Property · business kit

Real Estate Agent Business

A real estate agent earns commission by helping people buy, sell and rent homes. The agents who last treat it as a business: one farm area, a daily lead routine, a database they stay in touch with, and a brand people remember. This kit shows how to get licensed, pick a brokerage, find your first clients and grow into a team.

Median Realtor income$58,100NAR 2024 member profile

Typical agent10 sides / yearNAR, $2.5M volume

16+ years' experience$78,900median gross income

First 2 years$8,100why the plan matters

The business, explained

How a real estate business really works.

What this business is

You represent sellers (listing agent) or buyers (buyer's agent) and get paid when a deal closes. In the US you need a state licence and must work under a licensed broker. In the UK no licence is required, but estate agencies must join a redress scheme and register with HMRC for anti-money-laundering supervision.

Listing agent: price, market and sell a home for the owner.
Buyer's agent: find, negotiate and close a home for the buyer.
Rentals and lettings: find tenants for landlords (a fast way to earn early).
Niches: first-time buyers, luxury, new builds, relocation, investors, land, commercial.
Team or brokerage owner: recruit and train other agents.

How the money works

You earn a commission when a sale closes, then share it with your brokerage (common splits are 70/30, 80/20, 90/10 or 100% with fees and a cap). Commissions are negotiable. Since 17 August 2024 US buyers sign a written agreement with their agent before touring homes, and offers of buyer-agent pay are no longer shown on the MLS, so explaining your value clearly matters more than ever.

Seller (listing) commissions.
Buyer representation fees.
Rental and lettings fees.
Referral fees from other agents (typically 20-35% of their commission).
Team overrides once you lead other agents.

What it costs to start

US: a pre-licence course (roughly 40-180 hours depending on state), the exam, licence fees, board/MLS dues, a phone, a car and a small marketing budget. Plan for 6 months of living costs, because commission only arrives when deals close, which can take 30-90 days after you meet the client.

Legal and practical

Work under your broker's rules, follow fair housing and advertising law, use your broker's contracts and disclosures, and keep client money in trust accounts only as allowed. UK agents must follow the Estate Agents Act 1979, consumer protection rules and material information requirements in listings.

Honest pros and cons

Pro: no ceiling on income and low start-up cost compared with most businesses.
Pro: every closed client can send you referrals for life.
Con: income is irregular; NAR data shows agents in their first two years earned a median of $8,100 in 2024.
Con: you must generate your own leads every day.
Con: evenings and weekends, because that is when clients are free.

Example math (illustration, not a promise)

12 sales a year at a $350,000 average price and 2.5% commission is $105,000 gross commission. On an 80/20 split with a cap and fees, an agent might keep around $80,000-85,000 before their own marketing, car and tax costs.

No money? Start anyway

How to fund a real estate business with little or no money.

Your biggest early costs are licences and marketing, not property. Start with the model that needs the least capital and let the first commissions or management fees fund the next step.

1. Start lean with what you already have

Use your phone, laptop, car and basic tools. Offer one service or product first and buy only what your first few customers need.

2. Pre-sell and take deposits

Let customers fund your start: founding-member offers, pre-orders and deposits pay for kit and stock before you spend your own money. Always set a real start date and offer refunds if you can't deliver.

3. Keep your job and start on the side

Evenings and weekends first. Your salary pays the bills while the business proves itself, so you never have to borrow to live.

4. Government-backed start-up loans

Small loans with support, made for new businesses.

US: SBA microloans: up to $50,000 through local nonprofit lenders, often with free business coaching.
UK: Start Up Loans (British Business Bank): £500 to £25,000 per person at a fixed 6% a year over 1 to 5 years, with free mentoring.

www.sba.gov www.startuploans.co.uk

5. Free advice and mentoring

Free help with business plans, loan applications and pricing.

US: SCORE mentors and your local Small Business Development Center (SBDC) are free.
UK: Your local Growth Hub is free, and The King's Trust supports 18 to 30 year olds starting a business.

www.score.org www.kingstrust.org.uk

6. Grants and competitions

Grants for starting a for-profit business are rare and competitive, but local and sector grants and start-up competitions do exist. Real grants never ask you to pay a fee.

US: Check your state and city economic development office. Grants.gov is mostly for non-profits and research.
UK: Check your local council and Growth Hub for current schemes.

7. Crowdfunding

Rewards crowdfunding (Kickstarter-style pre-orders) suits products. Equity crowdfunding suits businesses that can grow big.

