22 Real Estate Side Hustle Ideas

It's likely you're looking for the best real estate side hustles if you want to make money on top of your 9 to 5 job. If you are interested in real estate, there are many ways to make extra income in the industry.

Making extra money in real estate doesn't mean you have to be a full-time or part-time real estate agent either. There are many ways to use real estate to your advantage to help you make money.

What Is a Real Estate Side Hustle

A real estate side hustle is any job or gig you do on the side in the real estate industry, in addition to your full-time job. There are hundreds of ways to make money in the real estate business, both active and passive, without quitting your regular job. First, you must find quality side hustles worth your time and energy.

Determining a Quality Side Hustle

A real estate side hustle is any job or gig you do on the side, in addition to your full-time job. There are hundreds of ways to make money in the real estate business, both active and passive, without quitting your regular job. First, you must find quality side hustles worth your time and energy.

Here's what to look for in ways to make extra income with real estate.

Flexibility

Since this is a side hustle, you want something you can work on in your free time. If you already have a full time career, you probably want something you can work when you have the time rather than making certain hours mandatory.

Initial Investment

Some side hustles require money invested up front. This is especially true if you need licensing or to take courses before you can participate in the part-time gig.

Growth Potential

Like any good investment, you want your time and money investment in your side hustle to be worth it and grow exponentially. The more growth you see, the easier it might be to reach your financial goals or possibly even cut back on your full time job.

Earning Potential

The whole point of working a real estate side hustle is to make money, right? Some might do it for the satisfaction of helping others too, but typically, it's for the money. Every side hustle has different earning potential. Finding a few with the highest possible earnings can help you reach your goals even faster.

22 Best Side Hustle Ideas

1. Bird-Dogging

If you're the type of person that's always 'in the know' hearing about real estate properties that are available before they hit the market, consider bird-dogging. Essentially, you're a lead capturer, passing along the information you find to interested real estate investors.
You can earn money per lead or work out a contract with real estate investors that allows you to earn a percentage of the profits when the deal closes.

2. Rentals

If you have rental property or the means to buy it, you can rent it out to tenants, collecting monthly rent. The rental income is your monthly cash flow, but you also stand to earn capital appreciation and capital gains when you sell the property, hopefully for more than you paid for it.
If you don't currently own a rental property, you could rent out a portion of your home, like an unused room or a finished lower level. This can be a short or long-term rental.

3. REITs

REITs, or real estate investment trust, have portfolios of real estate properties, typically commercial properties, that they hold onto and manage. REITs are a passive form of income that pay investors dividends based on rental and interest income, and any other profits they earn. You don't have a say in the properties the fund invests in, but you get a diversified portfolio that typically goes through extensive due diligence to ensure its performance.
Some REIT portfolios also include debt investments, providing loans to real estate developers and investors.

4. Part-Time Real Estate Agent

The upfront investment to be a real estate agent is under $1,000, and the licensing requirements vary by state. Typically, you can get your real estate license within a few months and start selling homes, making an average 3% commission on your sales. You don't have to work full time either. As a real estate agent, you can work on evenings or weekends only if you choose.

5. Real Estate Photographer

Whether you take pictures for sellers of residential or commercial properties, for landlords looking to rent properties, or for other marketing purposes, there is money to be made in real estate photography.
You can set your hours, and if you already own the equipment, your investment is next to nothing while you make side income.

6. Real Estate Videographer

New sellers and real estate agents need help creating attractive videos of the homes they're selling. The demand for videos has also increased since the pandemic, since not everyone views homes in person until they've narrowed down their options.

7. Rental Arbitrage

Rental arbitrage doesn't require you to own any property. Instead, you rent a property, sign a long-term lease, and rent out the property on short-term leases on sites like Airbnb. You charge a higher rent than the monthly rent, but by the day or week and keep the profit.

8. Real Estate Marketing

If you're great at marketing, consider putting your services to good use as a real estate marketer. Whether you combine services like real estate photography or videography with your services, real estate agents and property owners need help marketing their properties for fast sales.

9. List House as an Airbnb

If you have a house you don't use year-round, or you'll be away from your home for a while, consider listing it on Airbnb and making money while you're away. You choose the available dates, the renting terms, and of course, the cost. Because Airbnb rentals are short-term, it's usually a good way to make a decent profit in the real estate market.

10. House Hacking

House hacking is a method where you use your owner-occupied status to buy a house with primary residence mortgage financing, such as an FHA loan, but you buy a multi-family property.
As long as you live in one of the units, you can rent out the other units, making yourself a real estate investor. You act as the unit's landlord, collecting rent and maintaining the property. The rent you collect can be used to offset your mortgage payment, and if you price it right, you'll see a profit!

