The Dream That’s Being Marketed
Real estate “gurus” are everywhere in 2025. Whether it’s Instagram reels or YouTube ads, you’ve probably seen someone claiming they made six figures in 90 days — and now they’re offering to teach you how to do the same. These promotions are designed to spark urgency and FOMO, often attached to expensive programs with limited-time discounts.
But behind the glamor is a very different reality. The market is no longer exploding, and the path to success isn’t paved in passive income. The truth? Most of these courses are marketing machines built to enrich the creators — not the students.
The Problem With the Pitch
These programs often overpromise and underdeliver. They sell a dream but skip over the details — especially the hard ones. Most won’t tell you:
- 90% of new agents don’t make it past year one (NAR attrition data from prior years supports this trend).
- Startup costs can exceed $3,000–$5,000 before you even close a deal — between licensing, marketing, MLS access, and desk fees.
- It may take months to get your first client, and longer to close a sale.
- Most real estate income is irregular, with periods of feast and famine that require budgeting and discipline.
And the biggest deception? They frame real estate as easy money. In truth, it’s a demanding, highly competitive business with high failure rates — especially in today’s climate.
The Reality of Real Estate in 2025
Let’s look at the numbers:
- Mortgage rates are averaging 6.8% as of April 2025, keeping many first-time buyers out of the market.
- The median home price dropped 2.1% YoY, according to Zillow, indicating cooling demand.
- Inventory is up 18% from this time last year, but homes are sitting on the market longer.
- Time on market has increased to 52 days nationally, up from 34 days in 2022.
- Buyer demand is down, particularly in the Sunbelt where overbuilding and rising insurance costs have hit hard.
This is not the rapid-fire, multiple-offer market of the pandemic years. Buyers are cautious. Sellers are clinging to outdated price expectations. And agents? They’re fighting for fewer, slower deals.
Real Talk: I’ve Seen Behind the Curtain
I worked inside an online real estate education company. Here’s what I saw:
To keep enrollments up, we routinely ran steep discounts — often 30% to 40% off — despite marketing the courses as “elite” or “exclusive.” The pressure to convert leads was constant, and quality control was secondary.
Worse, the content was outdated. Several courses didn’t reflect updated licensing requirements in multiple states, putting students at risk of failing exams or missing key steps in the process.
Once someone finished the course, support disappeared. There were no resources on:
- Building your book of business
- Handling lead competition at brokerages
- The cost of branding, signage, client gifts, open houses, and software
- Setting expectations with buyers and sellers
- Dealing with burnout and emotional stress
They didn’t care about your success — just that you finished and didn’t ask for a refund.
What You Really Need to Succeed
If you’re serious about becoming an agent, here’s what matters more than a glossy course:
- Mentorship over marketing. Work with a brokerage that offers shadowing, live training, and actual support.
- Real-world education. Books like The Millionaire Real Estate Agent, free NAR resources, and state-specific licensing boards are better than most paid programs.
- Tech fluency. You’ll need to learn CRM tools, social media lead gen, listing systems, and more.
- Resilience. Most successful agents don’t close their first deal until month 4–6. Many don’t get paid for the first 6 months.
- A business mindset. This is not a job. It’s a business — and you’ll need to treat it like one with systems, budgets, and goals.
Don’t Buy the Fantasy. Build the Foundation.
There are no shortcuts. If someone is offering to sell you one, they’re likely selling you out.
The good news? There’s still room for honest, hardworking people in real estate. But it won’t come from an overnight course. It comes from building your skills, forming relationships, and showing up when others quit.
Don’t get sold the dream. Learn the reality. Then decide if you’re truly ready to build something real.
