Pursue a Real Estate Career and an Acting Career?

Can an actor pursue a Real Estate Career and an acting career simultaneously? This is a question I am frequently asked since I am a landlord and spent several years in the RE business. I was a model/actress when I fell into RE. At the time I only accepted paying jobs and since I had not developed a name as an actress yet, that translated to me having a good amount of spare time. My apartment had become too small for me and I put it on the market for sale. I quickly discovered that I enjoyed talking with the potential buyers that came through and that I knew how to sell my apartment better than anyone else because I’d lived there, I knew the sexy side of my home and the neighborhood. Actors make wonderful brokers because they tend to be extroverted and enjoy meeting new people. Also, the transient nature of going from apartment to apartment and not being stuck in an office is very similar to auditioning at various locations. There is also, an element of entertainment that a broker must provide – again making residential brokerage perfect for actors.

Commercial sales on the other hand, which I also spent a couple of years doing is completely different. In commercial brokerage you spend most of your time in your cubicle or office if you are a high earner and are given one. Most commercial brokers work in a bullpen environment of cubicles and do lots of cold calling to owners in the hopes of securing an appointment with them and pitching an exclusive agreement. It is not uncommon to wait one year or more before making your first commission. Also, the commission fees are much lower than in residential real estate. Although selling a building sounds sexy – it does not necessarily translate to a higher annual income. In my opinion, it is not possible to be a commercial broker and pursue an acting career. Commercial brokerage is a time consuming (9 – 5 Monday through Friday job).

Rentals are the fastest turnover and would be easiest to juggle with another career. Some people do residential sales part time and it works fine for them. It is also possible to have another broker handle you client if you get a last minute audition (agree on the percentage of your commission they will receive if they bring in the buyer or perhaps give them the new buyers as payment) or join a sales team which shares the work and the commission.

There are many ways to get creative and make a dual RE/acting career work. Just make sure to talk about the perimeters regarding commission and new buyers before turning over your hard earned clientele.