20 Real Estate Side Hustles to Try Out in 2024

If you’re involved in real estate or interested in learning more about the industry, a real estate side hustle could be an effective way to make extra money and discover a new passion.

There are plenty of ways to earn extra cash in the real estate industry. And since some side jobs are either directly or loosely related to real estate, you may not need much training before jumping in.

We’ve hand-picked the top real estate side hustles to earn active or passive income in the real estate industry.

20 Best Real Estate Side Hustles

Whether you’re a real estate agent looking to supplement your income or you want to look beyond your day job and test the waters in real estate, these side hustles can put real cash in your pocket:

1. Host a Rental Property on Airbnb or Neighbor

While it isn’t totally hands-off, hosting vacation rentals on Airbnb isn’t as involved as having a side job where you offer your services day in and day out.

Here are some benefits of short-term rentals:

You can hire a property manager and cleaning crew to ease the workload.
It provides a steady income stream if you live in a desirable area.
You don’t have to purchase a separate property to profit if you rent out spare bedrooms.
These types of rentals are in high demand.

2. REIT Investing

A real estate investment trust is an entity that owns, finances, or rents out a variety of lucrative commercial properties.

REIT investing is all about investing in these trusts, which can include anything from shopping malls to entertainment venues and apartment buildings.

Investing in REITs can provide you with real earning potential if done wisely. REITs are especially helpful as a possible source of regular monthly income since they’re required to pay out profits as dividends regularly.

Learn More:

Collab

Low Minimum Investment Threshold: $20

If you’re looking for a way to invest in real estate that doesn’t require thousands of dollars or a lot of involvement, check out Collab.

3. Real Estate Crowdfunding

If you’re not up for purchasing your own rental property or don’t have the upfront cash to put down on a mortgage, crowdfunding can be a great passive investment in real estate.

Crowdfunding involves pooling your money with other investors to fund commercial real estate projects and reap the rewards when they turn a profit.

There are many types of properties and projects to invest in, as well as different rates of return and timelines for when you’ll get paid.

Real estate crowdfunding isn’t without risks, so be careful. Some projects are never completed, and some real estate doesn’t appreciate as expected.

Learn More:

Real Estate Crowdfunding for Non-Accredited Investors

4. Offer Notary Services

A notary public serves as a licensed witness when people sign legal documents. Sometimes it’s hard to make time to search for a notary, so having one come to you is extremely convenient.

You can build a side business as a traveling notary public and make extra money when buyers or sellers need a notarized signature for their paperwork.

The great thing about becoming a mobile notary is that not all states require formal training, and it’s a relatively inexpensive side hustle. Check with your local secretary of state to get the requirements for your particular location to get started.

5. Property Management

With the steady popularity of rental properties, property management is definitely in demand. If you’ve been a real estate agent for a while, your expertise could make this side gig a great fit.

Several types of properties could require someone to manage day-to-day rental operations, from rental homes to duplexes, apartments, and Airbnb rentals.

Having dependable property management is especially valuable to out-of-state homeowners and commercial rental property owners.

6. Fix and Flip Houses

An obvious side hustle choice for real estate professionals is buying fixer-uppers and restoring them to sell for a profit.

Here are some distinct advantages of flipping houses:

You know about fixer-uppers before they hit the general public market.
You probably know lenders who can help get you approved quickly in a hot market.
As an agent, you’ve likely worked with trustworthy contractors who can improve your investment property.
When it comes time to sell, as an agent, you’ll likely have no problem finding buyers.

7. Join a Real Estate Investing Community

Whether you’re side hustling or looking to launch a full-time real estate career, one of the best investments you can make is plugging into a real estate investing community.

BiggerPockets is an awesome resource to help you maximize your efforts in the real estate business and unlock financial freedom.

The site has more than 2 million subscribers and provides a wealth of resources for everyone from novices to real estate experts, including books, podcasts, courses, and analytical tools and software for active investors.

One of the most valuable features comes from the pro account, which allows you to connect with real estate experts and build a team, using the platform to find agents and lenders who are a good fit for your next venture.

8. Real Estate Photography

If you’re a professional photographer or an amateur with a good eye, providing photography services to real estate agents could be a great fit.

Every property being sold needs photographs for online listings and other marketing materials. If you can photograph houses in your spare time, this can be a very steady money maker.

To get started, invest in a good camera and practice taking and editing pictures of houses to hone your skills.

Another great side hustle in the real estate business is taking videos of houses that are going on the market. Both interior and exterior videos—as well as aerial drone views—are in demand.

9. Bird Dogging

A real estate bird dog is someone who looks for undervalued properties for real estate investors in exchange for a flat fee or cut of the profits. The name originated from hunting, where dogs help hunters find birds.

How much money you can make will depend largely on market conditions and where you’re working. Focus on networking—connect with real estate investors on LinkedIn and other social media platforms and work on building a trusted reputation.

Anyone can be a real estate bird dog. Whether you’re a delivery driver who’s always on the go or you simply keep an eye on properties when you’re out and about, you can earn extra income as a bird dog.

