Another 41,656 Texans applied for unemployment last week, a sign of the times. John Nugent, the Chairman of the Houston Association of Realtors, says they are seeing an increase in interest in studying for a realtor’s license, also a sign of the times. “It seems to be a recurring sort of theme when the overall economy slows down or hits a speed bump. We saw that back with the Great Recession,” he says.
He says individuals with an entrepreneurial spirit are being attracted to the opportunities available in real estate as homes continue selling during the Covid pandemic.
In Chicago, there was a 71% increase in applicants for realty classes.
Nugent says they have been able to transition their classes to virtual learning, which has opened the possibility of more night class offerings. “At HAR we have switched over to a virtual format for all our classes. Almost everything now is virtual so that hasn’t impeded anything.”
Though fall is traditionally not a highpoint of real estate cycles, this year is different as people experiencing remote work find their commute, or lack of one, opens up a whole new world of possibilities.
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