Do what you love: a real estate career built on what you care about
By Maria Mandap-Fraguada, REALTOR® · September 2026
The best careers grow out of what you already care about. For me, that's two things: helping people and gardening. Real estate turned out to be the place where both make sense.
Helping people through big moments
Buying or selling a home is one of the biggest decisions most people make. Being the knowledgeable, steady person beside someone through it, answering questions, solving problems and handing over the keys, is the part of this work that never gets old.
What gardening teaches about real estate
Gardening is patient work. You prepare the ground, plant with care, tend what you've started and trust the seasons. A real estate business grows the same way: relationships take time, consistency matters and what you put in early shows up later.
Build a career around your own passions
Whatever you love, whether it's design, old houses, the outdoors, your community or simply people, real estate gives you room to build a business around it. Your interests shape the clients you attract and the specialty you grow into.
How to get your real estate license in New Jersey
- Be at least 18 with a high school diploma or equivalent
- Complete the 75-hour pre-licensing course at a state-approved school
- Pass the New Jersey salesperson exam
- Be sponsored by a licensed New Jersey broker
- Complete fingerprinting and apply for your license
Why the right brokerage matters
A new career grows best with support. At EXIT Connect you'll have mentorship from an agent working in the field every day, a local office on Main Street in Hackettstown, and EXIT's sponsorship program, which can reward you for agents you introduce.
Licensing requirements can change. Check the New Jersey Real Estate Commission for the current steps.
