Is Being a Real Estate Agent Hard

Is being a real estate agent hard? Heck yes!

Is it impossibly hard? Heck no. That is, unless you’ve already quit and then the answer in your case is, sadly, yes.

For many outside the industry, it may seem like a flexible, lucrative career with minimal barriers to entry. But experienced professionals know the reality is far from the airbrushed hilltop parties of Selling Sunset. From inconsistent income to intense client demands, working as a real estate agent often involves financial risk, emotional strain, and long hours without guaranteed results.

If you just want the un-greatest hits check the hardest parts about being an agent (that we crowdsourced from real agents).

But further down in the post, we dive into the themes and experiences to give a clearer picture of what agents face behind the scenes. Whether you’re new to the field or refining your path forward, it’s time to commiserate.

• Financial Uncertainty
• Misunderstood public perception
• Challenging lead generation tactics
• Low return on early marketing
• Clients with unrealistic expectations
• Lack of structure and training

The hardest parts about being a real estate agent

In online forums and industry groups, agents regularly share honest accounts of their day-to-day challenges. We’ve pulled together the most common themes AND some helpful info to overcome them.

1. The Sign Struggle is Real
Setting up and hauling open house or for-sale signs is dreaded across the board. It’s manual, messy, and occasionally hazardous…and the LAST thing anyone wants to do after sitting at an Open for hours.

Possible solution: Hiring a sign placement service to delegate this to.

2. Open Houses vs Enjoying My Weekends
While a few thrive off the buzz, many compare Open Houses to working a floor shift with an extra heavy dose of FOMO since they’re usually on a weekend. Not to mention lots of “just browsing” visitors that appear to be low quality interactions.

Possible solution: Understand why Open Houses work for so many agents and learn the approach that achieves results.

3. “I Love Cold Calling” …said no one ever
Unsolicited outreach via phone or text was one of the top dislikes. Many agents find it exhausting, awkward, and better handled by someone else.

Possible solution: Try using an real estate ISA OR if you’re the *special someone* that has to make these calls try a power dialer to minimize the time spent.

4. Marketing Overwhelm
Not everyone loves being the face of their brand. Shooting video, editing clips, and posting content is a slog for many — especially those who aren’t tech-savvy or camera-comfortable.

Possible solution: There are plenty of social media video ideas that may not involve you on camera the entire time. Here’s a list of Instagram Video Ideas that can work. Even if they require your face and time, with more success on social this may become more enjoyable (or at least a more justifiable use of time).

5. CRM + MLS = Time Sink
Updating contacts and listings feels like busywork. It’s necessary but monotonous, with many agents begging for better automation.

Possible solution: Consider hiring a real estate virtual assistant that you can delegate the data entry to OR even better (if you’ve got some technical chops) use these popular real estate process automations for the most repetitive tasks.

Other Miscellaneous Headaches Agents Shared

• 📋 Filling out forms (CA agents know the pain)
• 📏 Measuring rooms and fiddling with floor plans
• 🙃 Babysitting underperforming team members
• ☕ Enduring small talk at networking events

Financial Uncertainty

One of the most common concerns raised by agents is the unpredictable nature of income. Unlike salaried positions, real estate agents earn money solely through commission, which only comes after closing a transaction—a process that can take weeks or even months. New agents often report going several months without a paycheck. During this early phase, expenses like MLS dues, marketing, gas, and licensing fees AND personal expenses continue to add up, making the financial barrier to entry higher than many expect. This financial situation contributes to real emotional strain.

To survive this gap, many agents either rely on personal savings or work part-time jobs. Income delay is not limited to new agents—seasoned professionals also face dry spells due to shifting market conditions, client indecision, or failed escrows. These realities are among the most significant cons of being a real estate agent.

Pressure against part-time work

One of the lesser-known cons of being a real estate agent is the industry’s prevailing attitude toward part-time work. Many brokerages expect full-time commitment, even from newly licensed agents. That expectation can make things difficult, especially for those who are just starting out and don’t have a financial cushion to rely on. For them, part-time work might be the only sustainable path until closings start producing steady income. Yet agents often face discouragement or even rejection from firms if they can’t commit full-time immediately.

This pressure creates a dilemma: pursue the job full-time without a safety net, or keep part-time hours and risk fewer resources, support, or opportunities from your brokerage. It’s a critical issue for many people entering the profession, especially in high-cost-of-living areas or during market slowdowns. If you’re wondering, is being a real estate agent hard?—this is one example of how industry norms can make it harder than expected to gain traction.

Understanding these barriers is essential for anyone considering real estate as a second career. Without preparation and open communication with a brokerage, part-time agents can struggle to meet both broker and client expectations.

No employee benefits or protections

One of the most overlooked cons of being a real estate agent is the absence of standard employee benefits. As independent contractors, agents do not receive employer-subsidized health insurance, retirement contributions, disability coverage, or paid time off. Every sick day, vacation, or personal emergency comes at the cost of lost business—and potentially lost income. This reality adds another layer of stress to an already unpredictable profession.

In addition to the lack of benefits, agents absorb a wide range of out-of-pocket business costs. Monthly expenses may include brokerage fees, MLS access, marketing, transportation, continuing education, and licensing renewals. Many new agents underestimate how quickly these costs add up. After subtracting business expenses and self-employment taxes, take-home income can be far less than expected.

Understanding these financial obligations is essential for setting realistic expectations. While the industry offers potential for income growth, the hidden expenses and lack of financial safety nets are consistent cons of being a real estate agent.

