A recent recruitment effort by Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Northern California netted more than 1,000 potential new agents, almost double the number originally estimated by the company when it launched the recruiting program in January. More than 600 of the new recruits have already gone through the real estate licensing process and the company's training program.

"The level of interest we've received is far beyond anything we could have imagined," said Avram Goldman, president of Coldwell Banker in the Bay Area. "Our career development counselors are being flooded with calls, about 100 every single week. It's all they can do to keep up with the inquiries."

With the slump in the high-tech industry and the debacle of the dot-coms, many workers are reevaluating their priorities as well as their career paths. Today, real estate is a viable option for those who are switching careers or for recent college grads who want to make real estate their first career.

Coldwell Banker's director of career development, Diane Flannigan, said the applicants are coming from a variety of fields, including marketing, corporate sales, information technology and the legal profession. While historically people have often entered real estate after retiring from another career, the new trend shows demographics are changing.

"These people are younger, looking to make real estate a career and are treating it like a business and not a hobby," Flannigan said. "These folks are bringing a lot to the table, including an understanding of the corporate world, as well as good marketing and negotiation skills."

While these new recruits bring valuable experience from other industries, real estate is a whole new ballgame, with its own set of skills. That's why Coldwell Banker is providing a comprehensive training and mentoring program to help new agents get up to speed.

Ed Graziani, branch manager of Coldwell Banker's office at Stevens Creek in Cupertino, believes the company's training program gives agents a firm foundation for understanding real estate. Training classes, offered three days a week, cover contracts and disclosures, accountability, working with buyers and sellers, as well as objection handling and analysis of the current market. In addition, local managers and seasoned Realtors are paired with new recruits to provide guidance and encouragement.

"The training program is a precision instead of shotgun approach. It's like being in an M.B.A. program," said Graziani. "The mentoring program gives new recruits the ability to bounce ideas off a professional and helps them gain a real understanding of the business."

For new recruit Mike Shields, the road to real estate started when he made a spur-of-the-moment decision to resign from his job as director of marketing at a high-tech company.

"After my mother's death, I realized I was burned out. I walked into my office and resigned. I had no idea what I was going to do. I thought about opening my own business or owning a franchise," said Shields, who admits it was a "gutsy move" to leave his job. "I went for career counseling and one thing that came up was being a Realtor. I'd never thought about it, but my interests and skill set matched."

Shields began investigating the career and quickly decided he wasn't just going to get a real estate license. Because of his background in marketing, he wanted to understand the "product and industry." While taking classes to get his agent's and broker's license, Shields began interviewing with small and large companies to find a good training program and the right fit.

"I chose Coldwell Banker because I liked the people and their training program, which is called Career Track. It's a fantastic introduction to the industry," said Shields. "Because of my business background, I found I liked the commercial side and am now focusing on multi-residential, commercial and residential."

Shields sits in with one of his mentors, Pat Conkin, on a weekly basis. "He provides lots of guidance, and I get clear direction. I'm always checking with him to make sure that the best interests of my buyers and sellers are protected and that they get the best deal possible. I've found that my clients appreciate this approach because they are not just getting one person but a whole team behind me," said Shields.

What kind of advice does a mentor pass on to a new recruit? Conkin said it all comes down to honesty and integrity. "My best advice is to always be honest and use integrity when dealing with clients. It will always pay off. Don't just tell them what they want to hear," said Conkin.

Shields has taken this advice to heart. One of the reasons he chose real estate in the first place was because of his personality profile, which ranked high in honesty and integrity as personality traits.

"I was leery that real estate might be about high-pressure sales, but it's really more about guidance than anything else. What is the right thing to do for the customer? I want to hold up my head in the community. Honesty and integrity are practiced here on a daily basis," said Shields.

Looking back, Shields said, he has no regrets about leaving his high-tech job, except that he wishes he had done it sooner. His goal is to meet his business plan by building a client base and continuing to make sales. In order to do that, Shields said, he will follow another piece of advice from his mentor—"network and talk to as many people as humanly possible."