If you have been scrolling your phone lately and caught yourself asking why are so many friends becoming “Realtors” in the last two months, you are not alone. I saw that exact question on Reddit and it stuck with me. It hit a nerve because it captures the mood of the moment, curiosity mixed with suspicion and a pinch of envy. I also saw the follow up question there, is real estate a scam? Y’all, nothing could be further from the truth. Real estate is work, hard work, and sometimes thankless work. The money does not roll in with the license. It rolls in only after you have earned it, one client, one showing, one contract, one closing at a time. I am Robbie English, Broker, REALTOR at Uncommon Realty, and I have been in this business long enough to tell you that the only shortcut in real estate leads you straight to burnout.

Let me give you context right out of the gate. When you suddenly see friends posting “Just passed my exam!” and “Excited to start a new chapter!” it can feel like something odd is happening behind the scenes. Some folks start to wonder if there is a hidden trick or a secret funnel of easy money. Others think a wave is coming and do not want to miss it. Then someone throws the word “scam” into the mix and it spirals into a whole thing. That is why I wanted to give my two cents, well maybe two hundred cents. Because real estate deserves an honest conversation.

You will also hear my team and me talk a lot about accountability, preparation, and experience, not just excitement. At Uncommon Realty, we believe in telling you what the brochures leave out. We believe in long game thinking. We believe in setting expectations with a straight face and an open notebook. If you are trying to make sense of why are so many friends becoming “Realtors” in the last two months, you are in the right place.

TLDR (Too Long; Didn’t Read): Why are so many friends becoming “Realtors” in the last two months?

A real estate license is not a paycheck, it is a starting gun.
Most new agents quit within two years because the work is heavier than it looks.
Solid training and real experience are the difference between hype and results.
Television makes it look easy, real life makes it earnable.
Robbie English, Broker, REALTOR at Uncommon Realty brings decades of hard won insight to your advantage.

Why That Reddit Post Hit Home

People do not post questions like that unless something feels off. When multiple friends jump into the same industry at once, it triggers a natural reaction. You start wondering what you do not know. You start wondering if a door opened quietly and everyone else heard it but you. On Reddit, the comments go from curious to cynical in about three scrolls. Some folks joke about it. Some swear it is all smoke and mirrors. Others talk about online courses and “passive income” like it is a vending machine. That is when I decided to speak up.

Real estate is not a pyramid scheme. It is not a magic trick. It is not a lottery ticket. It is a business built on skill, patience, and reputation. If that sounds boring, good. Boring pays better than flashy over the long haul. The truth is simple, people get licensed because the barrier to entry is low compared to other professions, but the barrier to success is high. You can study, test, and get a license without spending years in school. That part is true. What people forget is that after the license comes the real exam, the one where your name is on the line and your client’s money is at stake.

The Hard Reality Behind The License

Here is the number that should make anyone pause. 89% of people who get their real estate license fall out within the first two years. Not because they are lazy. Not because they are dumb. They fall out because this work demands consistency when the world hands you uncertainty.

New agents show homes for free before they ever get paid. They drive all day and write contracts late at night. They pay for photography on listings out of their own pockets. They invest in marketing long before it ever returns a dollar. They buy signs, yard stakes, lockboxes, software, websites, and wardrobe upgrades because image matters in a trust based business. Then there are the fees, the dues, the continuing education, the insurance. There is no direct deposit on Friday unless a deal closed. There is no safety net unless you built one.

This is a career of delayed gratification. It is not for everyone, and that is okay. The problem starts when people sell it as something else.

Television Versus Reality

Let us talk about the shows. You know the ones. Beautiful homes. Perfect lighting. Fast deals. Fancy cars. Everyone looks rested and rich. It makes for great television. It makes for bad expectations.

What you do not see is the agent who has been on the phone since sunrise trying to calm down a buyer who just found mold in the attic. You do not see the text messages at midnight about appraisal gaps and title issues. You do not see the silent drive home after a deal falls apart because the inspection went sideways. You also do not see the constant education that never really ends. Markets change. Laws change. Contracts change. A good agent keeps up or gets left behind.

