Career Advice for Job Seekers
How to turn a part-time, seasonal job into a full-time, permanent real estate career?
Transforming a seasonal position into a thriving real estate career requires strategic career planning and dedication. Industry experts reveal proven pathways to success that focus on initiative, relationship-building, and specialized skill development. These practical strategies help seasonal employees demonstrate their value and secure permanent positions in the competitive real estate market.
- Create a Proprietary Tool Solving Problems
- Turn Every Interaction Into Learning Opportunities
- Build Your Real Estate Ecosystem Gradually
- Cultivate Networks for Off-Market Opportunities
- Become a Connector With Valuable Insights
- Own Tasks Nobody Wants to Handle
- Master Technology Your Team Underutilizes
- Commit Fully Without Backup Plans
- Take Initiative Beyond Your Current Role
- Focus on Fixing Deals Not Just Selling
- Build a Pipeline of Future Transactions
- Expand Your Sphere of Influence Daily
- Sharpen Skills Through Continuous Learning
- Transform Client Encounters Into Financing Opportunities
Create a Proprietary Tool Solving Problems
I made the jump from inconsistent deal flow to steady income by creating one asset nobody else had: a proprietary AI lease analyzer that gave my clients instant market comps and risk flags. I built the first version during slow months using free CoStar trial data and a basic Excel macro, then turned it into our signature tool.
The specific move that landed me full-time work was solving a problem *before* my boss knew it existed. I noticed our tenant clients were getting blindsided by auto-renewal clauses and rent escalations buried in 80-page leases, so I automated the extraction and flagging process. Within two months, that tool prevented three clients from inadvertent 5-year renewals and became our main differentiator in pitches.
My advice: find the repetitive task everyone hates and automate it with whatever skills you have–even basic spreadsheet knowledge works. I documented every lease trap our AI caught and every dollar saved, so when the permanent role opened, I wasn’t asking for a job; I was already running a revenue-generating service the company couldn’t lose. That saved-client list became my resume, and it worked better than any interview answer ever could.
Turn Every Interaction Into Learning Opportunities
Real estate is always changing, which makes curiosity one of your biggest assets. When you’re starting out, every client call, open house, or contract is a chance to learn. Ask questions, take notes, and pay attention to how experienced agents handle challenges. That real-world education is what builds confidence over time.
When I was starting out, I learned by observing. Watching how agents communicated with clients, how they handled objections, and how they followed up taught me more than any class could. Those lessons helped me build a foundation that has lasted decades.
If you treat every shift as a chance to learn, you’ll start to see growth faster than you expect. A seasonal position can be the perfect classroom for understanding not just how real estate works, but how people work. The more you stay curious, the more opportunities you’ll create for yourself.
Build Your Real Estate Ecosystem Gradually
As an ex-programmer, I started taking classes for my real estate license when I was working full-time, so I know what it’s like to juggle two jobs at the same time. Initially, you have to balance your current job and plant the seeds for your real estate career, and that’s absolutely fine. The more time passes, the more you’ll start building what I like to call your own “ecosystem”.
You’ll find that others begin to reach out to you more frequently, needing your assistance with showings or to seek your opinion on a property, and your LinkedIn profile, and others, begin to receive more views. That’s when things are getting better.
The key is to use the skills you already have and build relationships from the very beginning. For example, my background in programming helped me sort information, look at market data, and use technology to manage clients effectively. Tools like a CRM, a professional website, and market analytics let me offer good service right from the start.
As your network gets bigger and real estate needs more of your time, you will have to decide what to do. I usually suggest waiting until you have completed one or two sales, or have some regular clients, before you switch to working full-time. In the meantime, spend a few hours each day on finding new clients, creating your brand and getting to know your local market.
Cultivate Networks for Off-Market Opportunities
My nearly 40 years in commercial real estate, from economic development planner to managing partner and broker across six states, has shown me the clear path from entry-level to a lasting career. I’ve seen many individuals successfully make that transition.
My single most crucial piece of advice is to actively cultivate a network that grants you access to off-market opportunities. Don’t just respond to advertised listings; proactively build relationships with owners, tenants, and other brokers who know what’s coming before it hits the public.
As I’ve said, “The person who’s driving around and making calls off signs to see what space is available will miss the spaces that aren’t being openly marketed.” These unadvertised properties are often where the most value is found.
This insider knowledge and the “creativity and serendipity” born from face-to-face interactions within your network will make you an indispensable resource, changing your temporary role into a permanent career. Be the person who consistently brings unique, unlisted opportunities to the table.
