My marketing company started as a passion project, a late-night idea born out of my love for systems, storytelling and Canva. I’ve been a real estate agent for nearly 20 years, and I’ve always had a teacher’s heart. What began as a way to help fellow agents communicate their value quickly evolved into a full-blown business offering customizable Buyer and Seller Guides for real estate agents, one-on-one coaching and marketing education.
But here’s the most important thing: My side hustle doesn’t pull me away from real estate. It fuels it.
If you’re thinking about launching a side hustle, the most important question isn’t “What will make me money?” It should be “Will this help me grow my real estate business?”
Here’s what I’ve learned:
1. Keep your side hustle in the real estate ecosystem
If your hustle has nothing to do with real estate, it can slowly steal your time, energy and focus. A completely unrelated side business might be fun, but it won’t build your network, fill your pipeline or reinforce your brand. And eventually, your real estate business will suffer for it. A smart side hustle should grow your visibility, help more people discover your services and, ideally, send you leads or referrals.
For example, I’m a full-time agent in Seattle, and CWJ Marketing helps me connect with agents across the country. These agents begin to know me, trust me and refer me clients when they have someone moving to Seattle.
On the flip side, if you’re considering something like launching a staging business, you might bring in income, but your network will stay largely limited to local agents who may not be in a position to refer clients to you.
2. Evaluate the opportunity cost
My co-panelist at Inman Connect, Megan Romine, said something I thought was incredibly smart: Before you start a side hustle, ask yourself how much time and energy it will take and whether putting that same energy into your real estate business might actually earn you more. Sometimes, the best return on investment is doubling down on your existing business instead of starting something new.
3. Make it something you’re passionate about
For me, the sweet spot was combining my creative brain with my business brain. I love design and writing, and I also love process, structure and marketing. Creating Canva templates for other agents and teaching systems-based success strategies has completely filled my cup. It has never felt like work because I genuinely loved doing it, and the feedback from other agents has proven that it is valuable to them.
4. Say yes to visibility
My first speaking gig was to 25 agents in a conference room. I said yes without hesitation. Over time, those “small” opportunities turned into something much bigger, like standing on a stage at Inman Connect in front of thousands. But it didn’t happen overnight. Say yes to the rooms, the workshops, the Zooms. Even a room of five agents is still five people who now know what you do and might refer you clients one day.
5. Build systems before you scale
One of the most common pitfalls for side hustlers is growing faster than your infrastructure can handle. Before launching anything, take time to map out the entire client experience from how people discover you, to what happens when they click “Buy,” to how you’ll deliver your product or service and handle follow-up questions.
I use Wix to host my website, manage product sales, promote courses and book speaking engagements. Having a single, robust platform to handle it all has been a game-changer. Investing in the right tools early on will save you stress and set you up for sustainable growth. The last thing you want is to be building the airplane while it’s already in flight.
6. Set yourself up for support
Here’s something I need to acknowledge: I couldn’t do any of this without my real estate partner, my husband, Jeremey. Having someone I trust to manage our real estate business is the only reason I’ve been able to grow the marketing business. If you’re a solo agent, it may be worth building support on your team or within your brokerage before adding another business to your plate. A side hustle isn’t free time; it’s a second job.
7. Focus on connection, not just cash
The best side hustles solve real problems and create new relationships. When I teach a class or speak at an event, I’m not just making income; I’m growing a network of agents who now know me, follow me, and think of me when they hear the words “Seattle real estate.” That’s long-term growth. Make sure your hustle helps people, builds trust and opens new doors for your main business.
Side hustles don’t have to compete with your real estate career. When done right, they can strengthen it with new income streams, increased visibility and connections that compound over time.
The key? Make sure your hustle supports the brand you’ve worked so hard to build. Then run with it.
