13 Passive Income Ideas For Real Estate Agents [2024]
Interested in earning passive income as a real estate agent in 2024?
We put together a few of the best passive income ideas you can start as a real estate agent today. These will help you increase your quality of life by bringing in more income for yourself or your business.
For each income idea, we’ll show you real-world examples, revenue expectations for each idea, plus some things you might need to know before you start your passive income journey as a real estate agent.
Here's the full list:
1. Make passive income with a real estate investment firm ($398K/month)
Starting a real estate investment firm could be a great opportunity for you as a real estate agent to diversify your income and build long-term wealth. This venture involves buying, managing, and selling properties to create profit. You could leverage your existing knowledge and connections in the real estate market to scout lucrative properties, negotiate deals, and oversee renovations.
By creating an investment firm, you stand to benefit from both the appreciation of property values over time and the steady income stream from rental properties. If you have a passion for real estate and an eye for valuable properties, this could be an ideal way to turn your skills into a profitable business. Remember, it requires diligent market research, strategic planning, and solid financial management, but the financial rewards could be significant.
How much you can make: $10,000 — $1,500,000/month
How long does it take to build: 210 days (?)
Equity Residences is a luxury real estate investment fund that has raised $40 million from over 200 investors, offering them access to a portfolio of luxury vacation homes for investment and personal use, with a minimum investment of $161,500 and plans to acquire a further twenty residences ranging from $1.5M to $4M.
2. Make passive income with an online course sales business ($85K/month)
As a real estate agent, you could create an online course to share your unique knowledge and experiences in the real estate world. By developing a course on topics like 'first-time home buying,' 'successful property staging,' or 'navigating real estate investments,' you could provide valuable information that many people seek. Given your expertise, you could offer insights and tips that could help others succeed in the real estate market.
Once you've created your course, you could choose an online learning platform to host and sell it. The growing demand for online education, expected to reach over $645 billion soon, suggests considerable earning potential. This way, you could supplement your income by turning your professional experience into a product that generates money, even while you focus on your primary job.
How much you can make: $100 — $300,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $2,000 (?)
How long does it take to build: 180 days (?)
A multipreneur shares how she built a successful print on demand side hustle, generating $120,000 per year through multiple brands spread over various platforms.
3. Make passive income with a lead generation tool ($108K/month)
As a real estate agent, you could supplement your income by developing a lead generation tool. This tool would help capture potential client leads by integrating with websites, social media channels, and other digital touchpoints, saving you and other businesses time hunting for contacts.
Imagine putting your knowledge of what makes a great real estate lead to use in a software application that attracts the right customers. By automating the process of finding new clients, the tool would collect valuable data like email addresses, phone numbers, and interests. Given the high demand for effective lead generation, this venture could become a significant passive income stream for you.
How much you can make: $1,000 — $400,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $600 (?)
How long does it take to build: 90 days (?)
Dux-Soup is a LinkedIn automation tool that helps business owners and sales & marketing professionals generate more leads, increase efficiency, and save time; with over 70,000 users and revenue of nearly $5 million, it offers automated top-of-the-funnel LinkedIn outreach activities, targeted LinkedIn campaigns and multi-touch & personalized LinkedIn drip campaigns for lead generation.
4. Make passive income with a niche blog ($31.5K/month)
Starting a niche blog as a real estate agent could be a smart way to supplement your income. You could share your expertise on topics like home buying tips, market trends, property investment strategies, and community insights. This kind of content would attract readers who are interested in real estate, which could lead to higher blog traffic over time.
You could monetize your blog by providing affiliate links to real estate tools, offering consulting services, or partnering with local businesses. Additionally, you could grow your online presence by creating related video content or collaborating with relevant brands. Engaging regularly with your followers would help you build a loyal audience, leading to more opportunities for passive income.
How much you can make: $100 — $650,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $650 (?)
How long does it take to build: 60 days (?)
Starter Story grew to 1.4 million monthly visitors and millions in annual revenue by sharing the stories of entrepreneurs. Pat breaks down the early days and how he grew the business into something that changed his life.
5. Make passive income with an email marketing tool ($992K/month)
As a real estate agent, starting an email marketing tool could open up new avenues for passive income. By developing a tool that helps other agents create, manage, and automate their email campaigns, you could tap into a growing market. The global email marketing tool market is projected to be worth $2.53 billion by 2028, showing immense potential for growth.
