Real estate professionals—including North Carolina real estate brokers—have some of the highest scores in career satisfaction compared to workers across America. It might not feel like that when you’re working a 12-hour day just trying to get through all of the tasks on your plate, but it’s true: real estate brokers are reportedly 28% more satisfied in their careers than workers in other professions, according to research by the Conference Board.
What gives brokers such high career satisfaction?
North Carolina real estate brokers find a lot to love about their jobs. We surveyed real estate professionals across the state to find out what it is that gives them so much job satisfaction. Here are five main reasons they cite for their career happiness.
1. Ability to help people
When you work as a real estate broker, you’re helping people make the most important financial decision of their lives. You’re also helping them find homes where they will create cherished memories for years to come. This gives many real estate professionals a high amount of career satisfaction. In fact, 90% of those surveyed ranked this as something important to their enjoyment in their careers. They know their work matters.
2. Flexible schedule
In total, 83% of respondents ranked this as the most important element that goes into their job satisfaction. Real estate is a career that you can balance with family responsibilities, school, and side projects. Since you are your own boss, you can decide when to work and how many hours to work each week. This can make it easier to juggle several responsibilities at once.
3. Income potential
When surveyed, 80% of respondents ranked income potential as an important factor in their job satisfaction. In real estate, there’s no cap on your income. If you facilitate large transactions or have a higher volume of transactions, there’s potential to earn more and more.
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4. Being your own boss
Not having to answer to anyone else can be freeing for many workers. In our survey, 69% of respondents said this was important to their job satisfaction. When you work in real estate, you’re in business for yourself. You make decisions on how to operate your business, when to work, and what clients and vendors you’ll work with.
5. On-the-go work environment
An on-the-go work environment is something that 55% of real estate brokers listed as key to their career satisfaction. Real estate is always changing and no two days are the same. Clients and properties are constantly coming and going, and your tasks each day are rarely repetitive.
How does job satisfaction impact broker income?
It’s so easy to experience broker burnout. Knowing why you’re in real estate and what elements of the career make you happy are critical to feeling satisfied every day. If you’re having trouble being satisfied with what you’re currently doing, think about which elements of the real estate business are important to you personally. Then, make sure you’re maximizing these throughout your workday.
Since research shows your income increases the longer you stay in real estate, knowing how to find satisfaction in your career will pay dividends in the long run. Our survey showed full-time real estate brokers who are very satisfied with their job earn nearly $60,000 more per year than those who are not satisfied.
What if you aren’t satisfied?
If you’re finding yourself unsatisfied with your work in real estate, before making any drastic decisions try to evaluate if you’re experiencing broker burnout. To help you out, we’ve developed a resourceful post with information on how to avoid real estate broker burnout. Generally, it’s a good idea to reach out to people around you who can offer support to help you tackle your discontent, and get to the root of it.
Want more insights and tips? Download your free copy of the 2020-2021 North Carolina Real Estate Income Guide.
