5 Things To Consider Before Marrying a Real Estate Agent

Getting hitched to someone who’s chosen a career in real estate comes with challenges. Not that they’re deal breakers, but there are a few things you should know before marrying one!

Will “dinner time” be their dinner time?

You might have to be flexible on what time “dinner time” is on any given night…or just eat alone. Whether it’s a networking event, a listing appointment, or showing houses to buyers, dinner time can end up getting pushed later and later. Sometimes a proper dinner doesn’t happen at all, and they just grab some food on the go between appointments. Not that there’s anything wrong with sitting alone in your house drinking wine and eating chicken nuggets all night (sounds like a heck of a Wednesday), but if this doesn’t appeal to you, then it may not be worth marrying a real estate agent after all!

You’ll become an unpaid intern at times.

From stuffing envelopes for mailers, to erecting open house signs late on a Saturday night, there’s virtually an endless menagerie of small, but hugely important tasks that go into creating a successful real estate business. Agents are always looking for new and innovative ways to market their listings and save money doing it, so a source of cheap labor probably won’t be dismissed.

Your budget will be anything but predictable

Traditionally spring to mid-summer is the busiest time for agents, with winter being a slow period. But you never know when (or how many) closings will occur in a given time period. Be prepared for sporadic lean periods. It happens to all agents at one point or another, and it doesn’t take much to throw a wrench into a carefully planned budget. An agent can spend days, weeks, and months working with someone and never even get paid! If you’re someone who cringes over a less-than-predictable stream of income, you’ll need to learn how to adapt if you’re going to get hitched to an agent.

Your conversations will revolve around real estate

It might feel like the first thing they taught your spouse in real estate school is that you have to point at every house you’ve ever sold as you drive by it. Additionally, your other half will also be hardwired to notice every single real estate sign—be it on TV, movies, or YouTube. Have you ever wondered what a half-bath adds in value to a home with southern exposure? Which HOAs allow residents to raise chickens? For all these questions and more, your spouse will have you covered.

Real estate agents talk about real estate like Bubba talks about shrimp…

Their job will tie them to the area

Real estate, unlike a lot of jobs, isn’t one that can typically be done via the computer. You have to be out there and present for your clients. This may lead to some hard choices later on. The job is all about building your local database and your local knowledge. An established real estate agent will find it difficult to just pick up and leave. While you don’t lose the knowledge or skills, you do lose the momentum, which is sometimes the most important factor of all to a healthy real estate business.

If you read this far, you have your answer… You must love the real estate agent in your life! So, despite any downsides or challenges his or her career may bring to your life, it sounds like you have a keeper! Go on and say, “I do!”