After a long day of classes, most students are ready to call it a day and start relaxing. However, for one student, the end of his school day is only the beginning of his workday.
After a tiring day of school, sophomore Nader Mansour rolls up his sleeves, checks the housing markets and gets to work selling houses.
Not many people would expect a 19-year-old to be both a full-time student and a real estate agent, but Mansour is an exception.
While enrolled in a full course load, Mansour began taking real estate courses and studying for the entrance exam.
A year later, Mansour got his license and became one of the youngest agents at eXp Realty.
“I’ve always known that I wanted more than just a degree and job for my future,” Mansour said. “I’ve always loved investments, so I started looking into real estate. It’s a really good stepping stone in order to get more knowledge about investments and markets.”
Obtaining a real estate license is a lengthy and costly process that begins with the state’s pre-license education requirements. In Georgia, that’s a 75-hour course.
After completing the course, one must take and pass a final exam issued by the course provider. Finally, they must apply for their license at a testing location. After completing all requirements, Mansour spent around $600.
Once he obtained his license, Mansour became one of eXp Realty’s 35,000 realtors.
The agency does business in all 50 states, Canada, the U.K. and Australia and, by the end of 2020, will expand to five more countries.
Being the youngest in a field with people triple your age comes with its difficulties.
“It’s harder because people look at me like I don’t have the same experience as them when I’m just as qualified,” he said. “It’s also kind of tough when all the people my age aren’t really looking to buy a house. Adults are the ones that are looking, so it forces you to be more creative finding buyers when having fewer options.”
Having a full-time job and being a student is a balancing act. The more people have to juggle, the better they have to be at keeping their balance.
“Completing school and my courses was mentally exhausting,” Mansour said. “After a busy day at school, the last thing you want to do is learn about real estate laws. There was a side of me that didn’t want work to come into my life at such a young age, but then there’s a side of me that knows how much this will pay off in the future.”
Despite taking over a large amount of his time, having his license gives Mansour an advantage over other students. When people his age start becoming an agent in a few years, he will have already obtained professional experience and connections.
Mansour has helped students find apartments near campus and aided families looking for help buying and renting houses.
While it is a substantial commitment, Mansour said he doesn’t regret his decision to juggle school and work.
“It’s never too early to get ahead,” he said. “You don’t have to have everything figured out by the time you graduate. Trying different things, even if you hate them, gets you closer to what you do like. I’m grateful for the experience and am excited about expanding my career.”
