22 of the Best Real Estate Side Hustles to Try in 2024 (Updated!) (2024)

It can be hard starting in the real estate industry. You stand to make a decent income once you start making sales, but it’s challenging to get to that level. You must establish a reputation, make connections, and do rigorous marketing before your career takes off.

Many new realtors require additional income to stay afloat. Fortunately, today’s gig economy offers a variety of side hustle options. In addition to being ideal for realtors, they are also perfect for people looking to break into the real estate industry.

Best Side Hustles

With side hustles, you can expect additional income, flexibility, the opportunity to pursue your passions, and a chance to explore new skills and interests. Here are some to consider in the real estate space:

1. Become a Notary

Many real estate documents require notarization. If you are a notary, your colleagues will know where to go when they need their documents notarized. It’s an ideal way to earn income.

Becoming a notary is easy. If you meet your state’s qualifications, you can complete the application, pay a filing fee, and receive a certificate. You may also need training and a background check. These requirements vary from state to state.

2. Property Tax Appeals

Did you know you can earn money by appealing your clients’ property taxes? If you feel your client’s home is being over-valued for tax purposes, show the government the correct value through a comparative market analysis (CMA).

It takes some training to learn how to create a CMA. But it will be a valuable skill once acquired.

If your client’s home is significantly over-valued, and you can successfully lower their taxes, you will earn a fee. You can even offer free property tax reviews for homeowners to encourage them to hire you. You may also generate more real estate clients by providing appeal services.

3. Property Management

Property management involves finding reliable tenants. Other duties include collecting rent, handling repairs, and ongoing building maintenance. It’s a popular side hustle for real estate agents.

Agents who choose property management as a form of income can use their skills to excel in the field. You will also build up a database of property owners and renters that can be valuable in helping you grow your real estate career.

4. Real Estate Marketing

Marketing is an essential part of the real estate process. Once you get good at real estate marketing, you can offer your services to others. You can write blogs, produce fliers, and even cold call or door knock for agents. You will grow your skills over time.

5. Start a Blog or Vlog

Your real estate knowledge could open doors for starting a vlog or a blog. You can produce any type of related content.

Video and article topics can range from interior design to informative articles about the market to home buying and selling advice. You can also offer workshops that people can attend for a fee.

YouTube and other video-based social media channels allow you to monetize your vlogs once you get enough subscribers. You can also set up a blog on a subscription basis or sell space on your website. Affiliate links are another way to earn money.

6. Estate Sales

Estate sales may occur when someone downsizes to a smaller home or a homeowner passes. Individuals running estate sales may turn to real estate companies for assistance. An agent can:

• Market the sale
• Keep track of inventory
• Host the sale
• Determine the pricing
• Sell the remaining inventory after the sale is over

You can handle the sale alone or work with a team to make it easier to get organized.

Expert tip: Check out more on how to generate mortgage leads without losing your mind.

7. Staging

Staging can help a home sell faster. It involves rearranging furniture, redecorating, cleaning, and using other aesthetic strategies to make the home look more appealing.

Staging is a valuable skill for agents to have. It will make your homes sell faster and bring in higher profits. You can also stage for other agents willing to pay for your services.

8. Tour Guide

Real estate agents must know a lot about the area they work in. They can use that knowledge to get a job as a tour guide. This side hustle option can be lucrative if you work in a touristy area.

Tour guides can work on their own or join a company. They can offer a variety of tours, including walking tours, brewery tours, water tours, and more. With the right angle, you will bring in considerable income.

9. Flipping Homes

Real estate agents must have their ears to the ground to scope out properties selling below market value. They can use this information to flip homes and earn a profit. They will benefit from the connections they make.

Flipping homes is challenging. You must know how much you can invest and still make money. But you will stand to make significant income. You will also partner with contractors and agents that can help you move forward in your career.

Check out the best real estate credit cards if you need some extra backing when getting started.