US: Rewards: Kickstarter, Indiegogo. Equity: regulated crowdfunding portals such as Wefunder and Republic.
UK: Rewards: Kickstarter, Crowdfunder UK. Equity: platforms such as Crowdcube.

8. Friends and family

Put every amount in writing: loan or share, repayment plan, and what happens if it doesn't work. Only take money people can afford to lose.

9. Equipment finance, leasing and buying used

Spread the cost of kit, vans or machines, or buy second-hand. Compare the total amount repayable, not just the monthly payment.

10. Angel investors and partners

Only for businesses that can grow big. Investors take a share of your business in return.

UK: UK investors may get tax relief through SEIS and EIS if your company qualifies.

www.gov.uk

Borrowing is a risk. Only borrow for things that clearly earn money back, never to cover living costs, and read the full terms. Avoid high-interest credit cards and payday loans for start-up costs. This is general information, not financial advice. The kit includes a funding video module and ready-to-use funding templates (pre-sale offers, loan summaries, grant answers, crowdfunding copy).

6-month example

What 6 months could look like if you show up every day.

An example built from this kit's own real estate prices, with the business set up properly and the daily plan followed. Pick a scenario or change any number to match your plans.

Your unfair advantage

How to stand out and grow faster.

Most people copy what everyone else does. These are the moves that make customers choose you.

Farm one areaPick one neighbourhood or building type and become the name everyone sees there: market updates, just-sold posts, local business features.

Video is your open houseNeighbourhood tours, 'what $400k buys here', and walk-throughs win trust before the first call. Ryan Serhant built his brand on media.

Database over leadsYour sphere and past clients are your real asset. A simple monthly touch plan beats buying cold leads.

Answer in 5 minutesSpeed to lead wins online enquiries. Set up alerts and reply scripts.

Explain your value in writingAfter the 2024 settlement changes, a clear written buyer presentation and fee explanation sets you apart.

Own a nicheFirst-time buyers, relocation, investors, new builds or a language community. Niches get referrals.

Open houses as lead eventsTreat every open house as a neighbourhood event: door-knock invites, sign-in, follow-up within 24 hours.

Partner with lenders and tradesMortgage brokers, builders, stagers, movers and cleaners send you clients and make your service better.

Seller experienceStaging advice, pro photos, video tour and weekly seller reports make sellers refer you.

Track your numbersConversations, appointments, agreements signed, closings. What gets measured gets done.

Success stories

The people who made it, and what they say to do.

The Corcoran Group · Founder

Barbara Corcoran

Turned a $1,000 loan into one of New York's biggest real estate firms.

Corcoran started a small real estate company in New York in 1973 with a $1,000 loan. She built it into The Corcoran Group, known for smart marketing such as her own market report, and sold it in 2001 for a reported $66 million. She later became an investor on Shark Tank.

Create your own market report: data makes you the expert.
Marketing and publicity can beat a big budget.
Hire for energy and train the rest.

Source 1 Source 2

SERHANT. · Founder of SERHANT.

Ryan Serhant

Went from actor to one of the best-known agents in the US by using media.

Serhant became a New York agent in 2008, gained national attention on Bravo's Million Dollar Listing New York, and in 2020 launched his own brokerage, SERHANT., built around content and media. He teaches that consistent video and follow-up create more deals than waiting for leads.

Content is the new open house.
Follow up more than anyone else.
Build systems so you can grow a team.

Source 1 Source 2

Keller Williams Realty · Co-founder

Gary Keller

Built one of the largest real estate franchises by focusing on agent training and models.

Keller co-founded Keller Williams in Austin, Texas in 1983. He wrote 'The Millionaire Real Estate Agent', which set out the lead-generation, budget and team models many agents still use, and the company grew into one of the largest real estate franchises by agent count.

Follow a proven model before inventing your own.
Lead generation is a daily appointment.
Track your numbers like a business owner.

Source 1 Source 2

A-Z video course

110 lessons. 11 modules. Zero fluff.

Hand-picked class-style lessons from people who run a real estate business, in the order you need them. The first lessons of every module are free to watch right here.