10. Be a Virtual Assistant for a Realtor

There’s no better way to learn about the real estate industry than to work for a pro.

Realtors are extremely busy, and virtual assistant jobs are in high demand. As an assistant, you could handle a variety of tasks, like managing schedules, answering calls, and coordinating showings. You could even lead virtual tours of homes for some real estate companies.

If you’re detail-oriented and looking for a remote side hustle with some flexibility, virtual assisting could be worth your time.

11. House Hacking

House hacking is essentially buying real estate to divide up the house or multifamily property into rental units while you live in another part of the dwelling for free.

The supplemental income you can earn by house hacking can be substantial. One of the primary benefits, if you live in an in-demand area, is that your rental income can pay for your home.

Learn More:

House Hacking: How To Live For Free

12. Rental Arbitrage

Rental arbitrage involves leasing a property and then subleasing it for a higher rental fee to generate a profit. This strategy has gained popularity in recent years as a lucrative way to generate passive income.

By leveraging online rental platforms like Airbnb, you can target short-term rentals and capitalize on the demand for vacation rentals, corporate housing, or temporary accommodation for travelers.

The key to rental arbitrage is finding a property with favorable rental terms, negotiating a lease agreement that allows subleasing, and marketing the property to attract tenants.

You’ll need to carefully research to select the right location and property and manage it meticulously to ensure a smooth and profitable operation. If you’re willing to put in the effort and have a knack for hospitality management, rental arbitrage can be a rewarding income stream.

13. Rent Raw Land

Raw land refers to undeveloped properties that have no structures or improvements on them. This type of investment has relatively low upfront costs and can be purchased at a lower price point.

Renting raw land also offers a passive income stream, because tenants can use the land for various purposes like agriculture, storage, or recreational activities. That means you can enjoy regular rental payments without the need for ongoing maintenance or repairs.

What’s more, raw land investments have the potential for long-term appreciation, especially in areas experiencing growth or development. You can use a site like Hipcamp to list raw land and more unique rentals like RVs and tree houses.

14. Real Estate Marketing

Marketing is another real estate side hustle with a lot of potential. Real estate marketing will require you to research local trends, analyze the competition, and determine the needs of potential clients.

From there, you can develop online and offline marketing strategies for clients.

Here are a few pointers to get started:

Social media: Leverage social media to create engaging content and build a strong online presence.
Email: Utilize email marketing campaigns to nurture leads and maintain client relationships.
Website: Optimize your website for search engines to increase visibility and attract organic traffic.
Network: Collaborate with industry influencers and establish partnerships to expand your reach. Attend networking events and join professional real estate associations to build a strong network.
Learn: Continuously educate yourself on industry updates and stay up-to-date with the latest marketing techniques.

15. Create Real Estate Content

If you’re a creative mind in the real estate space, there’s no shortage of ways to monetize your skills and expertise. One of the best ways to create passive income is to create digital content and monetize it.

For example, you could start a real estate blog where you share articles on anything from staging houses to successfully flipping properties.

Use SEO (search engine optimization) to get your content to rank. Then, you can profit from your content with affiliate marketing, earning a commission when you recommend products and services.

You can also make money by creating real estate content on social media and YouTube. Another route for experienced real estate pros is to build an online course with pointers for a successful real estate career.

16. Real Estate Wholesaling

Starting a side hustle in real estate wholesaling can be a profitable venture. Real estate wholesaling involves finding distressed properties, negotiating contracts at a discounted price, then assigning those contracts to other real estate investors for a fee.

This side hustle requires minimal upfront capital and you can do it part-time. By finding motivated sellers, conducting market research, and building a network of buyers, you can launch a successful wholesaling side hustle.

If you’re looking for a gig with low barriers to entry and the potential for high returns, consider exploring real estate wholesaling.

17. Real Estate Coaching

Becoming a real estate consultant can be a great source of side income for a real estate agent. There aren’t any clear-cut requirements for becoming a consultant unless you choose to work for an agency.

This type of consulting involves advising clients, who could be commercial buyers, real estate investors, or developers, about real estate market health, transactions, advisable investments, and the like.

As a real estate coach, you could provide online classes, phone consultations, or in-person meetings and utilize social media to promote your services and provide educational resources.

18. Become a Home Stager

If you love interior design and have an eye for a clean, minimalistic look, house staging could be the perfect fit.

This is where a home seller clears out their home completely and a designer fills it with high-end furniture and art to give the home a polished look.

Putting nice touches on a home and clearing the owner’s clutter makes it more appealing to buyers.

Whether you start a business of your own or work for a staging company in your spare time, staging homes can be a fun way to make money in real estate without being a realtor.

19. Real Estate Appraiser

Every house that’s on the market has to be appraised, or assigned a market value, in the area in which it’s being sold. Becoming an appraiser can be a great real estate side hustle that doesn’t require a real estate license.

While this job takes some education and training, it’s a rewarding way to make money on the side and be involved in real estate at the same time.