Become a Connector With Valuable Insights
Most people approach their job position with a worker’s mindset. ‘I’m here to do my tasks, clock in, and help where needed.’ The people who turn their roles into long-term careers understand that success in real estate comes from the relationships you build rather than the hours you spend.
Be a connector. Use your job to link people and opportunities. Whatever hat you’re wearing should be a chance to meet someone new. Listen to what they need, and connect them with something of value. When you consistently help people get what they want, even in small ways, you become memorable, and in real estate, being memorable is the first step toward being indispensable.
An example, one of my former mentees started as a receptionist at a brokerage during the holiday rush. Instead of just greeting clients and answering phones, she began keeping a personal notebook of client interests. Little, seemingly minor details like, ‘prefers eco-friendly homes’ or ‘needs a big backyard for dogs.’ She’d share those insights with agents at a later time who were preparing follow-up calls. Within two months, agents were coming to her for client background details. Very shortly, the brokerage offered her a permanent role in client relations. Now she’s even a licensed agent who closes her own deals expertly.
That’s the truth; the fastest way to get hired full-time isn’t by asking for the job, it’s by making yourself so valuable that the company can’t imagine running without you.
The real estate world is built on trust. People refer and promote who they believe in, so the more people see your reliability and consistency, the more likely someone will advocate for you when a permanent opportunity arises.
Own Tasks Nobody Wants to Handle
I started OWN Alabama in 2018 after years in the industry, and the biggest thing I tell people is this: own a problem nobody else wants to deal with. In commercial real estate, I’ve seen temporary workers become indispensable by taking ownership of the unglamorous tasks–like becoming the go-to person for lease abstraction or managing the CRM that everyone hates updating.
Here’s what worked at MicroFlex specifically: we had someone seasonally helping with property tours who started documenting every single objection prospects raised–price concerns, layout issues, competitor comparisons, all of it. She created a simple FAQ document and a competitive analysis spreadsheet that our whole team now uses for every sales call. She’s been full-time for over a year because she made herself the source of institutional knowledge.
The advice is simple: find the repetitive task everyone dreads and systematize it. In Alabama markets, I’ve watched assistants become acquisition analysts by building comparison spreadsheets, or tour coordinators become leasing agents by tracking follow-up patterns that actually closed deals. Document what you learn, make other people’s jobs easier with it, and you’ll have leverage when it’s time to talk about becoming permanent.
Master Technology Your Team Underutilizes
I’ve launched video tour systems and managed digital campaigns across multiple cities at FLATS, and here’s what I learned: master a technology platform that nobody else on your team fully understands.
When we implemented UTM tracking across our properties, I became the only person who could accurately interpret lead source data and explain why certain channels were outperforming others by 25%. That expertise made me essential during budget planning meetings because I could show exactly where every dollar should go based on real conversion data, not guesswork.
In multifamily real estate, most people avoid the tech stack–CRM systems, analytics platforms, marketing automation tools. If you’re seasonal staff, spend your downtime learning whatever software your property uses inside and out. I’ve seen leasing consultants become marketing coordinators because they could generate reports from our ILS platforms that regional managers actually needed but didn’t know how to pull.
The key is picking one tool that touches revenue–lead tracking, resident engagement apps like Livly, or digital advertising platforms–and becoming the go-to expert who can answer questions leadership didn’t even know to ask yet.
Commit Fully Without Backup Plans
If you want to turn a part-time or seasonal real estate job into a full-time career, the key is to treat it like you already have one. Show up every day with the mindset that this is your business, not just a side hustle. Take it seriously, learn everything you can, and act like you’re already a full-time agent.
At some point, you have to burn the boats and fully commit. That doesn’t mean making reckless decisions, but it does mean removing the backup plan that keeps you from going all in. When you treat real estate as your only option, you’ll be amazed at how fast you start figuring things out and finding success.
It also helps to join a team that provides training, accountability, and a steady flow of leads. Having that kind of structure gives you a foundation to build on and helps you focus on mastering the craft instead of trying to do everything alone.
Take Initiative Beyond Your Current Role
If you truly want to make a career in real estate, focus on Initiative: Seek Opportunities and Take Initiative in “Beyond Your Role” Activities.
Don’t simply wait for the slow season to be over, or for someone to notice you. You can stay on top of your current responsibilities, while also finding your Broker or Team Lead or Top agents, and stating: “I love being part of this team and I want to build a career here in real estate full-time. In order to prove I can add value while learning as much as I can, will you allow me to help with (add what you can add value in). Maybe I can help you pre-qualify leads, or update your CRM, or help with prepping for an open house or with following up with clients.”