1Start here: the business model8 lessons

Exactly what to do your first year as a realtor Members How To Succeed As A New Real Estate Agent! {Exact Steps} Members What To Do Your First 30 Days As A New Real Estate Agent Members Your First 30 Days as a NEW Real Estate Agent (What to do EXACTLY) Members Tips and Advice Every New Real Estate Agent Needs to Know | Ryan Serhant Members How to be a SUCCESSFUL Real Estate Agent in 7 Steps | Ryan Serhant Members

2Legal, tools & setup4 lessons

Step 1: How to Get Your Real Estate License (Start Here) Members How to Get a Real Estate Broker License in the USA – Step by Step Members

3Pricing, profit & money7 lessons

Agent Commission Splits Explained Members What is a broker split for real estate agents? Real estate commission split explained Members Keller Williams Commission Split Breakdown! Members What Are Commission Splits in Real Estate? Members Real Broker's Caps, Splits & Fees Explained Members

4Funding: start with little or no money15 lessons

How to Get a Business Loan for a New Business [No Revenue, Bad Credit, No Collateral] Members How to Get Startup Funding for a Small Business | No Business Revenue Members How to get a Business Loan in the UK? How much Business Loan can I get? Members SBA Loans Explained: How to Fund Your Small Business Members How To Get Money To Start A Business UK Members How To Easily Get Funding For Your Small Business (Even with Bad Credit) Members How to Get Funding for Your Small Business (Not Banks) Members How to start a new business with crowdfunding Members How to Start a Business with No Money Members How to Bootstrap a Business Members How to Bootstrap: Starting and Building Your Startup with Little Capital Members The Ultimate Guide to Crowdfunding Your Business (Kickstarter, Indiegogo) Members Self-Made Success: Bootstrapping Your Business Beyond the Early Stage Members

5Getting clients (as many as you can handle)26 lessons

How to get clients as a brand new real estate agent Members How to generate HIGH QUALITY Real Estate Leads Members I Tried 5 Lead Generation Methods as a New Agent (Here's What Actually Worked) Members Real Estate Lead Generation: Starting With $0.00 Members Generating Your First Lead as a NEW Realtor (1 EASY Method) Members TOP 10 Ways To Get FREE LEADS As A Realtor In 2025 [PROVEN In THIS Market] Members How to MASTER Real Estate Lead Generation in 18 Minutes Members Real Estate Listing Appointment Tips to GET the Listing Members What to Say During a Listing Appointment to Win the Listing Members NEW REALTORS... How to Win EVERY Listing Presentation Members What to Bring to a Listing Appointment to Win the Listing Members Real Estate Listing Presentation with Andrew Undem: Win More Listings Members 7 Steps to Win Every Listing Appointment Regardless of Your Experience Members The NEW Listing Presentation That Gets Realtors More Listings Members 3 Tips to Maximize Your Open House | Generate More Real Estate Leads Members The SECRET OPEN HOUSE Strategy For Getting MORE BUYERS & SELLERS Members How to MARKET your OPEN HOUSE to actually GET CLIENTS! Members How to Host An Open House & Get Real Estate Clients [PREPARATION & FOLLOW UP] Members Top 7 Open House Tips for Realtors | Get Clients from EVERY Open House Members Make Open Houses Work for YOU | Essential Tips for Real Estate Agents Members The 5 Ps of Leveraging Open Houses into Leads Members Open House Tips for Realtors by Roni Haskell Members Real Estate Success Tips: How to Turn Open House Visitors Into Leads Members How To Get Clients In Real Estate (24 Amazing Tips) Members

6Client experience & retention8 lessons

3 Proven Strategies to Boost Referrals from Past Clients Members Master the Buyer Consultation: Stand Out & Win More Clients! Members Real Estate Referral Best Practices—The Do's and Don'ts Members Exactly How to Ask Buyers for Referrals (Without Burning the Deal) Members The Client Experience for Getting Real Estate Referrals Members Buyer Consultation Training: How to Present Your Buyer Presentation Members

7Operations, content & systems12 lessons

8Team, scaling & franchising8 lessons

How to Build a Real Estate Team in 10 Minutes Members How I Hired the Perfect Real Estate Virtual Assistant (And You Can Too) Members How to hire the BEST Real Estate Virtual Assistants | Hire, Interview, Train VAs Members 10 must-dos: How to hire and manage Real Estate Virtual Assistants Members How To Build A Real Estate Team | Hiring A Buyer's Agent Members How to Start and Scale a Real Estate Team That Closes 200+ Deals/Year Members

9Inside real businesses6 lessons

A REALISTIC Day in the Life of a Real Estate Agent Members DAY in the LIFE of a REAL ESTATE AGENT [vlog] Members A Day In The Life Of A Real Estate Agent 2023 Members Day in the life of a Real Estate Agent | What's it really like Members

