Meet the Realtor: Steve Crossland

You may have considered earning a real estate license if you love looking at houses and have always wanted to be your own boss. Along with his wife Sylvia, Steve Crossland has done just this. The Crosslands own and operate Crossland Real Estate in Austin, Texas, a successful business which in 2008 closed $9 million in transactions.

Crossland, who is an MPM (master property manager), specializes in investment sales, property management, and leasing; his wife, the firm's broker, specializes in residential sales. Here, Steve discusses his insider's view of how to become a real estate agent, what the down economy means for realtors, and his thoughts on the real estate profession in general.

I had a BBA (bachelor's degree in business administration) in management information systems, and was working as a computer programmer. Then I met Sylvia, who was a successful Realtor, and she talked me into it. I received my Texas real estate license in 1991.

I could apply some of the courses from my bachelor's degree, so I needed to take six additional 30-hour real estate courses, and then pass the Texas real estate exam.

Half of all realtors "wash out" within their first two years, usually because they weren't prepared. This is a strange business, where success has little to do with intelligence or even with hard work. Real estate is a lead generation business.

The first thing I'd recommend to aspiring realtors is that they read The Millionaire Real Estate Agent by Gary Keller. It offers a good overview of the business and what it takes to be successful.

Then find the top producer or most successful agent in your local area. Real estate is local. The markets, people, and customs are all different from place to place. Find the best realtor near you, take that person to lunch, and ask for advice. Most realtors will be happy to give it.

The economy changes how people behave. Sellers tend to think that the economy is not as bad as it really is. Buyers tend to think it's worse than it really is. This makes it hard for sellers and buyers to agree on a price. Our challenge as realtors is to show both buyers and sellers where the market is and where the value of a particular property lands in that market.

The challenges primarily come from dealing with the missteps or hang ups of other people. This would be a simple, easy business if everyone acted responsibly 100 percent of the time, all houses were in perfect condition, and the perfect house were available for every buyer--but that's seldom the case.

Some of the unpleasant surprises real estate professionals deal with include discovering a bad septic system or other inspection problem, zoning issues, lender delays, and conflicting seller and buyer personalities. Realtors work hard to avoid these issues, but it's not always possible. If we can't avoid them, we have to work through them.

I'm working for myself and have some flexibility in my work day. I also enjoy meeting a lot of different people and dealing with many different challenges. I tend to get bored easily, and in real estate there's always a surprise waiting just around the corner.