One thing I wish I knew earlier is that being a real estate agent costs money to get started.

If you’ve ever thought about getting your real estate license — or if you’re early in your career — here’s something I wish someone had told me upfront: getting started costs money before you make any.

Licensing fees, E&O insurance, MLS dues, association fees, marketing — it adds up before your first commission check. That doesn’t mean it’s not worth it. It means go in with eyes open and a financial cushion, because the income is not immediate.

The other thing that catches a lot of new agents off guard: you wake up every day technically unemployed. No paycheck coming. No shift. Just whatever momentum you’ve built — or haven’t. That’s the hardest part for most people, and it’s also the part that separates agents who build real careers from ones who don’t make it past year two.

The good news: the “between closings” feeling is temporary. And when you do close a deal — when you hand someone their keys or watch a seller walk away from the table with equity they’d been building for years — the work behind it makes sense in a way that’s hard to explain until you’ve been there.

A note on the Irmo / Ballentine / Lake Murray area

This is the market I know well. Irmo and Ballentine sit just outside Columbia — close enough for easy commutes, suburban enough for space and good schools. Lake Murray is a short drive and draws buyers who want waterfront access without paying coastal prices. It’s a market where relationships matter and local knowledge actually changes outcomes.

Whether you’re thinking about buying here, selling here, or exploring what a real estate career in South Carolina might actually look like — I’m glad to have that conversation.

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Have questions about buying or selling in South Carolina? I’d love to help. Call or text me at 803.784.4249, or find me on Instagram, Facebook & TikTok @SmartandSavvyMoves. No pressure — just a conversation.

Savannah Hill, REALTOR® | Jeff Cook Real Estate | LPT Realty