Toni Marmo didn’t plan to make a career in real estate. She started studying for her license just to help her boyfriend buy a house. But once she got into it, she realized selling homes fit her personality more than anything she had tried before. The 24-year-old from New Jersey, who has nearly 40,000 TikTok followers, says her outgoing, straightforward style has been an advantage in a field that is still dominated by older agents. “A true entrepreneur doesn’t need to go to college for entrepreneurship,” she said. “You’ve just got it in your body.”
Marmo is part of a small but growing trend of Gen Z workers choosing licensed jobs like real estate and insurance instead of four-year degrees. According to the National Association of Realtors, just 1% of Realtors were under 30 a decade ago. Now that number is closer to 3% in 2025. While still a small share, it reflects a wider shift: young people are seeking work that gives them flexibility, quick entry into the workforce, and pay that can grow with their effort.
Many in Gen Z are skeptical about the return on investment of college. A 2025 Gallup poll found confidence in higher education has fallen sharply, with only 42% of Americans expressing strong trust in it, compared to 57% a decade earlier. Enrollment has also declined, dropping more than 8% since 2010. At the same time, average student debt for young graduates is around $23,000, while some jobs that once seemed secure — like software engineering or consulting — are facing layoffs and disruption from artificial intelligence.
I woke up this morning to a wonderful headline, and a terrific poll. Check it out. https://t.co/ZwqdDm4Sp5 Here are the highlights.
• 51% of total voters believe a 4 year college degree has become less important the last 10 years. 44% say a 4 year college degree has become more… pic.twitter.com/5UGnqV2k2j
— The Real Mike Rowe (@mikeroweworks) June 4, 2024
For some, the answer has been to skip the traditional college route and instead train for licenses that can launch a career in months instead of years. Whitney Harvey, a 30-year-old Realtor in Tennessee, said she left college after realizing she didn’t enjoy the engineering path she first chose. By 18 she was working in real estate, and she remembers being nicknamed “the baby” in her office. She was younger than nearly everyone else in her brokerage, but by posting listings on Facebook, she made her first sale. Soon, even older colleagues came to her for advice on using social media. “I was making $80,000 while my friends were still in school, and they had $80,000 in debt,” she said.
College enrollment has plummeted by 4 million over the last 10 years.
Americans don’t want to go into debt just to be lectured by the woke.
— PublicSquare (@officialpsq) August 19, 2022
Younger agents like Marmo and Harvey say they are often underestimated because of their age, especially since the median age of first-time homebuyers has risen to 38. Clients are sometimes surprised when they meet such young agents, but they say trust grows quickly once they demonstrate knowledge. Katie Kenny, a 24-year-old Realtor in the Chicago suburbs, said, “They expect me to be twice my age. But when I open my mouth and start talking, they’re surprised because I know more than they expect a 24-year-old to know.”
Social media has also become a powerful tool for young professionals in these industries. Agents use TikTok to share behind-the-scenes glimpses of their work, show off open houses, or talk candidly about earnings. Some insurance agents post weekly income breakdowns, drawing attention from peers who want to escape the traditional 9-to-5 job.
At the same time, AI is raising concerns among younger workers, especially in tech. A recent survey found over 60% of the class of 2025 worried AI might affect their careers, up from 44% in 2023. But for real estate and insurance, experts say technology is more of a helper than a replacement. Agents may use AI to draft emails or create digital staging for homes, but relationships and trust remain central to the work. “It can’t open the door, it can’t negotiate with a seller’s agent,” Kenny said.
For the first time, recent college graduate unemployment is higher than total unemployment
Companies are not hiring young employees anymore, likely because of AI automation being right around the corner
We are raising a generation with minimal skills and no job. Won’t end well pic.twitter.com/OLqNMGdg7p
— Boring_Business (@BoringBiz_) May 5, 2025
For Gen Z workers, that mix of autonomy, earning potential, and human connection is appealing. In an era where college feels like a gamble and white-collar jobs are less secure, licensed paths like real estate and insurance are offering an alternative route — one where hustle and personality may matter more than a diploma.
