There Are More Realtors in America Right Now Than Ever Before. Here's What It Really Takes to Succeed by Sarah Max Last year 55-year-old Jill Ballantyne took a big chance. She left the stability of a 27-year career in education to pursue a long-time passion: Selling real estate. “It’s something I really believe in,” she says. Ballantyne isn’t alone in making the leap. A decade after housing crisis, Americans are once again in love with buying, remodeling and selling homes.