Before you move forward with obtaining your real estate license, it can be advantageous to contact a few local agents and see if you can shadow them around. Doing so not only gives you an idea of whether real estate is the right career path for you to pursue, but also can provide you with a specific type of real estate to work toward. To get experience with several different areas of real estate, you should seek out agents who specialize in certain areas. Here are three agents that you should think about shadowing.

Listing Agent

A listing agent is a real estate agent who helps people sell their homes. Although some listing agents also help buyers, many strictly focus on the selling side of the real estate business. When you shadow a listing agent for a day or two, you'll get a sense of what this professional's daily duties entail. In many cases, this agent will be meeting with prospective clients who wish to list their homes, visiting homes to give assessments of what owners should do before the listings become active, and working on marketing campaigns with the goal of recruiting new clients.

Buyer Agent

A buyer agent essentially plays the opposite role of a listing agent. Buyer agents represent clients who wish to buy homes. Shadowing this type of agent will give you an idea of which side of the transaction you think you'd prefer to be on. Buyer agents meet with clients to assess their needs, and then make recommendations based on those needs. These agents also spend a considerable amount of time perusing the local real estate listings in order to find properties that match the specifications of their clients. When you shadow a buyer agent, you may also get to visit a home for sale to assess it, or even be present during a home inspection.

Commercial Agent

Getting a chance to follow around a commercial agent will open your eyes to a completely different side of the real estate business. Commercial agents may focus on buying or selling, as well as leasing. In this world, the agent will often be dealing with companies and corporations, as well as property management companies, instead of individuals. You'll get a chance to appreciate the enticing elements of this business — for example, selling a large piece of commercial real estate can give the agent an enormous commission check.

For more information, contact a real estate company.

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