Have you ever wondered if you could enjoy success in the field of real estate? A lot of people think about getting their real estate license and maybe even their brokerage license, in order to pursue a career in a field which will likely always be busy. It seems that no matter where you live, there are careers to be made in the real estate field. Wouldn't it be nice if in addition to the course work, there were manuals which could help you succeed?

Well, in his book Your Successful Real Estate Career, author Kenneth Edwards tries to point newcomers to the field in the direction of success. The book was first published in the United States in 1997, but a recent revised edition came out in 2007. While the basic principles of success still apply to agents today, new chapters take the basics of the book into the New Millennium.

And of course, the new millennium is all about the communications age. Edwards has included a standard length chapter on how the technological revolution has changed the world of real estate. One of the first problems with the book starts right here; while Edwards discusses the advantages of a digital and the access of the Internet, this is a chapter that in itself should and could be much longer. Many would say that the Internet is the key to success for today's real estate agent, from the use of a blog to Search Optimization Strategy, there are many technological tips missing from this too short chapter.

Another worry here is that Edwards' book IS written with the American agent in mind. While the principles of customer support, appropriate interaction, and sales techniques work in part for the Canadian agent, those selling townhouses will certainly have to come up with culturally appropriate strategy, and legal strategy, on their own.

Although the book has been recently updated, even the new edition has its time line problems. Most notably, in 2007 the real estate market in the United States and Canada was not as stagnant as it is today. Tips of staying alive in a tough and overcrowded profession should be included for today's new real estate agent.

What we definitely do like to see in Edwards' book is a nice focus on non-traditional properties and cultural dynamics, both of which can really help new agents in large markets particularly. There are some good principles in these chapters which can greatly help anyone interested in selling and other urban style properties.

Finally, Edwards does not limit his exploration to agency only. While this perspective makes up the majority of the book, he does talk about expanding your career to other real estate fields. A nice touch for those who wish to come out from under the brokerage umbrella someday.

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