork involved in a real estate transaction and these days it is usually the job of a coordinator, a detail-oriented person--not the real estate agent.   Once you have the experience, usually working on staff for an agent or for a real estate brokerage, you can launch your own business and work from home for several agents at a time.  As a coordinator you will be responsible for making sure all deadlines of the transaction are met and all paperwork is submitted on time.

More retirement jobs:

Work as a consultant/freelance Teach children
Teach at a university/college Teach at a trade/tech school
Teach adults  Two independent financial jobs

If you are looking for part time work simply to pick up some extra cash or pocket money or work based on your hobbies or personal interests, we have different suggestions for you.



Your feedback and comments are welcome.  If you have experiences or ideas to share, please send feedback now.

NOTE:  All names on this site have been changed to protect individual privacy.  The stories are real, the names are not.

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6 steps to sustaining a successful retiree business.

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