10. Photography

Agents need to develop their photography skills. Professional photography will make a home look attractive in listings, so it’s likely to sell quickly. You may also be able to charge extra fees to clients for professional photography.

Once your photography skills develop, you can use them to bring in more income. You can specialize in event photography, stock photography, nature photography, and more. You can even offer to take pictures of clients in their new homes so they have photos to share with friends and family.

11. Affiliate Relationships

Affiliate relationships can help you earn money off your blogs and vlogs. They involve partnering with a company that is not a direct competitor but offers services that complement yours. So as an agent, you may partner with a contractor or interior design service.

Talk up these companies in your blogs and vlogs and include links that tell your audience where they can purchase their products and services. If you bring your partner customers, they will pay you a commission. The terms will be included in a contract you created for your client.

12. Sell Ad Space on Your Website

Agents with a high-traffic website may consider selling ad space to other businesses. It’s best not to have ads featured on your main pages, but they will work well if you include them on your blog pages. Like affiliate links, you will earn income from the clients you send to advertisers’ businesses.

13. Work as a Referral Agent

If you struggle to make ends meet, consider setting up a website as a referral agent. You can connect people outside of your market with experienced agents. You will earn a referral fee for every connection you make.

14. Recruiting Other Agents

eXp is an innovative real estate brokerage leading the way by allowing agents to recruit other agents for residuals. If you successfully recruit an agent, you will take a cut of their future sales. It’s an excellent way to generate passive income.

15. Interior Design

Agents must learn a thing or two about interior design. They can use these skills to offer interior decorating services to clients. They can provide landscaping assistance, painting services, and more. They can sell their services to clients who recently purchased a new home.

16. Cleaning

Sellers often require professional cleaning services to make their homes look more attractive. You can make money off cleaning crew referrals, but you will make even more income by assembling your cleaning team. They will make your homes look great for selling purposes and bring in additional money.

17. Bird Dogging

Bird dogging involves finding properties for investors. It’s an ideal money-making strategy for anyone out and about, such as delivery drivers and others with free time. It’s also perfect for investors privy to the best deals on the market.

Some bird dogs are compensated up front, while others will get a commission off the sale once it closes.

To get started, reach out to investors and ask them if they would be interested in exchanging leads for a fee. Have a contract made up in advance if they agree to use your services.

18. Real Estate Agent Virtual Assistant

Your real estate industry knowledge will more than qualify you to get a job as a real estate assistant. The position will require you to do anything from arranging schedules, assisting with lead generation, showing homes to clients, and more. Remote work will free up your time so you can develop your real estate career.

19. Renting Out Properties

Agents with access to the latest listings may be interested in purchasing properties they can rent to others. They may consider renting out multi-family homes, vacation houses, single-family homes, and any other type of property that makes sense. Managing a rental property can be hard work. But if you generate enough income, you can hire a property management company and make almost passive income while focusing on your career.

20. REIT Investing

REIT (real estate investment trust) investing is a low-risk alternative to stock investing. It allows you to get a leg up in the real estate market.

REITs are reliable assets that allow anyone to enter the real estate market with minimal investment. They have high liquidity and can be bought and sold like stocks.

When you invest in a REIT, you put your money into a fund that you can use to buy and manage properties worldwide. Your capital will be invested in hundreds or even thousands of real estate projects. The strategy will spread your funding ensuring low-risk returns.

21. Real Estate Coaching

Real estate coaching is a good way for more experienced agents to make money during slow seasons.

Agents can offer in-person or online classes. They can work for themselves or join a school. In addition to making extra income, they will grow a network of potential employees who can work for them when they grow their business.

22. Sell Digital Products

Digital products are ideal for earning income because they are easy to create and sell. As an agent, there’s no end to the items you can offer. Moving checklists, informative white papers, social media templates, and planners are just some things you can add to your inventory.

You can sell digital products directly or use them to entice people to connect with you via your website.