You could use your real estate expertise to tailor the tool specifically for the needs of agents. This could make it easier for agents to generate leads, increase sales, and manage their client lists. Creating a successful email marketing tool could provide you with an additional stream of income while serving the real estate community you already know well.
How much you can make: $120 — $20,833,333/month
How much does it cost to start: $1,000 (?)
How long does it take to build: 180 days (?)
H-supertools founder Hasan developed a set of free SEO and digital marketing tools generating $2k per month in profit using Google Adsense, affiliate marketing, selling ad spaces, and email, plans to launch a membership option, and has attained over 80k registered users and 300k monthly visits in less than two years.
6. Make passive income with an ecommerce reselling business ($83.3K/month)
As a real estate agent, starting an ecommerce reselling business could be an excellent way to supplement your income and make extra money. An ecommerce reseller buys services or goods to sell them online, which means you could leverage your existing network and communication skills to promote and sell products without the need for production costs.
You don't need to create a website right away; you could start by selling on social media platforms. This approach allows you to test the market and build a customer base gradually. Over time, as your business grows, you could consider developing a website to reach a broader audience and increase sales. This flexible and low-cost entry into ecommerce makes it ideal for entrepreneurial-minded real estate agents looking to diversify their income streams.
How much you can make: $4,000 — $150,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $2,999 (?)
How long does it take to build: 75 days (?)
Empyre Off-Road, an e-commerce business founded by Greg Shuey which sells aftermarket parts for Toyota Tacomas, Tundras, and 4Runners, generated approximately $100,000 a month in revenue and was able to expand its product offering, focusing on content marketing, email marketing campaigns, and organic social media to attract and retain customers.
7. Make passive income with a stock photography business ($14.6K/month)
As a real estate agent, you're already taking high-quality photos to showcase properties, so why not leverage those skills to start a stock photography business? You could earn extra money by selling your photos to businesses, website owners, and bloggers who need beautiful, professional images for marketing and advertising.
Investing in good photography gear can enhance the quality of your stock photos, making them more appealing to potential buyers. With an impressive portfolio and a strong online presence, you could generate passive income by uploading your best images to stock photography websites. This could be a great way to supplement your real estate income without needing to take on extra hours or new clients.
How much you can make: $1,200 — $45,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $3,500 (?)
How long does it take to build: 60 days (?)
Pro Photo Studio founder Tsour Lee Adato shares how she turned a $5k investment into a business that services over 500 clients annually and makes approximately $350k per year with plans to expand and become a 7-figure business while offering advice to fellow entrepreneurs to always be innovating, learning and growing, and not to undervalue themselves.
8. Make passive income with a YouTube channel ($72.1K/month)
As a real estate agent, starting a YouTube channel could be a smart way to share your expertise and reach a broader audience. You could create content such as home tours, market updates, and tips for both buyers and sellers, providing valuable information that establishes you as a knowledgeable professional in your field.
By regularly posting engaging and informative videos, you could attract a dedicated following. This, in turn, can lead to earning passive income through ads, sponsorships, and even merchandise. While starting a YouTube channel requires effort and consistency, the potential for additional income and increased visibility makes it a compelling option.
How much you can make: $2,000 — $333,333/month
How much does it cost to start: $5,250 (?)
How long does it take to build: 30 days (?)
This case study follows the journey of a young entrepreneur from Nigeria who started a profitable blog generating a monthly revenue of $1,500+ through sales of advertising space, sponsored posts, and information products, and shares his strategies for success including a Twitter growth challenge and guest post pitches.
9. Make passive income with a niche website ($107K/month)
As a real estate agent, you could supplement your income by creating a niche website that focuses on a specific aspect of the real estate market you're passionate about and knowledgeable in. This could be anything from luxury property tips, real estate investment strategies, or even home staging ideas. Your specialized content could draw in a dedicated audience interested in your expertise, driving traffic to your site.
Monetizing your niche website could involve affiliate marketing, where you earn commissions by promoting relevant products and services, ad placements that generate revenue from traffic, or selling digital products like e-books or online courses. With consistent effort in creating valuable content and optimizing for search engines, your site could start to attract loyal followers and become a reliable source of passive income. Starting a niche website allows you to leverage your real estate knowledge in a new and potentially rewarding way.
