MLM versus Real Estate

As a long-time real estate investor (http://jimpellerin.com), I thought it would be interesting to compare MLM with Real Estate, specifically as a Realtor.  The following is a list of similarities between the 2.

1. Independent Business Owner: As a Realtor, you are an independent agent working for a brokerage. You are not considered an employee of the company but you must follow the rules and regulations of the brokerage and the industry in general. As an MLM consultant, you are an independent agent working for your sponsor and for your upline. You are not an employee of the MLM company but you must adhere to their policies and regulations. 
2. Network: As a Realtor, you are required to create a network of people to be successful. As an MLM consultant, you are also required to build a network of people to be successful. In both cases, these are direct customers as well as professionals that can assist you in your business.
3. Target Marketing: As a Realtor, you must select a target market and niche to direct your marketing and messaging towards. As an MLM consultant, you should also be selecting a target market and niche (product or service) that you want to be directing your marketing and messaging towards. There's an old saying in marketing that if you are marketing to everyone, you are marketing to no one.
4. Downline Agents: As a Realtor, you have the ability to create a downline as a Broker who owns a brokerage and who has many agents working for him or her or as a team leader who has other agents working for them. In both cases, you split the commissions with the other agents. As an MLM consultant, you would be creating a downline of other MLM consultants who would be selling the same products and services as you. You would be earning a commission from those sales of the other MLM consultants.

A couple of differences is that the Real Estate industry is highly regulated with boards and you need to be licensed to be a Realtor. You can only ever work for 1 Real Estate Brokerage at a time. With MLM, there is no real regulation and you can actually be an agent for several MLM products and services at the same time, which allows you to leverage your network. Some MLMs may require you to be licensed which is the case in some financial and insurance-based companies.

So if you are looking to get started in MLM either as a second income stream or as a complete job switch, send me a message or register here for more information HTTP://www.topessentialservices.com

Jim