10Mistakes to avoid8 lessons

Why Real Estate Agents Quit in Their First Year Members 80% of New Real Estate Agents FAIL Within a Year – Here's How to Avoid It Members Why Do Most Real Estate Agents FAIL? (87% Quit) Members Avoid These! Top Mistakes New Real Estate Agents Make Members Why So Many Real Estate Agents Quit During Their First Year Members The Real Reason Most Real Estate Agents Fail (It's Not Skill) Members

11Success stories & interviews8 lessons

Becoming A New York City Real Estate Agent ft. Ryan Serhant Members Ryan Serhant on the Art of Selling Luxury Real Estate Members Shark Tank's Barbara Corcoran Reveals How She Became the Queen of New York Real Estate Members Starting a Career in Real Estate: Barbara Corcoran's Secret to Success Members Shark Tank's Barbara Corcoran: The Biggest Lie About Entrepreneurship Members Barbara Corcoran On Why Most People Never Become Successful Members

Unlock all 110 lessons with progress tracking, plus the roadmap that tells you which lesson to watch at each step.See plans

Step-by-step roadmap

Where to start, and what comes next.

21 steps in six phases. Phase one is open below; every step has a checklist, and members get the linked lessons, templates and tools.

1. Get licensed and choose a brokerage

Weeks 1-8

Legally able to work, with the right brokerage behind you.

Decide the kind of agent you will be

Part-time or full-time, residential or rentals, solo or joining a team. New agents learn fastest on a team or at a brokerage with strong training.

Watch the 'Start here' module
Decide full-time or part-time
Choose residential, rentals or a niche to start

Get your licence (US) or registrations (UK)

US: complete your state's pre-licence course, pass the state exam and apply for your licence. UK: no licence is needed, but your agency must be in a redress scheme and registered with HMRC for anti-money-laundering supervision.

Enrol in a pre-licence course (US)
Book and pass the exam
UK: confirm redress scheme and HMRC AML registration

Interview 3 brokerages

Compare splits, fees, caps, training, lead sources, mentorship and culture. The cheapest split is not always the best if you get no training or leads.

Interview 3 brokerages
Compare splits, caps and monthly fees
Choose the one with the best training for you

Set a 6-month runway and budget

Commission arrives only when deals close. Budget for licence, dues, MLS, marketing and living costs.

List every start-up and monthly cost
Plan 6 months of living costs
Set a monthly marketing budget

2. Brand, tools and database

Weeks 6-10

Look professional and never lose a contact.

Set up a CRM and load your sphere

Brand, headshot and bios

Google Business Profile and reviews

Choose your farm area

3. Get your first clients

Months 2-4

Conversations every day and your first signed clients.

Tell your sphere, personally

Host open houses for other agents' listings

Start local video content

Speed to lead and follow-up

4. Win appointments and close deals

Months 3-6

Signed agreements and your first closings.

Buyer consultation

Listing presentation

Run a clean transaction

5. Turn clients into referrals

Months 6-12

A database that sends you business every month.

Closing experience and reviews

Monthly touch plan

Build referral partners

6. Grow into a team

Year 2+

More deals without working more hours.

Track your business numbers

Hire an assistant or ISA

Add buyer's agents and build a team

Content plan

What to post to grow this business.

Your five content pillars and a weekly rhythm. Members get the full 365-day calendar with the platform and time for every post, plus hooks, captions, scripts, carousels and ads to fill it.

Local expertNeighbourhood tours, schools, cafes, market updates.

HomesListings, walk-throughs, before/after staging.

Buyer and seller educationSteps, costs, mistakes, myths.

Wins and storiesJust sold, keys handed over, client stories with permission.

Behind the scenesShowings, negotiations (without private details), a day in your life.

MonMarket update

This week's numbers in your farm area

TueListing walk-through

60-second tour of a home

WedBuyer tip

What your deposit actually covers

ThuNeighbourhood feature

Best coffee spot near the park

FriJust sold / keys

Client celebration (with consent)

SatOpen house

Live or stories from the open house

SunSeller tip

3 fixes before you list

Free tool · Viral Score

Will your post go viral? Check it first.

Add your video, photo or text post for your real estate business. See a score for each platform, what is working, what to fix, and hooks and captions from the kit that make it stronger.

Scores for 9 platforms 25+ checks Your file stays on your device

What's inside

Choose your Real Estate kit.

Everything below is included. Want more than one business? All-Access gives you every kit.

Starter Kit

One business of your choice

$67 one-time

Everything you need to understand the business and launch it, step by step.