How much you can make: $400 — $250,000/month
How long does it take to build: 60 days (?)
DPW (Digital Procurement World) is a fast-growing conference and community in procurement that has more than tripled in revenue since launching in 2019, capping out the year at €1.8 million, with 95% of their growth coming from inbound traffic leveraging LinkedIn and applying social selling techniques.
10. Print on demand business ($411K/month)
As a real estate agent, starting a print-on-demand business could be a smart way to supplement your income without requiring much upfront investment. You could create and sell custom products like apparel, home goods, phone cases, and other merchandise, all featuring unique designs that resonate with your personal brand or local real estate market. Think about offering items with motivational quotes for home buyers, trendy real estate slogans, or designs highlighting popular neighborhoods in your area.
Utilizing online platforms like Amazon, eBay, and Etsy could allow you to reach a global audience while you focus on your real estate career. Since print-on-demand businesses operate with minimal startup costs and don't require you to hold inventory, you could run this side business from home and at your own pace. This setup enables you to monetize your creativity and gradually scale up your business, providing an additional, passive income stream alongside your real estate ventures.
How much you can make: $200 — $3,000,000/month
How long does it take to build: 30 days (?)
Time commitment per week: Min. 5 hours/week
Founder Roy Kirchner shares how he started an eCommerce business specializing in 3D printing with an initial investment of $65,000, which now averages monthly gross sales of $330,000 and has partnered with international manufacturers and local businesses while offering technical support and education.
11. Make passive income with a podcast ($97.9K/month)
As a real estate agent, starting a podcast could be a great way to supplement your income and share your knowledge about the housing market. By discussing topics like buying tips, selling strategies, or market trends, you could attract listeners who are interested in real estate. This can not only build your reputation as a trusted expert but also generate opportunities for advertising or sponsorship from businesses in related fields.
To keep costs low initially, you could focus on using basic recording equipment such as a microphone and headphones. Hosting platforms, some of which are free or affordable, can make it easier to publish your episodes. Promoting your podcast through social media and online communities can help you grow your audience, opening up possibilities for extra income through sponsorships or ads as your listener base expands.
How much you can make: $400 — $1,020,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $2,000 (?)
How long does it take to build: 60 days (?)
Time commitment per week: Min. 2 hours/week
A successful podcast production company that grew from one client making $15/hour to a team of 10 contractors producing over 30 shows per week with revenue of over $10k/mo, primarily through referrals and with a focus on providing high personal touch and being picky about working only with clients who are a good fit.
12. Make passive income with an ai based business solution ($55.8K/month)
As a real estate agent, you could consider starting an AI-based business solution to supplement your income and simplify your daily tasks. For instance, AI tools can automate repetitive tasks such as managing listings, scheduling appointments, and even generating leads, freeing up more of your time to focus on closing deals. Additionally, AI can provide valuable insights into market trends and customer preferences, helping you make better data-driven decisions and customize your services to clients' needs.
Moreover, you don’t need a tech background to get started. Many platforms offer user-friendly interfaces and reliable support, making it easy for you to implement AI solutions in your business. As businesses increasingly recognize the advantages of AI, launching an AI-based service could give you a competitive edge in the real estate market and open new revenue streams.
How much you can make: $4,000 — $120,000/month
How long does it take to build: 125 days (?)
Mikkelsen Twins grew an online education company from scratch with over 800 students, making over 6-figures in profit every month thanks to their successful program, Audiobook Income Academy 2.0.
13. Make passive income with a mobile app ($70.3K/month)
As a real estate agent, you could turn your industry insights into a profitable mobile app. For example, you might develop an app that helps clients track property listings, find comparable home prices, or get reminders for important dates like open houses and contract deadlines. This kind of tool could become invaluable not only to your clients but also to other real estate professionals.
Creating a mobile app involves planning, designing, and testing to ensure it's user-friendly. While you need some knowledge of coding or the budget to hire a developer, the potential rewards are worth it. By effectively marketing your app and solving a common problem, you could open up a steady stream of passive income.
How much you can make: $1 — $500,000/month
How long does it take to build: 180 days (?)
BACH, an app that plans and books bachelorette parties, has grown from $0 to >$1M net revenue run rate in less than 6 months, gained over 100,000 users in their first 60 days, and has over 40,000 parties using the app this month.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