High business overhead

A major financial challenge in real estate is the high business overhead agents are responsible for. Even before earning their first commission, agents often pay hundreds or thousands of dollars in annual licensing fees, association dues, continuing education, insurance, and technology platforms. On top of that, most brokerages charge monthly desk fees or take a percentage of each transaction. These costs quickly add up, particularly for agents not closing deals regularly.

Marketing is another unavoidable expense. Agents must often cover costs for professional photography, staging, paid ads, print materials, and personal branding with no guarantee of converting leads into clients. These efforts are necessary for visibility and credibility, but rarely subsidized by the brokerage. If you’re asking, is being a real estate agent hard? Financial pressure from operating expenses is one clear reason why the answer can be yes—especially for those not working at high volume.

Agents must account for these ongoing expenses when evaluating gross income. One of the understated cons of being a real estate agent is that take-home pay can be far lower than commission totals suggest. Proper budgeting and understanding these costs early on is essential to long-term viability in the field.

Misunderstood public perception

One often overlooked challenge in the industry is how the public perceives real estate agents. Many people assume agents make high commissions for relatively little effort—just unlocking a door and attending a closing. This misconception leads some to question whether agents provide enough value, despite the services offered throughout the sale process. The reality is far more demanding. Agents invest significant time in market research, client communication, paperwork, licensing obligations, and problem-solving during transactions.

This misunderstanding contributes directly to the broader question: is being a real estate agent hard? The answer becomes clear when you factor in the long work hours, client management, marketing efforts, and financial uncertainty. These behind-the-scenes efforts often go unnoticed. The public rarely sees the 11:00 p.m. contract edits, the deals that fall apart last-minute, or the hours spent driving to showings that never convert.

Misaligned public expectations are one of the ongoing cons of being a real estate agent that can impact morale and industry credibility. Clear communication and transparent service can help, but the perception gap remains a serious challenge for many professionals.

Challenging lead generation tactics

Lead generation is one of the most difficult aspects of working in real estate. For many agents, especially newer ones, prospecting methods such as cold calling, door knocking, and hosting open houses can be discouraging. These strategies require consistent effort and time, often leading to minimal short-term results. Agents may spend hours making calls or walking neighborhoods without securing a single appointment or lead.

The reality is that there is no guaranteed formula for success. Agents must experiment to discover which platforms and tactics work best for their market, personality, and schedule. The trial-and-error process can be both time-consuming and costly. These effort-heavy methods are one reason why so many agents question their ability to succeed long term…and quickly realize that it takes more than just a license to attract and retain clients.

Low return on early marketing

For new agents, marketing can be one of the most time-consuming and costly parts of the job. Running open houses, creating social media posts, and paying for ads are all common strategies—but results are often underwhelming in the beginning. Open houses may have little to no attendance, and digital campaigns may receive likes but no qualified leads. This lack of early returns can be frustrating and discouraging, especially when agents are spending money with no immediate income.

One of the major cons of being a real estate agent is that marketing success depends heavily on systems, consistency, and follow-up. Without a CRM, scheduled outreach, and a long-term content plan, most marketing efforts fall flat. New agents often underestimate the time it takes to build trust and visibility within a community. Despite posting regularly or hosting events, the path from initial contact to signed client can take months.

These early struggles are common, but without a system in place to track performance and improve over time, many agents don’t see a return soon enough to sustain their business.

Clients with unrealistic expectations

One of the most common challenges agents report is dealing with clients who have unrealistic expectations. Buyers may insist on finding a home that meets every item on their wish list—location, size, condition, and price—without a willingness to compromise. On the seller side, some clients overestimate their home’s market value, resist staging recommendations, or refuse to negotiate on price, even in a buyer’s market. Working with clients who are overly frugal or indecisive can drag transactions out for months or result in no deal at all.

These situations create high-pressure, low-reward interactions that wear down agents over time. When combined with out-of-pocket expenses and hours of unreimbursed work, it’s easy to see why the most popular real estate Facebook Groups get at least one “client venting” post per day.

These difficult client scenarios are part of the daily reality for agents and are a core example of the cons of being a real estate agent. We suggest managing expectations early on and multiple “take a deep breath” moments…and also a mandatory cool down period before sending any inflammatory emails.

Lack of structure and training

A major hurdle for new agents is the absence of a standardized onboarding process. Most real estate licensing courses focus on laws and contracts—not on how to find clients, structure a daily schedule, or run a business. Once licensed, many agents are responsible for building their own systems for lead generation, client communication, and transaction management. Brokerages may offer mentorship, but the level of support varies widely, and in many cases, it’s minimal or inconsistent.

This lack of structured guidance leaves new agents feeling unprepared and overwhelmed. They often spend valuable time experimenting with tools, scripts, and workflows just to stay organized. Without clear direction, momentum can be slow, motivation can drop, and early failures can become discouraging. This steep learning curve is one of the lesser-known but critical hardships of being a real estate agent.

IF you find yourself needing some coaching as a new agent, check out Aram’s video with quick actionable tips for success in your first few months as an agent.

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While real estate can offer flexibility and high earning potential, it comes with a long list of unglamorous realities. From inconsistent income and administrative overload to public misconceptions and constant lead chasing, the job often demands more persistence than people expect.

On the brighter side, agents who stick with it usually build resilience, self-discipline, and a long-term mindset. But it’s clear that success in real estate demands more than enthusiasm. For agents who thrive, success typically requires strong systems, thick skin, and a willingness to do the parts of the job no one talks about—especially the ones they hate. It’s not just about selling homes; it’s about managing a business, and that business is harder than it looks.