So what is a real estate consultant? Is it the same thing as a real estate agent or broker? The difference between the two is that a real estate sales agent focuses on listing or selling real estate in order to create their income and a real estate consultant provides an unbiased evaluation of a piece of real estate for the prospective buyer. This unbiased perspective is essential if the consultant is going to be truly objective and efficient in his or her assertion. Real estate consultants thoroughly evaluate the prospective buyer’s situation before determining if he or she can help them by gathering in-depth information about them, such as their previous real estate experiences or any property they currently own. Once they determine that they can help the buyer, real estate consultants determine the buyer’s primary and secondary objectives. Instead of simply dwelling on closing a sale like a real estate agent, real estate consultants try to figure out the best way to get the buyer to the desired result in a timely and cost-efficient manner.
If you are going to be getting into real estate consultant jobs in Los Angeles, it’s a good idea to become a member of NAREC – the National Association of Real Estate Consultants. NAREC was founded in 1999 to help real estate professionals focus more on being real estate consultants in order to better meet the needs prospective buyers. Through NAREC you can get a lot of good ideas and training on analyzing buyers’ needs and delivering timely and cost-efficient solutions, as well as the Consumer-Certified Real Estate Consultant (C-CREC) designation, which is an essential credential.
The LA Outlook
While it is true that California was one of the hardest hit states when it comes to the mortgage meltdown, this situation has in fact left many of underpriced homes sitting empty and available. As a result, more and more buyers are looking to take advantage of the situation and get some really good deals. Real estate consultant jobs in Los Angeles are available now, as firms are looking for new qualified consultants to join their team.
Some of the best firms in the area include The Real Estate Consultants, The Harris Company, Walsh & Associates, and Real Estate Relievers, LLC. All of these firms are firmly entrenched in the city’s real estate market and any one of them is likely to have real estate consultant jobs in Los Angeles.
Education & Training
In order to consider real estate consultant jobs in Los Angeles, you need to be properly educated and licensed. In general, many real estate professionals have a degree of some sort in real estate, but many have some sort of business degree. Either way, a two- or four-year degree will generally do. These days, you can actually get a legitimate degree online, allowing you to work at your own pace and keep a job at the same time. Next, you need to get a license. This usually involves a lot of paperwork and a test to make sure that you know what you are doing and that you have the proper education.
Salary
The salary for real estate consultants varies widely depending on what are of the country you are operating in. That is to say that the cost of homes and the cost of living in the area in which you are operating essentially determines your pay scale. That being said, the average salary for real estate consultants in California is about $72,000 annually.
Conclusion
The job of a real estate consultant is for people that are interested in real estate but don’t want to be a part of coercing buyers into buying homes that they cannot afford or may regret. Real estate consultant jobs are a lot less stressful than real estate agents’ and brokers’ jobs, but also do not carry the prospects that those jobs potentially have, i.e. you aren’t involved as much in risk-taking and therefore you cannot reap the rewards (or suffer the lows, adversely). That being said, real estate consultants do make good money.
If you really like to help people and have a good eye for detail, then you should consider becoming a real estate consultant. If you live in the LA area you should have no trouble finding a position with one of the many firms that dot the LA landscape. Any one of them is probably looking for a new consultant right now.
The hardest part of being a real estate consultant is finding your niche. Many real estate consultants like to focus on one area of the business and make it their area of expertise. Quite often this will lead them to become the resident expert on the subject in the area. This not only brings them more business, but also leads buyers to trust more in their opinions and assertions.
In the end, a career as a real estate consultant is for you if you have a lot of interest in real estate, but little interest in a high-pressure, stressful real estate agent job. Real estate consultants are not only a vital process of the house buying and selling process, but they also serve as unbiased observers that offer insightful opinions to all involved, rather than taking sides. Real estate consultants serve as a sort of liaison between buyers and sellers as far as the actual property is concerned, and they are therefore required to be forthright in their dealings. If you are the sort of person that aspires to be truthful in all that you do, you might just have what it takes to be a real estate consultant if you are interested in real estate and property in general.