How to Choose a Side Hustle

There are several factors to consider when choosing a suitable side hustle. These include:

Existing Skills: Choose a gig that allows you to use your existing skills. The side hustles mentioned here are ideal because they incorporate real estate skills and help agents advance their careers. But you can choose a job that’s not real estate related. For example, you may create crafts that you can sell on Etsy. Or you can deliver packages for Amazon Flex.

Hours: Consider how many hours you will need to devote to your side hustle and when you will need to work. Find a job that allows you to focus on your real estate career.

Some side hustles allow you to make passive income. The laid-back schedule is ideal for someone launching a real estate career.

Money: Consider how much money you stand to make from your side hustle. Choose a job that will help you reach your budgeting requirements. Some side hustles may take a while to turn a profit and may not be the best choice for an agent that needs money immediately.

Measure Your Risk: Side hustles can be a great way to make money, but many generate their share of risk. For example, becoming a notary is a low-risk side hustle option. It doesn’t require much of an investment. You are likely to make money off your connections. It’s a safer bet than something that requires you to start your own business, such as launching a cleaning business or flipping homes. While riskier jobs may be more rewarding, there’s a chance they won’t pay off at all.

Why Real Estate Side Hustles Are Useful

Real estate side hustles can be important for generating extra cash for several reasons:

Additional Income: Real estate side hustles provide an opportunity to supplement your primary income source. Whether you’re a student, a full-time employee, or a freelancer, a real estate side hustle allows you to earn additional money that can be used to cover expenses, pay off debts, save for future goals, or invest in other opportunities.

Expert tip: Look for more real estate investing opportunities.

Flexibility: Many real estate side hustles offer flexibility in terms of time commitment and scheduling. You can choose to work on your side hustle during evenings, weekends, or whenever it suits your availability. This flexibility allows you to balance your side hustle with other responsibilities and commitments.

Diversification of Income: Having multiple streams of income is beneficial for financial stability and security. Real estate side hustles offer an opportunity to diversify your income sources, reducing reliance on a single income stream. If one source of income is affected by economic downturns or unexpected circ*mstances, having a real estate side hustle can provide a backup source of cash flow.

Capitalizing on Real Estate Opportunities: The real estate industry presents various opportunities to make money. Whether it’s renting out a spare room through platforms like Airbnb, investing in rental properties, flipping houses, or offering specialized services like property management or real estate photography, real estate side hustles enable you to tap into these opportunities and profit from them.

Leveraging Existing Assets and Skills: Real estate side hustles often leverage assets you already have, such as your own home, skills, or expertise. If you own property, you can capitalize on it by renting it out or utilizing it for short-term rentals. If you have knowledge or skills in areas like property management, staging, or renovation, you can offer your services and earn extra income by helping others with their real estate endeavors.

Potential for Long-Term Growth: Real estate side hustles can serve as a stepping stone towards a full-time real estate career or a source of passive income in the future. By gaining experience, building a network, and understanding the market, you may find opportunities to expand your real estate side hustle into a more substantial venture over time.

In summary, real estate side hustles provide an avenue for earning extra cash, flexibility in terms of time commitment, diversification of income, and the potential for long-term growth. They allow you to leverage your existing assets and skills while taking advantage of the opportunities within the real estate industry.

The real estate industry can be tough. The side hustles in this article will help you earn money when you are starting. They can also be a great way to increase real estate experience.

Which is best suited for your needs?

Resources:We have guides on the ins and outs of the topics you need to know to be a successful estate agent (likecircle prospecting, probate leads, real estate website builders,real estate lead generation companies, or a well designedreal estate CRM). If you’re looking for more advanced topics likereal estate ads,building your own real estate lead generation website, whichreal estate marketing toolsyou’ll need, how to build a successfulsocial media strategy, or even justreal estate marketing ideasin general, you can try looking for areal estate mentor or ananswering servicethat can help show you the way.