Understanding the common mistakes to avoid before you get in the business helps you start with strength and clarity. Countless aspiring real estate agents dive into the business headfirst without fully understanding what's required to start, operate their business, time commitment or what it takes to make money. Then they find themselves discouraged early on and upset with the industry.
The Real-Tea☕: The real estate exam is not even half of it. Most future real estate agents know some form of coursework or study is required—like in New Jersey for example, which mandates successful completion of a 75-hour pre-licensing real estate course by an approved real estate school like Burgos Realty Academy. Additionally, they may know about the the New Jersey real estate exam.
Beyond that, many are simply leaping in with a lot of lingering unknowns. What they are missing are things like eligibility requirements and criminal background checks and the real cost to get licensed and sustain their real estate business.
Truth be told: There’s nothing wrong with a divine faith leap. I’ve taken several that have worked out really well. However, even faith moves require some thought and prep. Without it, new agents often run into unnecessary pitfalls that delay or derail their success.
Insider Scoop: real estate isn’t just about passing a test or getting a license. It’s about building a sustainable business that supports your lifestyle, family, and future wealth.
In a shifting market where interest rates are high and clients are more discerning, preparation matters more than ever. If you leap without strategy, this industry won't be there to catch you.
⚡️4 Power Moves For You!
One. Write a list of what you already know needs to happen in order to get licensed.
Two. Create a grid for the things you think you might be missing.
Three. Contact a trusted brokerage in your state and ask questions about the licensing process, what it costs to get started, time commitments and how you can make money as an agent.
Four. Use the Hey...Future Real Estate Agent: Pro Planner as a tool to gather your information and a guide to get you started.
Many aspiring agents decide to affiliate with brokerages based only on one question: “What’s the commission split?” That surface-level thinking often leads to frustration. Future real estate agents assume that the best option is always a big-box name, when in reality, independent brokerages may offer the same or better compensation along with stronger culture, mentorship, and coaching.
Inside Scoop: Adequate research offers a clear pathway to power moves and alignment with your long-term goals. Without it, you risk joining the wrong brokerage, wasting time, and losing confidence. That lack of preparation is one reason nearly 87% of agents fail within their first five years (NAR)—most quit before they even gain traction.
In My Experience: I've seen many agents jump into the first brokerage that called dangling a high split after passing the exam. They thought they were winning—until they realized the no-win formula:
100% of no deals = $0.00 compensation.
And receiving a bunch of cold leads without understanding how to convert them adds more zeros to that $0.00 compensation.
⚡️Power Move: Take your research seriously and treat research like your first investment. Learn your state’s licensing steps, study real estate commission rules, and interview brokerages like you’re hiring them. Ask about the types of training offered, mentorship, technology, and fees—not just splits and leads.
Get informed first, then leap second—that’s the power move.
A common rookie misstep is trying to “wing it”—chasing random leads with no strategy, no goals, and no system. The result? Burnout, inconsistency, and eventually walking away from the industry.
Without a plan, you’re not running a business—you’re just reacting.
Blueprint Example: Let’s say your goal is to earn $100,000 in your first year. If your average commission check is $8,000, that means you need approximately 13 closed transactions. To close 13 deals, you might need 60–80 serious leads. To generate that many leads, you’ll likely need hundreds of conversations. A business plan helps you reverse-engineer those numbers into daily, weekly, and monthly actions.
A complete business plan will also includes a budget that helps you plan personal and business expenses so you can stay afloat during months when deals delay.
👀Look At These Agents
Rookie agent A: who was really good talking to people spent three months chasing every internet lead they could find. With no efficient systems, they had no clients and burned out quickly and felt discouraged and wanted to quit.
Rookie Agent B: mapped out a strategic 90-day plan: 20 prospecting calls per day, visiting two open houses per month, and a weekly social media campaign that included posting, engaging and videos. Agent B also had a budget planned out that told her how much they could spend on ads to boost their business. By month four, they had consistent clients from multiple efforts and were inspired by their progress to keep going.
⚡️Power Move: Build a business plan that defines your income goals, expenses and outlines your lead generation strategy, and maps your daily action steps. It doesn’t need to be complicated—just consistent.
The Hey…Future Real Estate Agent Pro Planner was created for this exact reason: to turn vision into execution. Check out the business planning tools incorporated in the Pro planner created just for future and current agents.
