Week 6: Location, Location, Location — Real Estate Careers

5th Six Weeks | Business, Marketing & Finance Cluster | 5 class periods (50 min each)

Lesson Objective

Students explore real estate careers through the Hats & Ladders Business, Marketing, and Finance cluster; research Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) licensing requirements; compare commission-based income to salary-based income; connect entrepreneurship concepts to real estate careers; and analyze the DFW real estate market as a career destination.

Demonstration of Learning

"I can describe at least three real estate careers with their licensing requirements, explain the difference between commission-based and salary-based income, and analyze why the DFW real estate market creates strong career opportunities."

TEKS Alignment

d(2)(A): Research and describe applicable licensing requirements for real estate careers.
d(3)(I): Define entrepreneurship and identify entrepreneurial opportunities in real estate.
d(5)(A): Analyze labor market trends in the DFW real estate market.
d(1)(C): Identify career opportunities within the Business, Marketing & Finance cluster.

Materials Needed

Chromebooks with internet access (1 per student)
Hats & Ladders student accounts + H&L Workbook (Ch 5: Business, Marketing, and Finance, pp. 71-87, confirms Real Estate as one of six pathways on p. 72)
BLS, Real Estate Brokers and Sales Agents: bls.gov/ooh/sales/real-estate-brokers-and-sales-agents.htm
Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC): trec.texas.gov
Zillow or Realtor.com for DFW home prices
Printed Commission vs. Salary Comparison worksheet
Printed Real Estate Career Research Sheet
Printed TREC Licensing Requirements handout

Career Connection

Real estate is a career that blends sales skills, market knowledge, and entrepreneurship. In the DFW metroplex, one of the fastest-growing real estate markets in the country, agents, brokers, appraisers, and property managers have extraordinary opportunities. What makes real estate unique is the income model: most real estate agents work on commission, meaning they earn a percentage of each sale rather than a fixed salary. Income is directly tied to effort and skill.

Real estate also has a strong entrepreneurship connection: most agents are independent contractors who essentially run their own business. Texas requires a TREC (Texas Real Estate Commission) license, which students can begin earning right out of high school through specific coursework.

What is Happening at Irving ISD? Real Estate is offered at MacArthur High School as part of the Business, Retail Management and Entrepreneurship school. Students who pursue the MacArthur Real Estate pathway can begin building industry knowledge and prepare for the Texas Real Estate Sales Agent exam (TREC requires a minimum age of 18 to sit for the exam).

Vocabulary

Real Estate Agent: A licensed professional who helps people buy, sell, or rent properties. Agents must pass a state licensing exam.
TREC: Texas Real Estate Commission, the state agency that regulates real estate licensing in Texas.
Commission: A payment based on a percentage of a sale. Real estate agents typically earn 2.5-3% of a home's sale price per transaction.
Broker: A real estate professional with additional training and licensing who can manage other agents and run a brokerage firm.
Appraiser: A licensed professional who determines the market value of a property.
Entrepreneurship: Starting and running your own business. Real estate is the most common path to entrepreneurship in this cluster.

Bridge to Theory (Hats & Ladders)

The H&L workbook Ch 5: Business, Marketing, and Finance (pp. 71-87) is the anchor chapter. The workbook confirms six pathways in the cluster on p. 72: Accounting and Financial Services, Business Management, Entrepreneurship, Marketing and Sales, Real Estate, and Retail Management. The Real Estate pathway description: "Helping people buy, sell, or rent homes and buildings."

Students explore real estate Hats in the app using the Hat Finder. They pull salary, licensing, and demand data, and then apply the entrepreneurship standards from earlier in the year to recognize that real estate is one of the most common entrepreneurship paths.

Students also reference the Ch 5 Powerskill: Written Communication (p. 80), which is critical for real estate agents who must write listing descriptions, contracts, and client communications.

IISD Instructional Strategies

Gallery Walk: Four posted career profiles (Agent, Broker, Appraiser, Property Manager) with income data. Students rotate and note commission vs. salary roles.
Modeling: Teacher models a commission calculation on the projector, if a home sells for $350,000 at 3% commission, how much does the agent earn? How many sales per year to earn $75,000?
Think-Pair-Share: After commission math, students discuss whether variable income appeals to them personally.

Week at a Glance

Day	Focus	Key Activities	Deliverable
1	Real Estate Career Exploration	H&L Business/Finance cluster + Gallery Walk of real estate roles	Real Estate Career Research Sheet
2	TREC Licensing + Commission Math	TREC website research + commission calculation worksheet	Completed Commission vs. Salary worksheet
3	Entrepreneurship in Real Estate	d(3)(I) review + DFW market analysis	Entrepreneurship reflection (1 page)
4	Market Trends + Career Plan Update	DFW real estate trends research + H&L Career Plan update	Market Trends notes + updated Career Plan
5	Real Estate Pitch + 5SW Reflection	Elevator pitch activity + full 5SW reflection + semester preview	2-minute pitch + 5SW reflection journal

Formative Assessment

H&L real estate exploration quality (Day 1): d(2)(A)
Commission vs. Salary worksheet math accuracy (Day 2): d(2)(A)
Entrepreneurship connection quality (Day 3): d(3)(I)
Labor market trends analysis (Day 4): d(5)(A)

Summative Assessment

5th Six Weeks Portfolio Check (Day 5): Students submit their updated My Career Journey reflection, completed personal budget (from Wk5), cost of living comparison (Wk5), and real estate career research. Scored on: budget quality (d(5)(D): from Wk5), licensing knowledge (d(2)(A)), entrepreneurship understanding (d(3)(I)), and labor market analysis (d(5)(A)).

Differentiation

Scaffolded Learning

Commission calculation examples with step-by-step math worked out for students who need support
Simplified TREC licensing research guide with specific website pages pre-bookmarked
Allow students to complete the elevator pitch in written form rather than presenting orally
Pre-filled Gallery Walk notes for one career

Extensions

Research the difference between a real estate agent and a real estate investor (flipping homes, rental properties, REITs)
Calculate total commission earned over a 20-year real estate career with increasing sales volume and home prices
Compare TREC licensing requirements to real estate licensing in California or New York, how do they differ?
Research current DFW average home prices by neighborhood and identify which zip codes have the highest commission potential

ELL Language Support

Pre-teach: Real Estate = Bienes raíces, Commission = Comisión, License = Licencia, Appraiser = Tasador, Broker = Corredor
Commission math worksheets use numbers and formulas that are language-accessible
Bilingual TREC research guide with Spanish headers
Pair ELL students with bilingual peers during the elevator pitch activity