Yes, you can drive a nice car. You can wear good shoes. But you earn those things from commissions that show up months after the work started. There is no wardrobe sponsor. There is no fuel card. You front it, or you do not last.

By the time you have shown your one-thousandth home, the novelty is gone. The job becomes what it always was, advising people in one of the biggest decisions of their life. You do not stand there admiring the view, you look at the foundation, the roofline, the grading, and the layout. You think about resale before the buyer even closes. That is what experience does.

Everyone Has A Hand Out In Your Pocket

One thing nobody explains when your friends post that shiny “Just got my license” photo is how fast everyone lines up to get paid before you do. When you become a real estate agent, you open a business, whether you meant to or not. And once you do, everybody wants a piece of your pocket before you ever see your first commission.

Your brokerage takes a cut of every closing. Not a little one either. Your coach, mentor, or training program wants their piece for teaching you how to survive in a business nobody really prepares you for. Then there are the leads, because hope is not a marketing strategy and clients do not fall out of the sky. You pay to be seen. You pay to be remembered. You pay to be competitive.

Then the real list of expenses shows up and it does not stop. You pay for software to track your clients. You pay for a database to store them. You pay for a website because nobody trusts a business without one. You pay for email services, a cell phone plan that never stops ringing, and hardware to keep up with the workload. You buy a computer powerful enough to handle your work. You buy a printer that somehow runs out of ink at the worst time possible.

You also pay dues that never make the highlight reel. REALTOR membership fees. Multiple Listing Service access. Lockbox systems just to open front doors. Errors and omissions insurance so one mistake does not take your livelihood with it. Technology subscriptions. Data storage. Marketing tools. Design systems. Every small line item adds up to a big number.

And the wild part is this, all of it comes out before the first check clears. Nobody floats you. Nobody fronts you. Nobody cuts you a break because you are new. Your name is on the business, so your wallet is on the hook.

That expense load is one of the real reasons so many new agents do not make it two years. It is not just that the work is hard. It is that you buy into the business long before the business ever pays you back.

The Experience That Protects You

Real estate on the surface looks simple. Find a house. Write an offer. Close the deal. That is the highlight reel. The uncut version includes negotiation strategy, risk management, local nuance, contract law, and psychology. People buy from emotion and justify with logic. A good agent understands both.

Experience is expensive. It costs weekends. It costs missed dinners. It costs years of being the first call when something breaks and the last text when something goes wrong. It also costs humility, because every deal teaches you something new. There is no class that simulates the pressure of a real transaction. You learn by doing and by nearly messing up, then by never making that mistake again.

This is why choosing the right agent matters more than ever. You are not hiring a DoorDash driver, you are hiring a pilot. The plane might look sleek, but what you care about is hours in the air.

Why Seeing Friends Join Can Feel Strange

When an industry looks attractive from the outside, people test the waters. Influencers make it look glamorous. Online courses make it sound effortless. Then a few folks actually dive in.

There is also timing. When markets shift, people think there is opportunity. Sometimes they are right. Sometimes they misread the moment. A license does not guarantee income any more than a gym membership guarantees abs. You still have to do the work.

So when you look at your social feed and wonder why are so many friends becoming “Realtors” in the last two months, know this, many will be gone by this time next year. It is not a judgment. It is a pattern. The ones who stay are the ones who treat it like a profession, not a hobby.

The Work Nobody Talks About

Real estate is storytelling with stakes. You tell the story of a home with photos, copy, and presentation, and you tell the story of an offer with positioning and confidence. That takes skill. It also takes budget.

New agents pay for photos out of pocket. They print materials. They run ads. They attend trainings. They wake up early to host open houses and stay late to follow up. They get no sick days. They get no vacation pay. If they stop, the income stops.

Then you add the emotional load. Buyers panic. Sellers stress. Lenders delay. Inspectors find surprises. Appraisers come in low. The agent absorbs a lot of that so the client does not have to.

This is not a scam. This is service.

Where Robbie English Comes In

Now let me tell you where I fit into this and why my name matters in this conversation. I am Robbie English, Broker, REALTOR. I run Uncommon Realty with a simple mission, guide clients with clarity and advocate for them with confidence. I also lead Uncommon Rentals by Uncommon Realty, because owning property does not stop at closing. Management matters too.