11. Real Estate Virtual Assistant

If you're the type of person that loves organization and staying busy, consider working as a real estate virtual assistant. The sky's the limit regarding the tasks you can complete for a real estate agent or other real estate professionals.
You might answer phones, manage calendars, handle social media accounts, answer emails, or manage listings. If you set up your own business doing this, you can charge per hour or per job depending on what the real estate professional you work with needs and what you think your time/effort is worth.

12. House Flipper

You don't need a real estate license to be a house flipper, and in today's real estate industry, it's a great gig.
If you're great at finding real estate deals (undervalued properties), you can buy them for less than they are worth, fix them up, and sell them for a profit. It's best if you flip the house within six months so you don't have a lot of holding costs and can use the money to do more real estate investing, whether it's more house flipping or you invest in other areas of the real estate industry.

13. Real Estate Blogger

If you're great with words, understand SEO, and can build an audience fast, consider creating a real estate blog.
At first, you won't make much money doing it, but once you build an audience and can add affiliate marketing links to your blogs, you'll start to make residual income. You earn a small commission each time a reader clicks on your links and purchases something.

14. Property Manager

If you love maintaining properties and can handle managing tenants, too, consider getting licensed to be a property manager. The regulations vary by state, so check with your state's guidelines before choosing this option. As a property manager, you can charge a percentage of the monthly rent to maintain the property for the owner.

15. General Contractor

If you love handy work and would rather not own properties yourself, consider working with real estate agents to fix up properties as needed. You can network with real estate investors who buy fixer-uppers, real estate agents who need properties fixed, and even property owners who don't know how to do repairs.

16. Become a Notary

A notary public is a highly sought-after professional for many real estate professionals. They can witness document signings, certify copies, and sometimes even act as the closing agent for a mortgage closing. The regulations vary by state, so check with your state to see what you can do with a notary commission in your area.

17. Wholesaler

Wholesaling works somewhat like house flipping, but you never take possession of the property. Instead, you find the deals, go under contract for them, but then immediately assign the contract to a real estate investor in your network.
The real estate investor buys the property at a slightly higher price than what you bid to account for your finder's fee.

18. Home Stager

Home staging is a highly sought-after task that most real estate agents either don't know how to do or don't have the time to handle.
If you have an eye for detail and understand the importance of the minimalist approach when listing a house, you can have a real estate business without needing any type of license.

19. Crowdfunding

Real estate crowdfunding platforms pool funds from multiple investors to invest in commercial and residential real estate. You can invest as little or as much as you want, and you'll earn a prorated return on your investment. Some crowdfunding platforms pay dividends from the rental income and/or interest income earned too.

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20. Inspector

If you love getting into the nitty-gritty of how a home works and what's wrong with it, consider getting licensed as a home inspector. Most states require specific education and licensing, so always check your local regulations before choosing this option. You can then work closely with real estate agents, conducting inspections on the homes they sell.

21. Appraiser

A real estate appraiser is necessary for just about any real estate transaction unless the buyer is paying cash. To be an appraiser, you'll need specific education and licensing. It can take a few months to get up and running, but once you're able to perform appraisals, it can be worth it.

22. Raw Land

If you don't want to own property, but real estate investing intrigues you, consider buying raw land. Since land is limited in quantity, meaning we can't make more, it can become a profitable investment someday. Whether you rent it out to other companies or use it as a camping ground, leasing the land to RV owners, you can make money without the hassle of owning and maintaining property.

FAQ

How Lucrative Can a Real Estate Side Hustle Be?

A side hustle in real estate can be a great way to make money. Whether you invest directly in real estate or work a side gig that allows you to profit off real estate, there are many ways to make money in a real estate career or side hustle.

Do I Need to Invest Money to Start a Real Estate Side Hustle?

Not all side hustles in real estate require an upfront investment. Some may require education or licensing, but others may be free to start immediately. Do you research to determine which gigs you can do right away to make money, even while you set aside time and money to start higher paying gigs.

Is It Difficult to Get a Real Estate License?

It's not hard to get a real estate license to start a real estate career, but it does take time. The education requirements vary by state, but on average, you'll need 75 hours of education. Of course, how long this takes depends on your schedule and learning style.

What Should You Avoid in a Real Estate Side Hustle?

For the most part, real estate side hustles shouldn't cost you anything unless you have to take courses or buy equipment. Anyone looking for money upfront and promising the world likely isn't legit, and you should look elsewhere.

The Bottom Line

If you're wondering, "is real estate a good side hustle?" it can be. You can use skills you already have or acquired to make a side income in the real estate industry. Many people use real estate as a side hustle and eventually leave their full-time jobs to make a living out of their real estate gigs. Learn more by signing up and visiting our blog.

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