Get Starter Kit

A-Z video course: 110 hand-picked class-style lessons in 11 modules, played right inside your member area
Funding module: 15 lessons on starting with little or no money, plus US and UK funding options (microloans, grants, pre-sales, crowdfunding)
The business explained: Real Estate business models, how the money works, startup costs, pricing, US & UK legal checklist, honest pros and cons and example numbers
Success stories playbook: 3 famous founders and what they say you should do
How to stand out: 10 strategies to grow faster than competitors
Step-by-step launch roadmap: 21 steps in 6 phases, each with a checklist and linked lessons

Manage my business app (Business Hub, member area): enter your business details once, then run everything from one place:
Dashboard: today's task, today's post, money against your goal, your 6-month plan, pipeline, follow-ups and your daily streak
Client pipeline board: leads, booked, active and past, with follow-up reminders (drag and drop)
Prices & profit calculator: your price, cost and time for every service in this kit, profit per sale and per hour, and how many sales reach your goal
6-month plan: an example built from this kit's prices, month by month, with your real sales shown alongside
Quotes & invoices: made from your services in seconds, printed or saved as PDF; paid invoices go straight into Money
Goals that track themselves, plus money, weekly numbers and backup
Viral Score tool, expert report: upload a video or photo, or paste a post, and get a score for 9 platforms, the viral formula (hook, retention, value, shareability, discovery), every mistake one by one with the fix, where to find it in your kit, rewritten hooks and ready-to-post versions for each platform
6-month example calculator: see what the first 6 months could look like for this business with consistent work (an example to plan with, not a promise)
Business Manager spreadsheet, Starter edition (Excel / Google Sheets): 90-day daily plan, 30-day content calendar, client tracker, money tracker, weekly numbers, prices & margins and funding options
90-day daily planner: one small task a day with other options to choose from
30-day social media plan: what to post, on which platform, and at what time
Starter content pack: 100 hooks, 60 captions, 20 short-video scripts, 10 carousels and 30 hashtag sets
Member area access and free updates to this kit

Most chosen

Complete Business Kit

One business of your choice

$167 one-time

The full kit for one business: the entire content library, every template and the 3-year planner.

Get Complete Business Kit

Everything in the Starter Kit, plus:
The full Growth Library: 31,388+ ready-to-use items for Real Estate
3,060 scroll-stopping hooks
6,000 ready-to-post captions
1,342 short-video ideas with shot lists
90 shot-by-shot flagship video storyboards

2,000 slide-by-slide carousels
688 story sequences with stickers
1,500 Facebook and LinkedIn posts
100 hashtag and keyword sets
300 profile bios
1,200 video ad scripts (15s, 30s, UGC)
532 ad copy sets for Meta, Google and TikTok
384 Google Business posts
73 FAQ answers
139 review replies
452 SEO article outlines
582 website copy blocks
400 partnership pitches
192 event and pop-up plans
449 sales, DM and objection scripts
265 DM and outreach messages
996 emails and sequences
228 SMS and WhatsApp texts
376 offers and promotions
36 seasonal campaign kits
266 SOPs and checklists
28 policies and client forms
23 hiring kit items
48 business lessons
49 content creation lessons
3,500 AI prompts
286 funding templates (pre-sales, loan summaries, grant answers, crowdfunding copy)
3-year daily planner: 1,095 days, one small task a day with options
365-day content calendar: a post for every day with the platform, format and best time to post
Business Manager spreadsheet, full edition: 1,095-day plan, 365-day content calendar, money dashboard with monthly chart, client tracker and weekly KPI tracker
Video ad scripts and ad copy
Sales scripts, DM scripts and objection handling
Email and SMS/WhatsApp sequences: welcome, follow-up, rebooking, win-back
SOPs, checklists, policies and client forms
Hiring kit: job ads, interview questions and a training plan
AI prompt library for content, ads, emails and planning
Vivid Studio Lite: a video editor with auto captions from your voice (99 spoken languages, including Roman Urdu, Roman English, Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi, Arabic, French, US and UK English), a multi-clip timeline (split, trim, reorder, 0.5× to 2× speed), 8 animated caption styles, 3 transitions, 10 looks and basic colour, MP4 export up to 1080p
Vivid Studio Lite library: 1,400+ motion templates, all 1,907 Google Fonts, 17 trending text styles, 10 text effects and 6 text animations, 1,914 emoji, 6,220 icons, 160+ backgrounds, every video size (18 aspect ratios plus custom), add any music or audio file and record voiceovers. Installs on iPhone and iPad (from Safari), Android (app download), Windows and Mac, works offline and saves videos to your gallery

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Real Estate kit

Start your real estate business the right way.

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