12 of the Best Real Estate Side Hustles to Try in 2025 (Updated!)
Let’s face it—being a real estate agent can be a rollercoaster. One minute, you’re closing deals left and right. The next thing you’re wondering about is where all the clients went. That’s the nature of the beast. But what if you could smooth out those ups and downs, keep your income flowing, and maybe have a little fun simultaneously?
That’s where real estate side hustles come in.
As a real estate pro, the options are endless. You don’t have to stray far from what you already know.
Whether you’re looking to pad your wallet, explore something new or cover yourself during the slow months, there are options.
Key Takeaways
- Financial security: Exploring side hustles can provide financial protection during market slowdowns.
- Professional growth: Having a side gig opens up new opportunities for professional development.
- Consider your strengths: Choose a side hustle that aligns with your natural strengths, skills and interests.
Opportunities for Real Estate Agents
The real estate industry is full of potential but comes with its share of challenges, like market fluctuations and seasonal slowdowns. With the right side hustles, you can tap into various opportunities to boost your income and enhance your professional skills.
Popular Side Hustle Ideas
Below are some of our favorite ideas, no matter your specific goals or reasons for exploring a side hustle.
1. Property Management
You already know the ins and outs of the housing market. So, property management is a natural extension of your skills.
Start by reaching out to current clients or contacts who own properties. Offer your services as a property manager. You can also consider partnering with a company to get your foot in the door.
Estimated earnings: $30,000 to $70,000+ per year. Earnings depend on the number of properties you manage and the management fee. It’s usually 8-12% of the monthly rent. Your earnings will also depend on whether you do full-service management or only certain tasks.
2.) Real Estate Photography
High-quality photos are a must for selling homes. As a real estate agent, you know what makes a property appealing. Why not turn this skill into a lucrative side gig?
To offer your photography services, invest in a good camera. If needed, consider taking a few photography courses. Initially, offer your services to clients or colleagues to build a portfolio. As you gain more experience, you’ll be able to charge more.
Estimated earnings: $100 to $500+ per photoshoot. Your earnings will depend on your area of expertise, the market and the complexity of the shoot. Specialized shoots like drone photography or high-end properties may mean charging higher fees.
3.) Airbnb Hosting
If you have a property or even a spare room, becoming an Airbnb host can be a profitable side hustle. You’ll make passive income. As an agent, you’ll have an advantage over the competition since you know how to market a property.
List your property on Airbnb, include high-quality photos and price it competitively.
Over time, you can expand this side hustle by managing other properties or offering your services in Airbnb management to other property owners.
Estimated earnings: $500 to $2,000+ per month per property. Your earnings depend on the property type and location, occupancy rates and the level of customer service you provide.
4.) Notary Public Services
A lot of the transactions you see in real estate require notarized documents. Complement your business and make extra money by becoming a notary. You need to meet the requirements in your state. Usually, that means taking a course and passing an exam. Once certified, you can offer your service to clients and a broader audience.
Estimated earnings: $15 to $50+ per notarization. Earnings depend on market demand, the type of notarizations you do and whether you charge travel fees. You can increase your earning potential when real estate transactions need multiple notarizations, which they usually do.
5.) Home Staging
You know how to make a property look its best for potential buyers. This side hustle lets you get creative and use your design skills to help houses sell faster. If you have an eye for design, start by offering staging services to current clients.
Build a portfolio with before and after pictures.
Take a home staging course to improve your credentials and skills.
Estimated earnings: $500 to $5,000+ per project. Pricing depends on the extent of your staging services, the market and the property size.
6.) Real Estate Coaching or Mentoring
Use your real estate experience and offer insights and guidance to new agents or those looking to level up their careers. Coaching is rewarding and a way to earn more. Share your knowledge and help others succeed.
Start by offering small group workshops or one-on-one coaching sessions. Market your services through networking events, your website and social media. Consider getting certified as a coach to make your services appear more credible.
Estimated earnings: $50 to $300+ per hour or session. Your earnings will depend on your experience and reputation, the type of coaching, and whether you have any certifications. With more experience, you’ll be able to command higher rates.
7.) Online Real Estate Courses
If you have knowledge and experience in real estate, turn it into an online course. Sharing what you know with others can be profitable. You’re also building your reputation and positioning yourself as an expert and authority.
Choose a niche or topic in real estate that you’re passionate about. Create your course outline, record the lessons and host them on a platform like Udemy. Promote your course using your network and social media channels.
Estimated earnings: $500 to $10,000+ per course. Earnings depend on how popular your course is, pricing, and platform fees. High-quality and niche courses provide the best returns, especially if you also focus on marketing them.
8.) Event Planning for Real Estate Events
As you know, real estate agents often have to plan events. These can include open houses, appreciation parties for clients and community events. If you’re organized and creative, think about event planning as a side hustle.