This will show initiative, willingness to invest in the business and most importantly, it will get you very valuable hands-on experience. By continually doing and following through on the “beyond your role” activities, you will also show that you can follow through and that you offer value, and frankly that you are worth the full-time spot when it does open. Prove you’re ready for more than the quick hustle of the season.
Focus on Fixing Deals Not Just Selling
If you want to turn a part-time or seasonal real estate job into a full-time career, forget chasing listings and start chasing problems. Every agent wants clients, but very few want to solve the messy, stressful stuff for example title issues, bad inspections, or tricky probate cases. That’s where the real opportunity hides.
When I started, I didn’t try to outshine the top producers. I made myself useful by learning how to fix deals that were falling apart. Pretty soon, those same agents were calling me for help, and that’s how I built my reputation.
The truth is, real estate is full of people who can sell. What the industry needs are people who can save deals. If you can be the one who turns chaos into a closing, you’ll never be seasonal again. You’ll be essential.
Build a Pipeline of Future Transactions
Being a career builder, you must become one that qualifies clients by the time they are ready to purchase. My first year in broking involved conducting a cursory financial analysis with all the people I encountered. Ten minutes inquiring into incomes, debt ratio, credit report, and property history. No pitch, just diagnosis. After 90 days, there were 52 people who were unable to transact but had a clear roadmap on how to do it.
On my part, that list turned out to be my company. I would send specific updates to them based on their situation every six weeks. “Your credit requires one more quarter of clean payment history” or “Rates have changed and now you can borrow an extra $70,000.” Twelve of them settled during my first full year. I believe that the majority of seasonal agents fizzle out in summer since they only deal with ready buyers. I developed continuity of revenue collection by constructing a qualification system that kept potential clients on the path towards readiness to transact. The revenue you will make during the off-season resides in the individuals you are preparing today, not the deals falling during this month.
Expand Your Sphere of Influence Daily
Real estate business is all about people and personal trustworthy relationships. Get to know as many people as possible each day, constantly work on increasing your sphere of influence. People love to receive personalized service and know that you care about their needs. Build close relationships with people, advocate for them, and provide them with a unique experience so they feel valued. In return, they will be more likely to refer you to their friends and family, and your business will grow exponentially.
Constantly cultivate relationships with new and current customers, nourish them, and they will drive your business forward to a successful real estate career.
Also, improve your other important skills such as effective verbal and written communication; expand your local real estate market knowledge on all neighborhoods, schools, real estate trends, and local laws and regulations; become proficient with real estate software, virtual tours, digital marketing tools; network with industry professionals to increase referrals and better support your clients; continue to learn new things with ongoing education and real estate certifications such as Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist (CLHMS), Certified Residential Specialist (CRS), Certified Negotiation Expert (CNE), and others.
If you want to be a successful full-time real estate agent, you must constantly improve these skills, easily and clearly interact with your customers and all other real estate professionals, and create win-win deals for everybody in every transaction.
Sharpen Skills Through Continuous Learning
Employees can turn their seasonal job into a full-time permanent real estate career by staying proactive. The truth is, the dynamic nature of the real estate industry means that building a thriving career as a real estate professional, especially in an entry-level position, or as one transitioning from a different career, demands more than just interest or enthusiasm for all things real estate.
You see, in the way that really matters, individuals who are hoping to make a full-time career out of their seasonal real estate job need to understand that no matter how much knowledge they feel they might have gathered as seasonal employees, their skills and expertise still need sharpening. This would make staying proactive and building relevance much easier not just with potential clients, but could also help them become assets to their peers and employers, which could also fast-track their career.
Today, proactive employees do not only thrive because of their efforts, but essentially because the valuable skills they possess and the ability to maintain relationships give them foresight, particularly when it comes to anticipating challenges and coming up with effective solutions. Then, there is also the fact that by being proactive and sharpening their skills through continuous learning, these employees would be increasing their likelihood of being able to contribute enough to the company’s continuous success. This would drive innovation, boost their sense of satisfaction with the career path they have chosen, as well as provide the opportunities that will help advance their careers.
Transform Client Encounters Into Financing Opportunities
By transforming each client relationship into a financing opportunity, an employee will be able to convert a part-time, seasonal job into a full-time real estate career. To me, the quickest route would be to begin by running Borrowing Power Checks on the individuals who are before you. It is that simple gesture that develops actual dialogues about buying capacity, and you are the one they turn to when they are ready to make purchases.
It is not the amount of anything that matters but its consistency. Achieve 25 new contacts and 3 pre-approvals per week. This rhythm produces stable commissions and referrals in 8 weeks. The seasonal to permanent transition occurs when the income earned on follow-through exceeds the part-time salary.
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