40-year Douglas Elliman broker to new agents: “Love it or GET OUT”

Agents: Do you love your job? If you don’t or hesitate to answer the question, you might want to consider a new career. Real estate might not be for you — sorry. Sure, you might make it a few years. You might even make some decent money. But to build a lasting real estate career, you need to love it.

After nearly 40 years on the job, Joan C. Billick still loves real estate. I can prove it to you: I had a 20-minute call scheduled with Billick this afternoon. When I looked up to check the time, I realized an hour had passed, and she was still going strong. She remembered the color of the sofas on the terrace of 414 West 52nd Street in 1989 (raspberry) and how many phone lines her buyer had installed in the penthouse for his business (lucky 21). She loves this stuff truly and deeply, and it shows.

Want to know why? Read on for Bliick’s take on why loving real estate is non-negotiable in 2025, along with her other pearls of hard-won wisdom for new agents.

Love it or get out (sorry, not sorry)

I know what you’re thinking. Real estate is just a job. You get up every morning and go to work like everyone else. Does anyone who has worked in real estate for over a month believe that? Billick doesn’t, not even a little bit. When I asked her for her secret to real estate longevity, she didn’t mince words: “You need to love it or get out.”

Harsh? Maybe. But how else do you think you’ll wake up (early!) 6 days a week to cold call, schmooze with past clients, save dying deals and market your personal brand — year after year and with a smile on your face? Because that’s what it takes to build a career as a Realtor. The uncertainty of actually making money alone is enough to convince most new agents to tap out in their first year.

How or why you got into real estate doesn’t matter. Billick was a Catholic school administrator with a master’s degree in psychology. She decided to become a real estate agent on a whim because her friend called and offered her a gig.

Not sure if you actually love real estate? Here are three easy ways to tell: Do you find yourself talking about real estate in your off hours? Does talking about real estate make you happy? How long do you think you would keep me on the phone if I asked you to tell me about your career?

Knowledge is still power in real estate (yes, even in 2025)

Billick was also adamant that loving your job isn’t enough to last in our industry. She credits her success to her deep market knowledge almost as much as her passion for real estate. She is like a walking encyclopedia of arcane knowledge about co-op board packages, building layouts and pretty much anything else a Manhattan homeowner would ever want to know about real estate.

If you want to build a career that lasts as long as Billick’s, you need to master the data in your local market. You also need a strategy to present that data to your leads and clients. Altos makes it easy. They provide automated local market report emails you can send out every week to stay top of mind. Click below to get your first market report for free:

Learn from your mistakes, then never make them again

Like every new agent, Billick made mistakes, and lots of them. Case in point: she told me how she let other agents show her first listing without even talking to her. She was shocked and sheepish about asking her first buyer for his financial statements. She thought it was too intrusive to ask someone how much money they made.

So, if you’re making mistakes, even big mistakes,  rest easy knowing that Billick not only lasted almost 40 years in your job after making mistakes, but she is still regularly lauded as a top agent at Douglas Elliman. She was a top 1.5% agent on the RealTrends Verified list in 2023 and won a Douglas Elliman Pinnacle award the same year. The list goes on.

The trick, according to Billick, is to not just learn from your mistakes, but to stop making them once you do. If that sounds trite, read it again. How many times this year have you made the same mistake you made last year? Promise yourself right now to never make the same mistake again.

Forget scripts — honesty and integrity matter more  

When I pressed Billick for her best scripts and objection handlers, she scoffed. She said she never uses them. Instead, she relies on traits that seem to be in short supply in our industry today: honesty and integrity.

She recounted how she told one big ticket client that he was overpaying, and by at least a million dollars. That meant a lower commission for her, and possibly even losing the deal. She did it anyway. She knew it was the right thing to do and that her clients expected nothing less from her. She knew they would reward her for her honesty in the future.

If you’re a new agent, this might be the most important lesson you can learn. Losing a deal today because you do the right thing for your client is the best way to build a career that lasts. If you already are, keep doing it. If you’re not, start today.

Reputations build long careers   

When I asked Billick about her most precious asset, she didn’t hesitate to say it was her reputation. What good is a massive client database if you tarnish your reputation with half the people in it? Word travels fast, even in a city as big as New York.

Billick said that even after almost 40 years and hundreds of clients, she still guards her reputation like the Hope diamond. She would rather quit than do anything to harm it, and she isn’t planning on quitting anytime soon.

Your turn

Know an agent who’s thriving despite the odds and has actionable insights to share? We’d love to hear from you. Reach out to us here: [email protected].

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