Working as a real estate agent is like starting your own business. This is a phrase frequently used by real estate recruiters and hiring managers to describe the reality of starting a real estate career. Part of your job is to make that reality sound interesting, doable, and fun. To build your case, you may want to reference the research the Chamber of Commerce compiled on why individuals choose to start businesses. There are lots of amazing facts documented in the research. Here are my four favorites: Lots of people own small businesses. There are almost 33 million small businesses in the US and over 19 million are home-based/self-employed with no additional payroll or employees (most real estate agents would fit this category). Many people work in small businesses. About 46% of the working population (61 million individuals) works in a small business. Over one million new businesses get started each month. By contrast, the “new jobs” added to the economy by traditional employers are typically 25% of this number. It may be a crazy thing to do, but a lot of people are starting businesses! Most businesses don’t have employees. Approximately 70% of all U.S. businesses (small or otherwise) are non-employer businesses. This is how most real estate agents function. The average income for self-employed owners of small businesses is $51,816 per year. Your recruiting success depends on how you frame the discussions with your prospects. So be ready to make the case that smart, capable individuals start businesses.