Start planning events for your listings or colleagues to build a portfolio, and from there, you can market services to other agents or businesses. Look into getting certified as an event planner to boost your credibility.
Estimated earnings: $500 to $5,000+ per event. Earnings will depend on event size, complexity, experience, and market.
9.) Social Media Management
Social media is one of the most powerful tools that real estate professionals have available for marketing. A lot of agents need help with effectively managing it. If you’re savvy with social media, offer your services to help other agents build their online presence.
Start by creating a portfolio that shows your social media success. Then, offer your services on a freelance basis. You might manage posts, create content and engage with followers on behalf of your clients.
Estimated earnings: $300 to $2,000+ per month per client. Earnings depend on the scope of work, your level of expertise and the number of clients you’re working with.
10.) Real Estate Investing
If you understand the market, why not use that knowledge to invest in properties yourself? Real estate investing isn’t just a side hustle. It’s a good way to build wealth over time.
Find investment opportunities in your market, whether fixer-uppers or flipping. Use your expertise to make informed decisions and start small with a single property. Gradually expand as you’re ready.
Estimated earnings: It varies widely. Earnings depend on the investment type, strategy, and market conditions. Investing in real estate can give you substantial returns, but the risks are also higher.
If you need extra financial resources when starting, check out our guide to the best real estate credit cards.
11.) Marketing Consultant
Marketing is crucial in real estate, and many agents are willing to pay for expert advice. If you have a knack for creating compelling marketing strategies, why not offer those services to other agents? Help them with advertising, branding and building their online presence.
To start, develop your personal brand and showcase your marketing successes. Offer consultations to agents in your network, and then expand and advertise your services online.
Estimated earnings: $50 to $150+ per hour. Project scope, expertise and the clients you work with will determine your earnings. If you’re offering comprehensive marketing plans or you specialize in digital marketing, you may be able to successfully charge higher fees.
12.) Real Estate Virtual Tours
Virtual tours are especially popular now with the rise of remote buying. If you have an eye for detail and some technical skills, you can turn virtual tours into a side hustle. Invest in a 360-degree camera and learn the basics of virtual tour software.
You can also advertise directly to homeowners and offer services to other agents. As you grow your portfolio, you can charge higher rates and consider add-on services like drone footage or video editing.
Estimated earnings: $100 to $500 per tour. Earnings will depend on market demand, how complex the tour is and whether you offer additional services like video editing.
Benefits of Having a Side Hustle
A real estate side hustle can be a game-changer. It offers more than the extra cash in your pocket. When you explore avenues outside your day-to-day real estate activities, you set yourself up for long-term stability and success.
Increased Income
Of course, one of the most obvious benefits of a side hustle is increased income. You can use the money to cover expenses, fund investments or even take a break without worrying about your bottom line.
Skill Diversification
A side hustle lets you diversify your skill set, making you a more versatile, valuable professional. Whether you’re learning digital marketing, photography or property management, these skills will enhance your real estate business. Diversifying your skills keeps you competitive and opens up new industry growth opportunities.
Networking Opportunities
Side hustles put you in new environments and introduce you to different people, expanding your professional network. Whether working with clients in a different capacity, collaborating with other professionals or meeting new contacts, the connections can lead to referrals, partnerships and new business opportunities.
Speak with an industry expert agent advisor. Together we will find the best solution based on your goals and needs.
Choosing the Right Side Hustle
Selecting the right side hustle is important to ensure you’re complimenting your real estate career and not getting into something that becomes a burden.
Consider the following when you’re choosing the ideal side gig for you:
- Assess your strengths. What do you enjoy doing? What are you naturally good at? Leveraging your existing strengths will make for a more enjoyable and manageable side hustle, raising your chances of success.
- Understand local market demands. Look at the trends and needs in your local market and try to identify what will cater to those demands.
- Evaluate your time commitment. Choose what fits into your existing schedule but isn’t going to overwhelm you. Be realistic about how much time you can dedicate to your side gig without sacrificing the quality of your real estate work.
Licensing and Regulatory Considerations
Before diving into a side hustle, you want to understand applicable legal and regulatory requirements.
Depending on what you choose to do, you need additional certifications or licenses. For example, if you want to become a notary public, your state usually requires specific licensing. If you’re going to offer services like photography, local regulations might say you need a business license.
Research the specifics to ensure compliance from the start.
Also, when you’re juggling multiple roles, transparency is key. Disclose any side hustles to your clients, especially if there’s a potential conflict of interest. For example, your clients should know if you’re the property manager and a real estate agent.
Final Thoughts
Incorporating a real estate side hustle into your career can be a smart way to boost your income and skills and create new opportunities. By carefully choosing a side gig that aligns with your strengths and market demands and complies with licensing and regulatory requirements, you can enhance your professional life but not sacrifice your main focus.
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