Since most home appraisers are self-employed, this could give you the flexibility you need to earn cash on the side of a regular job as a freelancer.

20. Be a Lender

It’s fairly common for real estate agents to double as loan officers or lenders. Also called a mortgage broker, a lender helps home buyers secure a mortgage to purchase their home.

Licensing requirements vary by state, but offering lending services on the side can be a lucrative and flexible side hustle.

You could also get into direct lending, which is related to crowdfunding. This entails working with a direct lending provider to find buyers who need funding. They handle all the management and find clients for you. All you’d need to do is invest your money and hopefully watch it grow.

Benefits of a Real Estate Side Hustle

Whether your side hustle is related to real estate or you’re looking for extra money as a real estate agent, there are many perks to having a regular side income:

Income: More money to save for retirement or investment opportunities.
Education: You can learn new skills related to or within your industry which can add to the success of your full-time
New job: If you’ve been looking for a way out of your regular job, building up a side hustle can potentially allow you to change your profession altogether.
Connections: Side hustles can increase your networking opportunities which can lead to unexpected leads for your primary business.

How to Choose a Real Estate Side Hustle

Here are a few factors to consider as you compare real estate side hustles:

Identify your skills and interests: Start by evaluating your skills and interests to determine which aspect of real estate aligns with your strengths.
Research the market: Conduct thorough market research to identify areas with a high demand for real estate services. Look for areas with growing populations, strong job markets, and a need for housing.
Consider your availability: Decide how much time you can commit to your real estate side hustle upfront. Some options, like property management or becoming a real estate agent, require more time and availability than others.
Evaluate startup costs: Determine the startup costs associated with each potential real estate side hustle. Calculate expenses like licensing fees, marketing costs, equipment, and any required training or certifications.
Assess the income potential: Research the income potential of each real estate side hustle Look at average earnings, profit margins, and the potential for growth in the future. Consider factors like location, market trends, and demand.
Consider the level of involvement: Do you want to be hands-on with property renovations or prefer a more passive role like rental investments? Choose a side hustle that aligns with your preferred level of involvement.
Evaluate the risk level: Some options, like flipping houses, have higher risks but potentially higher rewards. Consider your risk tolerance and choose a side hustle that aligns with your comfort level.
Network and seek advice: Reach out to professionals in the real estate industry to gain insights and advice. Attend networking events, join online forums or communities, and seek mentorship from experienced individuals.
Consider scalability: Look for opportunities to grow your business, expand your portfolio, or take on additional clients in the future. Choose a side hustle that offers room for growth and increased income.
Create a business plan: Once you’ve evaluated all the factors above, create a business plan that outlines your goals, strategies, and financial projections. A well-thought-out business plan will help you stay organized and focused on achieving success in your chosen real estate side hustle.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who should consider a real estate side hustle?

A real estate side hustle could be the perfect answer for:

A new agent waiting for their first few sales.
Buyers or investors who want to push earnings into overdrive to buy their next property or real estate investment.
Novices looking to test out real estate to see if it’s a good fit.
People with extra time to spare and an interest in real estate.

How lucrative can a real estate side hustle be?

The earning potential of a real estate side hustle depends on many factors, such as the area you live in, your rates, how many hours you dedicate, and which side job you choose.

What do you need to get started with a real estate side hustle?

The first thing you’ll need to get started with a side hustle related to real estate is time. Make sure you’re not already overextended in your primary job.

When you’re ready to move forward with a side job, check with your state for any necessary paperwork or licensing they require. You may need to file information with your state if you plan to offer services as a self-employed contractor, even if it’s part-time.

Other things to consider are money and time for extra training, as well as any necessary equipment for your service.

How can you get involved in real estate by investing only your time?

If you’re already a real estate agent, you can offer consulting and advising services. This will likely require only your time. For photographers or videographers who already own equipment, the only investment you’ll make is time when it comes to taking pictures and videos of real estate properties. Real estate property management services are also mostly an investment of time, as is renting your home or property out on Airbnb or similar platforms.

What should you avoid in a real estate side hustle?

Avoid biting off more than you can chew when considering a real estate side hustle. If you don’t have spare time, consider waiting until you do. Try asking a professional in that space (an appraiser, for example) to discuss their daily tasks. Or better yet, see if you can join them on a few jobs. Also, avoid jumping into real estate investing or real estate flipping until you’ve consulted experienced professionals who can guide you.

Is real estate worth it as a side hustle?

Side hustles in real estate have extremely high earning potential, as long as you choose the right venture and plan carefully. Research trends and reach out to other real estate professionals to gauge the side hustle’s potential.

Bottom Line

The world of real estate offers a ton of side hustle opportunities for entrepreneurs looking to earn extra income. From house flipping to becoming a property manager, several ventures can help you tap into the booming real estate market.

With the strategies above, aspiring real estate side hustlers can attract potential clients and maximize their chances of success. So, if you’re ready to dive into the world of real estate, consider these side hustle options and start your journey toward financial independence today.

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