My Journey to Becoming a Real Estate Agent

Juggling Motherhood, a Newborn, and Building a New

Real Estate

Business from Scratch

Becoming a real estate agent is an exciting but often daunting career shift, especially when you’re doing it while balancing the whirlwind of motherhood with two kids under four. I studied for the real estate exam while pregnant and earned my license right around the time my daughter was born.

Here’s how I navigated becoming a real estate agent in 2024 while embracing the challenges and joys of motherhood. In this post, I’ll share my journey and the decision to pursue my license, the realities nobody tells you about the process, and the upfront costs involved in becoming a real estate agent. It’s not always glamorous, but it’s a path that’s been filled with lessons, growth, and the determination to build a career while raising a family.

The Decision: Why Real Estate?

My background in real estate didn’t start in 2024, but has evolved over the past several years, beginning with our very first real estate purchase in 2015. That year, my husband and I got married and bought our first home, a cozy condo. Little did we know, that first purchase would set the stage for the real estate journey we’d take together.

A few years later, we decided to buy our first house, an income property with two houses on the same lot. We rented one house and lived in another. We also didn't want to let go of the condo, though, so we chose to keep it as a rental property, managing it ourselves. Over the last eight years, I also worked as a property manager. During that time, I gained valuable insight into how the market works, the ins and outs of managing rental properties, and what it takes to keep tenants happy and properties profitable. This hands-on experience in real estate management laid the groundwork for my decision to move forward with becoming a full-fledged real estate agent.

In addition to my property management experience, in 2020, my husband and I took on our first flip property, a fourplex. While my husband did all the work himself with a small crew of two and the occasional subcontractors, I managed the communication between architect, engineer, planning and permit department to ensure the approval of our permits. We slowly fixed up each house and rented each out. That project ignited my passion for real estate in a whole new way, and we learned so much about the investment side of the business. Real estate was no longer just a career I worked in—it was a passion I wanted to build into my own business, So, when I made the decision to become a licensed real estate agent, it was an easy choice. I had years of hands-on experience and I knew I could take the lessons I’d learned in property management, flipping homes, and managing our rental property to help others buy, sell, and invest.

Getting Your License: A Balancing Act

Getting my real estate license was no small feat, especially while juggling pregnancy and motherhood. I was determined to make it happen, so I fit in coursework whenever I could—primarily while my toddler was at pre-k. I crammed in as much as possible during those precious hours of free time. I listened to podcasts and audiobooks about real estate, watched YouTube videos, and worked through practice tests. I maximized every opportunity to learn, whether it was folding laundry, running errands, or while out on a walk.

On the day of the exam, I woke up early and drove to Oakland to take the test. I was nervous, but also confident that my personal experience in real estate — having managed properties and worked through a flip—would help me pass.

When I finished the test, there was a glitch with the computer, and my results weren’t ready immediately, as they usually are. I had to wait a few hours to find out whether I had passed. And then, I got the news—I passed!

While I waited for my license to be approved, I interviewed at a few brokerages to explore my options. A few weeks later, I applied for my real estate license, and miraculously, it arrived just as our baby did. It was a whirlwind of excitement—becoming a mom and a licensed agent at the same time—but it felt like the perfect moment to officially begin this new chapter in both my life and new career.

The Challenge of Being a New Mom and an Aspiring Real Estate Agent

Becoming a mother while starting a new career feels like trying to run a marathon while carrying a backpack full of bricks. There are moments when you feel like you’re doing everything at once and nothing at all.

I won’t sugarcoat it: my first year in real estate was incredibly challenging. Juggling a newborn, a toddler, and starting a business from scratch was tough. There were days when I felt like I wasn’t getting anywhere, but I was determined to keep going. I signed up for open houses, helped other agents in my brokerage by showing their clients homes, and made referrals whenever possible. But no one really talks about how slow real estate can be in the beginning. It’s a business that takes time to build, and this first year has taught me just how much patience and persistence is required.

What’s also rarely talked about are the upfront costs involved in becoming a realtor. Between licensing fees, continuing education, MLS dues, marketing costs, and other business expenses, it can quickly add up. For someone just starting out, especially with a young family, the financial strain can feel overwhelming. It’s not a business where you see immediate returns, and that can be a hard reality to accept. But despite the slow start and financial challenges, I know I am investing in something that will pay off in the long run. So, maybe today you don’t get through the entire module or make as many calls as you’d hoped, but you’re still progressing, learning, and growing. And those little steps are building a foundation for the future.