Could age hold me back?

I am after personal opinion here.

I am a Real Estate Agent working currently under another agent and wanting to fan out on my own.
I am currently only 18 years of age and many people have tried shooting me down saying I'm too young.
I of course don't agree, I believe I have knowledge and the confidence to go solo within the agency and still be a successful agent.

Being property owners yourselves, would you looks adversely on an agent simply due to age? Or would you look more at knowledge, passion, enthusiasm and ability?

 

Question for you young fella.

Would you disregard a client because (s)he is "old"

 

Yes, I would. But don't let it get you down, keep the big picture.

Don't be in a hurry - in anything.

At 18, there is still loads to learn, and being under another agent gives you some protection. Being burnt at your age might be the hardest thing to recover from. Watch and learn grasshopper.

 

There will always be people telling you, you can't do things no matter what age you are

 

I don't think I would. If they can prove themselves and believe in their work, then why not

 

Depends how professionaly you present yourself...and if you can offer me a good deal.

 

Well... Everything is negotiable

 

Personally, you're age wouldn't assist with initial impressions... but how you handle yourself after the initial handshake is where you could still win my business.

 

If someone said to me .'I've just used this great agent.. He did xyz well' I would definitely consider you.

I'm currently looking at selling a property, and I've been to some open homes and auctions to check out the agents and how thy operate. If I thought you were a good operator I would consider you.

But chances are I'm going to go with someone who I know has a long track record of selling houses in my area. I may also be turned off by your age and rightly or wrongly a perception that you are inexperienced.

 

Are they making a living? Then I think you need to work harder to see what they do.

Your number one priority is being professional. You have already used 'hey' in a written sentence, given your name, location, the name of the office - now, that's all fine - but on top of that, you have at least as a teacher criticised your boss.

So, for those reasons, I'm out.

But, good luck. I like your enthusiasm.

 

Of course, age can scare people. But I believe I can prove myself.

i completely respect that.

Let me ask you a question though.
How do you think the experienced ones became experienced?
Someone initially had to give them a go. And I can assure you, if they could have started at 18 instead of the age they did, every agent 100% would have.

But of course experience makes everyone seem more favourable and that's understandable

 

Initially, yes. If I was looking for a RE Agent without any personal recommendations and took things on face value then I would go with an older agent as there would be assumed experience there (whether that is true or not...). HOWEVER, if I was given a recommendation from someone with direct experience and it was a good experience then I would have no qualms about your age.

In saying that though, don't let other people dictate what you can and can't do. Do what you believe you can do.

 

Completely eespe

Completely respect this response.
I'm not on this blog to receive business therefore I am completely informal.
Just after a conversation and get the view of other people.
Thank you

 

I think you answered your own question

 

Hi Nathan,

Good on you for starting young! There's plenty to learn here on this forum. My unsolicited advise is, if you think you are not learning from your current agency, move out and go to another one. Pick up various experiences and learn from each of them. I think there is always something to learn, whether it is to do something the right way, or, the other way around.

Good luck and stay on course.

 

Dear Nathan,
I think being a Real Estate agent takes time, takes making connections with others, perhaps it may be about making connections with your class mates? Takes being consistent, in a few years time, some mates will be marrying , starting families and they will want a house.. guess who they will turn to? YOU! I suggest you do what your boss says, 'follow them around like puppy ' by the time it comes to friends wanting to buy houses you will have experience! Keep at it! Do the right thing, and you will be fine! All the best

 

I think they watched, listened and learnt from more experienced agents. Sometimes you don't know what you don't know.

If it was me, rather than go out in your own right now, I would perhaps look at moving to another agency where you can learn and then consider going out on your own in a year or two.

 

You are in a prime position to ride the wave of any industry disruption. Think the uber for taxi thing.

You are at the least vulnerable position of your working life. Use this flexibility to go where you need to go, work under the best, see what they do.

I'm a surgeon. I could do the job at a good standard years before I finished training. When I finished training, I could have fanned out and taken a pretty good salary right off the bat. Instead, I considered the big picture. I took a 75% pay cut, and moved my family interstate 5 days after the birth of our second born to work in a particular unit.

THEN, I spent $100,000 of borrowed money to go overseas and do it again, in another world-renowned unit.

So, you've asked our opinions - I'd do what I did.

1. Set your goals - big. You have all the time in the world. Is Coomera where you want to be in 30 years?
2. Identify your role models - think big.
3. Identify your local mentors. Talk to them about their mentors and their role models.
4. Talk to those mentors.
5. Find a way to work for the biggest achievers you can find. This is a stepwise progression.
6. Keep in touch and good stead with EVERYONE along the way. Don't **** anyone off professionally. Have EVERYONE offer you a job when your time is done. (**This would be the biggest piece of advice that no-one ever gave me, but I wish they had).
6. Work your ass off for the biggest achievers. Above, and beyond.
7. Do it with your eyes wide open. See what they do well and aim to copy it. Identify their flaws. Work out how you would do it better.
8. Then go where you want to be, and do it better.

 

I hope you're watching these videos http://www.tompanos.com.au/

Gavin Rubinstein, one of the agents interviewed used his youth to his advantage. He would sell the fact he had no commitments and was 100% focused on the task at hand. I'd recommend you watch it if you haven't already.

 

^ what Bran said