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32 Journal REAL ESTATE AGENTS' LONG-TERM CAREER SENTIMENT DIPS A record number of Americans have become real estate agents in recent years, and while it can be a challenging career for newcomers, only 4 in 10 new real estate professionals are confident about having a long-term career in real estate, according to Realtor.com's new #rivePastFive study. Realtor.com recently surveyed more than 2,000 agents to gain insights into their top challenges, what separates new and experienced agents, and what it takes to find success in those critical early years and has translated it into insights specifically designed to help new agents succeed. Having a great mentor and cash reserves, as well as spending money on market- ing and making a full-time commitment during those first few years in real estate are all vital for an agent's long-term success, according to the study's results. ere are many different reasons why so many decided on a real estate career, from it being a flexible career option for those seeking balance and autonomy, to the clients, the lifestyle it provides, and the income potential. Despite it being a hot career choice for many, real estate is not easy, and every agent faces different chal- lenges, from a lack of knowledge and training at the start of a career to growing a client base and understanding how to effectively convert leads, and too many agents don't make it past year five. "In a shifting and ultra-competitive mar- ketplace, with twice as many real estate agents than listings, having insights from experienced agents—80% of whom are confident about making it long term as an agent—about what works best to power business growth has never been more valuable," said Donna August, Vice President of B2B Marketing at Realtor.com. "With 25 years' experience helping agents succeed, Realtor.com is committed to developing tools and insights to help agents who are just starting out, so they can thrive and find success in their early years." Lead Generation Is a Top Pain Point With home inventories rising but still near four-decade lows, it's no surprise that generating new client leads is hands down the top challenge today for agents of all experience levels. In fact, 60% of all agents cited finding new leads as a challenge, and the figure rose to 70% among new agents, those with less than two years' experience. One of the most effective real estate lead generation strategies is to build a strong client network, which can take years for a new agent to grow. Only one-quarter of new agents reported having a network of buyers and sellers that they feel confident about, and nearly half (45%) said they struggle with developing a new client each week; comparatively, 70% of the most experi- enced agents surveyed—or those with 11+ years in real estate—are creating between one to four new client relationships each week. Other top lead generation challenges for