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Updated: September 2026
Ready to Be a Part-Time Real Estate Agent?
Wondering if you can be a big success in your part-time career?
Being a real estate agent is a dream job for many. For the most part, the general population sees the agent’s job as pretty straightforward: You show a house, negotiate an offer and make thousands of dollars on each sale. You make your millions, and then you retire at 35 like the real estate mogul you are! Realistically, very few people see the behind the scenes work that the average REALTOR has to do.
Whether you’re searching “can I be a real estate agent while working another job” or thinking of real estate as a side hustle, you’re not alone — this is one of the most common questions people have before getting licensed. This is actually how most experts recommend people enter the real estate field, and for one very good reason…
Working as a part-time real estate agent allows you to figure out if you enjoy it and it’s the right career for you — all while taking as little financial risk as possible.
Before You Become a Part-Time Real Estate Agent, Ask Yourself…
While working as a part-time agent may seem like the perfect career move for you, there are a few things to consider before making the move. Ask yourself these important questions:
How flexible are you?
Many people are drawn to real estate because they think they can work when they want and set their own schedule. While this career does allow certain perks, like being able to work from home and being able to do things like marketing any time of the day or night, there are certain commitments that must be met. A few examples:
- Your clients expect you to be able to be available whenever they are; otherwise, you risk losing them to a more flexible agent.
- You have to attend closings, home inspections and any required meetings at your real estate brokerage.
- Many phone calls to lenders, appraisers closing attorneys and other service providers have to occur during normal 9 to 5 business hours
To be able to complete this job part-time, you’ll have to have a fair amount of flexibility when it comes to your primary (or other) job. If you’re not able to leave in the middle of the day, you’ll at least need to make sure that you can check your email and make important calls to clients while at your primary job.
Can you support yourself with your primary job?
When most people picture getting started in the real estate field, they picture striking it rich quick after selling a multi-million dollar home to an eccentric tycoon. The reality is that you’ll have to expect that you won’t sell your first home for a few months — if you’re lucky.
This can be a hard field to break into, even with the proper training and schooling. The benefit of entering into this career part-time is that you’ll have the ability to work another job until you get on your feet. It’s important to be certain that you can support yourself on your primary job alone. Our Real Estate Agent Expenses guide breaks down exactly what to budget for as you get started.
Are you a good multi-tasker?
Being a real estate agent can often be an overwhelming job with lots of details and important deadlines to remember. Most days, you’ll be juggling clients and paperwork, managing your own marketing, and furthering your education.
On top of that, you’ll also have to incorporate your primary job and any other commitments you might have in your daily life. Being an exceptional multi-tasker is incredibly important in this line of work, along with excellent time management skills.
Do you have a solid support system in place?
While this career certainly does have flexible aspects to it, you’re often asked to work on your clients’ schedule. Having a strong support system behind you is vital to your success as a part-time realtor.
If you have children, having reliable child care is an absolute must. It also helps to have a trusted fellow agent — even outside a formal team — who can cover a showing or answer an urgent client question if you’re truly unavailable.
How do you feel about working long hours?
In real estate, customer service is imperative. Many part-time real estate agents find they need to put in long hours on the weekends and evenings after their primary job. Breaking into this field can be demanding and not everyone is cut out for it. You’ll need to be a natural hard worker and perfect your time management skills in order to succeed.
Benefits of Working as a Part-Time Agent
After you’ve considered whether this job is for you, it’s important to look at the pros and cons of your new career.
Flexibility is one of the biggest benefits of this line of work and something that attracts parents in particular. There is a bit of flexibility when it comes to your schedule, even offering options to complete some of your work on the go.
If you need to take some time off, it’s a little easier to do so in this profession than it is in others. As mentioned above, it’s helpful to have a fellow agent you trust to be able to fill in for you when you’re in need of some time off.
The freedom to build your own business is an element that attracts many entrepreneurs. Being a part-time real estate agent means you have the freedom that not many have, especially considering the fact that the vast majority of part-time realtors are independent contractors.
Your business can be as small or as large as you want. Some choose to remain a one-man show, while others may choose to turn their eventual success into their own team or brokerage.
A huge attraction to this field is that the amount of work you put in can often be a direct relation to the amount of success you see. You’ll have the stability of a second income. The largest benefit of working as a part-time realtor is probably one of the most obvious ones.
The stability of having a primary job while you pursue work as a realtor will reduce the stress most feel when starting a new business. This also gives you the opportunity to really try out this career without risking significant financial loss.
The Downside of Being a Part-Time Real Estate Agent
As with all good things, there are definitely some drawbacks to working as a part-time agent.
Clients can doubt your commitment when they find out you’re a part-time real estate agent. It’s common for clients to feel as though you won’t be dedicated to them, or that you’re only choosing part-time work because you’re inexperienced.
Devotion to your clients and great customer service is often the best choice when trying to win over hesitant clients. Once you can impress them, they’ll see the benefit of part-time realtors as well.
It can be hard to find a good brokerage when you’re first starting out, and this is worth being honest about: most real estate teams specifically do not want part-time agents. Team leads need reliable coverage and consistent production, so a part-time schedule is often a dealbreaker for team placement — not just a minor disadvantage.
That doesn’t mean part-time agents are out of options. Independent brokerages and agent-owned models are typically more open to part-timers than teams are, since you’re operating as your own business rather than filling a role on someone else’s roster. When interviewing brokers, ask directly about their experience working with part-time agents — their answer will tell you a lot.
This is not a get rich quick scheme. As mentioned above, many people believe that striking it rich as a realtor is as easy as selling a few big properties. The truth is, this is a hard and rewarding career. It will require work and an awful lot of effort.
