I Was A Hippie, I Was A Burnout, I Was A Dropout, I Was Out Of My Head

After shocking us, revealing the real estate broker business’s seemy underbelly, coming to terms with the horrible truth about the industry, subsequently creating a stir and eventually carving out some middle ground, this week Brian Carter does some investigative reporting to determine who is entering this lucrative field:

Here at the [The New York Real Estate Institute] you can start your career after just one week of training. The state requirement for becoming a licensed agent is 45 hours of classes, and the successful completion of two multiple-choice exams.

. . .

While at the Institute, I spoke to Raul Mero, who, after just one day of classes, was excited about his future career. I asked Raul what inspired him to get his license. “A friend, an absolute burn out, this kid does nothing well . . . is closing six deals this month. If this kid can do it, so can I. Ridiculous.” It made sense to me. Raul just turned 32, and with his friend, the “burn out,” blazing the trail ahead, he was ready to leave his job in alternative marketing, which he explained simply meant handing stuff out to people on the street. Raul made no bones about it, he was in it for the money.

See also: Carter’s Rental Dementia blog.