| This qualitative study explored the learning journeys of eight newly licensed real estate agents in Illinois. It examined how these agents viewed the real estate industry, how they learned the business, and how they developed their professional identities.;Semi-structured interviews were conducted monthly with each participant for a six-month period during their first year in the business. The interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed, and coded using a three-phase approach. The initial phase included descriptive, in vivo process and values coding. The second phase used pattern coding and focused coding. The third phase brought the coded data together and created themes.;The emergent themes were knowledge acquisition, or learning the business, and professional identity formation. The theme of learning the business included motivation, preparedness or lack thereof, and learning strategies. Experiential learning was identified as the most commonly used informal learning strategy. Experiential learning activities included participants' own experiences, and vicarious experiences--learning through and from the experience of others.;Identity formation brought in the participants' impressions of real estate agents prior to entering the business, and followed the change and development they experienced as they progressed in their careers, especially in identifying the roles of real estate agents. Three main roles were uncovered: real estate agents as helpers, as purveyors of information, and as nurturers. The notion of success, as expressed by the participants, reflected their perceptions of these functions.;A career trajectory model for newly licensed agents was uncovered. It moved from a negative impression of real estate agents prior to the participants entering the business, the motivation for entering the business with the belief that "I can do better," to a growing frustration. When the frustration hit, the participants assigned blame to external sources--the market, a manager, poor training. Resolutions for the frustration included a renewal of effort, changing offices or companies, and leaving the business. Means of lessening the frustration were extrapolated from the data and expressed in the implications for practice. Implications for research were also included. |