How Much Do Part-Time Real Estate Agents Make?
This is one of the most common questions people have before getting started, and one of the hardest to answer precisely — income depends heavily on your local market and how many deals you close. That said, national data gives us a realistic range: most part-time real estate agents earn somewhere between $10,000 and $50,000 per year, depending on deal volume and market.
Here’s a simple, accurate example of how that math works:
- Say you close 4 sales in your first year (a realistic number for a part-time agent) on homes averaging $350,000
- At a 2.5% buyer or seller side commission, that’s $8,750 gross commission per sale
- New agents typically start on a 60/40 or 70/30 split with their broker — at 60/40, you’d keep $5,250 per sale
- 4 sales x $5,250 = $21,000 for the year
- After taxes and business expenses (MLS dues, signs, marketing, broker fees), you might net somewhere around $14,000 to $16,000
Your own numbers will vary based on your local median home price and commission structure — use Zillow.com or Realtor.com to find the median sale price in your specific market and run your own version of this math.
While the numbers may seem low at first, keep in mind that some really hit the ground running, and if you don’t, everyone gets better with time. This is a career just like any other and experience is key. Taking the time to pursue further training and education is vital, and in no time, you’ll see your income grow.
Recommendations from Former Part-Time Real Estate Agents…
“For anyone thinking of getting into real estate part-time, I would recommend it — IF you have a job with some flexibility. Thankfully, I had that kind of job and was able to get my real estate license and join a team as a part-time real estate agent.
After 6 or 7 months things were going so well and I was making enough money that I was able to quit my other job and became a full-time realtor. It’s a challenging career path, but the rewards and income potential are limitless.”
“Based on my experience, working as a part-time real estate agent was almost impossible because my full-time job didn’t allow me to check emails and make phone calls regularly. Many people believe that real estate agents work on their own schedule, but really you are on your CLIENTS schedule. You have to be there when they have a question and show them homes as soon as they hit the market. If you are only part-time it’s incredibly difficult to give great service to your real estate clients.
I tried being a part-timer for 9 months and didn’t sell anything. Finally, when I decided to go full time, it was hard but I was so focused and knew I needed to make something happen. I closed my first home within two months and now about a year later I’ve already sold $3.0M in real estate… and have some rave reviews from my happy clients!”
“I started in real estate as a part-time agent, but thankfully my ‘full time’ job allowed me to work from home 100% of the time. I didn’t have any children and wasn’t married, so between the two jobs, I worked at least 80 hours a week – every week. Almost every night I would work on marketing my real estate business and every weekend (any many evenings), I showed homes to potential buyers.
After about 18 months, I was making as much in real estate as I was at my corporate job and I knew I LOVED the real estate business, so I made the jump to full time…. and have never looked back!”
– Kerry Lucasse, Team Leader
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I be a real estate agent while working another job?
Yes — there’s no legal requirement to make real estate your only job. Many agents hold an active license while working full-time in another field. The real challenge isn’t legality, it’s scheduling: showings, inspections, and closings tend to happen during standard business hours, exactly when you’re likely to be at your other job.
Is real estate a good side hustle?
It can be, but it isn’t a passive side hustle — it rewards people who treat it like a real business, not something they dip into occasionally. The upside can be significant and the barrier to entry is lower than most licensed careers, but there’s a genuine runway (often 3 to 6 months) before your first paycheck arrives.
How much do part-time real estate agents actually make?
Most part-time agents earn somewhere between $10,000 and $50,000 per year, depending on their market and how many deals they close. See the worked example above, and check our Real Estate Agent Expenses guide to understand the costs that come out of that income.
Will a brokerage or team accept me as a part-time agent?
It depends, and it’s worth being direct about this: most real estate teams do not want part-time agents, since team leads need reliable coverage and consistent production from every member. Independent and agent-owned brokerages tend to be more open to part-timers, since you’re running your own business rather than filling a team role. Ask directly during broker interviews — see our guide to choosing a broker for the right questions to ask.
How long until I close my first deal as a part-time agent?
Plan on a similar timeline to full-time agents — often 3 to 6 months, sometimes longer since you have fewer hours available to prospect and follow up. Don’t quit a stable primary job assuming a quick payoff; the part-time model works best when you treat the primary job’s income as your safety net while real estate ramps up.
What happens if a client needs me during my day job?
This is the single biggest risk of part-time real estate — losing a deal because you weren’t reachable when it mattered. Set clear expectations with clients up front about your availability windows, respond as quickly as you can even with a short holding text, and if possible arrange an informal backup with a trusted fellow agent for true emergencies (this doesn’t require being on a formal team).
Can part-time real estate be a stepping stone to going full-time?
Yes — this is one of the most common and lowest-risk ways agents transition into the business. Several of the agents quoted on this page, including Kerry, started part-time and moved to full-time once real estate income caught up with (or replaced) their primary job’s income.
Do I need a specific type of job to make part-time real estate work?
Having real control over your calendar makes a huge difference — remote work, self-employment, or a job with flexible hours or PTO are far more compatible than a rigid in-office 9-to-5 where you can’t step away for a showing or take a call.
In Summary
Starting your career as a part-time real estate agent is a smart move if your other job offers some flexibility and you are willing to work long hours to market yourself, be available for your clients, attend closings and handle any issues/questions that arise. It’s a wonderful way to see if real estate is a good career path for you before you jump in with both feet. As a part-time realtor, you can also build up your savings account so that when you do go full-time, you’ll have money to invest in your business and some cushion when business is slow.
Editor’s note: This article was created by Kerry Lucasse, Agent/Owner at eXp Realty. Information deemed reliable but is subject to change.
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