Here’s what agent Mariea Tuner had to say about diving into real estate.
Today I’m joined by agent Mariea Turner to hear her thoughts on the value of teamwork, how she’s adapted so far, and what she wants other agents to know.
When did you first take an interest in real estate?
I’ve always been interested in real estate. About 12 years ago, I got my license, but then I got pregnant, so that put a little bit of a hold on everything. I then decided to have another kid. I was in the medical field before this, and I was getting a little burnt out with that. Both of my kids were in school, so I said, ‘I’m just going to do it!’ I quit my job cold turkey and did the real estate thing!
Would you recommend someone quit their job cold turkey, or would you advise weaning yourself off of one job while slowly dabbling more in real estate?
If you’re going to do it, just do it. Make sure you have some reserves and savings, but just do it.
When you were searching for somewhere to hang your license, what was your thought process?
It was a little nerve-wracking. I talked with a couple of different brokerages around town, just to get a feel for it. Then, one of my classmates recommended joining a team, and I hadn’t heard of a team approach before. I thought it sounded interesting. I had an interview with you, and I thought the team approach sounded a lot better for me instead of starting as a solo agent. As a team, you have a support group with you at all times. You’re not left alone, and you’re able to jump right into it. If you need help with anything, they’re always there to help you out or cover your business if you’re out of town. As a solo agent, you just wouldn’t get that.
“I think that if I hadn’t joined a team, I probably wouldn’t have stayed in real estate.”
You’ve been with the Titan Real Estate Team for a little over a year now. How’s the ride been so far?
It’s actually been pretty good. I’ve been pretty successful. I didn’t think I’d be here in my first year; I think that if I hadn’t joined a team, I probably wouldn’t have stayed in real estate. Being perfectly honest, it’s very up and down and there’s a lot to learn, but it’s a great job! I love it. I’m glad I’ve had the team to help me through this year. I have my own leads too, but it’s nice that the team helps you out with leads.
Any final thoughts about going it alone versus joining a team?
Like I said, I personally enjoy the team; I really think it’s for me. You advise us, teach us, and show us how to do things. At a regular solo agent brokerage, you’re on your own; you don’t have someone by your side as you try to figure things out and it can be scary. With most jobs, you go in and get trained, but with real estate, you just sort of jump in and do it. At least you have experienced agents on a team who can help out the brand-new ones and make us feel a little bit better about everything.
So, there you have it: One agent’s honest thoughts on how best to deal with the craziness that comes with learning an entire industry. As always, you know you can reach out to me via phone or email if you have questions on how to excel in real estate—especially in our new normal!