I have decades of experience in real estate. That is not a talking point. That is a library of stories, solutions, and scars that now work in your favor. I am also a national real estate speaker and instructor. I teach agents around the country the ins and outs of this business. I see the mistakes before they happen because I have already taught a class on them. That perspective helps my clients avoid trouble.

When you work with my team, you are not hiring guesswork. You are hiring a system built on repetition, improvement, and accountability. You are hiring a group of professionals who know that every detail counts.

Strategic Mastery Over Shiny Promises

There are plenty of agents who chase trends. I chase outcomes. That has shaped every decision I have made in this business. I did not build Uncommon Realty on hype. I built it on process.

We price with strategy, not hope. We market with intention, not noise. We negotiate with purpose, not pride. We communicate clearly, because confusion creates conflict. I invest in training and tools that make my team better today and stronger tomorrow.

This is not about being the loudest voice in the room. It is about being the calmest when things get intense.

What A Great Agent Actually Does For You

A great agent listens before they talk. They ask questions that uncover your real goals. They look beyond your first answer.

They protect your money by spotting risks early. They protect your time by filtering options ruthlessly. They protect your sanity by telling you the truth, even when it is not what you want to hear.

They also negotiate like it is personal, because for you it is.

About That Scam Question

I want to circle back to the question that started all this, is real estate a scam? No. But it does have scams in it, like every industry where money changes hands. The difference is that a seasoned agent knows how to spot them. Experience reduces risk. Education reduces exposure.

If someone promises you fast money in real estate, run. If they tell you it is easy, laugh politely and run faster. There is nothing easy about safeguarding someone else’s life savings. There is nothing quick about building a reputation that earns trust.

Choosing The Right Partner

In a market full of noise, you want a signal. You want someone who has walked through downturns and booms. You want someone who does not panic when a curveball shows up.

You also want someone who knows your area. Local knowledge is not a line on a resume, it is a feeling in your gut when a number looks wrong. It is understanding what one street over can do to value. It is knowing which upgrades actually pay off.

Why Use Me Over Other Agents

Use me because your outcome matters more than my ego. Use me because I have spent years mastering this trade for the betterment of my clients. Use me because I do not disappear after you sign and I do not celebrate until you are settled.

My clients get a plan, not a shrug. They get updates, not silence. They get answers, not excuses.

When You Want More Than A Transaction

Buying or selling a home is not just a transaction. It is a chapter in your story. You deserve a guide who respects that.

I treat every client like they could become my next referral. Because they could. Because they should want to.

The Long Game Perspective

Real estate rewards patience. It rewards preparation. It rewards relationships.

The flashy moments make the feed. The quiet discipline builds the bank.

If you are here because you wondered why are so many friends becoming “Realtors” in the last two months, then take this as your sign to think deeper. Ask better questions. Demand better answers.

And when you are ready to make a move, make it with someone who puts your interest first.

From First Question To Final Decision

It is okay to be curious. It is okay to be skeptical. It is smart to be informed.

Whether you are buying, selling, or investing, you need guidance that is grounded. You need someone who sees past the headlines and into the details.

That is what we do at Uncommon Realty. That is what I have done for decades. That is what I teach agents nationwide.

One Last Word

If you are still chewing on why are so many friends becoming “Realtors” in the last two months, remember this, a license is an invitation, not a guarantee. Real estate is not a scam, it is a craft.

And like any craft, it favors those who respect it.

When you are ready to respect your own future, call someone who respects it too.

I am Robbie English, Broker, REALTOR, and I would be honored to help you write your next chapter. Whether you need guidance on buying or selling, or you need property management through Uncommon Rentals by Uncommon Realty, my team and I are here to serve you with straight talk and steady hands.

Real estate does not need more hype. It needs more uncommon honesty.

So when you look around and wonder why are so many friends becoming “Realtors” in the last two months, understand that most of them are stepping into a world where the money flows out before it flows in. They are not just chasing a career, they are funding one.

If they last, they earn it.
If they do not, they paid tuition, the hard way.