“Real estate agent” is not an easily comparable occupation.

It’s not a nine-to-five job. Agents are not employees. They do not receive quarterly evaluations, and there are no pay raises. Agents do not report to anyone else, and are free to work any way they see fit. Becoming a real estate agent is more like starting a business than getting a job, and though agents may enjoy freedoms that salaried employees do not, they also shoulder the responsibility of keeping that business running.

But no matter how free individual agents are to make business decisions and set their own schedules, if that freedom results in disorganization, there will be consequences for the business. A business plan, therefore, provides structure and a clear path for growth, both of which are key to maintaining a long-term and prosperous career.