Side Income for Real Estate Agents: 5 Ways to Earn Between Closings

Commission income is naturally lumpy — here's how agents smooth it out with adjacent, license-relevant work instead of an unrelated side gig.

Real estate agents already sit close to several other paid services in the transaction process. Rather than picking something unrelated to real estate for side income, most agents do better staying adjacent to the deals they already understand. Here are five options and the real trade-offs of each.

Notary signing work and BPOs are the fastest to add on since they use skills you likely already have; staging and co-hosting require more setup (inventory or client relationships) but can pay more per engagement once established.

Where the real money is

1 Become a notary loan signing agent

NNA or Loan Signing System certification qualifies you to handle closings for other agents' and lenders' transactions, typically $75-200 per appointment. The catch: title companies and signing services often prefer notaries with a track record, so your first bookings take some hustle. Getting started: complete NNA or Loan Signing System training, then reach out directly to a few local title companies to introduce yourself as a new signing agent.

2 Do broker price opinions (BPOs)

Banks and asset managers pay for quick property valuations, typically $50-125 per BPO. The catch: per-BPO pay is modest, and volume from any one company can dry up without notice. Getting started: sign up with a few BPO/valuation companies that work with banks and asset managers in your area.

3 Offer home staging

Whether through DIY staging consulting or a partnership with a staging company, this runs $300-1,500 per listing. The catch: staging requires either inventory (furniture and decor) or a partnership with a stager — both take upfront investment or relationship-building. Getting started: stage one of your own listings yourself first to build sample photos before pitching staging as a paid service to other agents.

4 Co-host short-term rentals for investor clients

Managing listings, guest communication, and cleaner coordination for investor clients commonly pays 10-20% of booking revenue. The catch: co-hosting means being on call for guest issues at odd hours, and local short-term-rental regulations can change the rules on you. Getting started: start co-hosting for a single investor client you already know before advertising the service more broadly.

5 Handle transaction coordination for other agents

Busy agents on your team or brokerage pay a flat fee per file for paperwork and deadline management, often $300-600 per closed transaction. The catch: this pulls you into other agents' deal timelines, which can compete with your own client work during busy periods. Getting started: offer transaction coordination to one busy agent on your team at a discounted rate to build a track record.

How much should you realistically expect?

An agent doing a handful of notary signings or BPOs a month can realistically add $200-600/month between closings. Staging and co-host work pay more per engagement, often $300-1,500, but depend on maintaining a small base of repeat listing or investor clients. As with any of these, treat the first few weeks as a trial run to see how the extra hours actually feel before committing to a regular weekly schedule.

Questions worth answering before you start

Do I need separate licensing to do notary signings as an agent?
Yes — real estate licensing doesn't cover notary work; you need a separate state notary commission plus typically a loan-signing-specific training course.

Can I co-host short-term rentals in any market?
No — check your local short-term rental regulations first, since many cities restrict or require permits for STRs, and rules have been changing frequently in a lot of markets.

Does transaction coordination require a real estate license?
Requirements vary by state — some states require TCs to hold a real estate license for certain tasks, so check your state real estate commission's rules before offering the service broadly.

Which of these is fastest to start?
Notary signing work and BPOs are the fastest to start since neither requires building inventory or a client base first, unlike staging or co-hosting.

The bottom line

Between closings, notary signing work and BPOs are the fastest way to add income without building new client relationships from scratch. Staging and co-hosting pay more per engagement but work best once you've got a small base of repeat listing or investor clients.

A few other guides overlap with the transaction and client-services side of this work. See Side Income for Accountants: 5 Ways to Freelance With Your Credential, Side Income for Retirees: 5 Low-Stress Ways to Earn Extra Money, and Side Income for Photographers: 5 Ways to Book More Paid Work.

Income figures above are general ranges reported by workers and industry sources at the time of writing, not guarantees — actual pay depends on your market, experience, and platform terms, which change over time. Always confirm current licensing, certification, and platform requirements before starting any of these.