CAR,
I also have family in the business.
My great grandfather started selling real estate part time out the office of a Michigan lumber mill in 1905 (the lumber mill being a step up from the coal mine).
He opened his first shop in 1916.
All of his kids went into the business.
To this day, many northern midwest realty firms bear the family name.
His son, my grandfather headed the first MLS in Detroit in the 1930’s.
He then moved to California where he sold or developed most of the Silicon Valley (which was then called the Valley of Hearts Delight).
He and my grandmother (also an agent) lobbied Sacramento for protection of minorities from redlining and steering in the 1960’s (when it was not popular to do so).
My elder aunt (the widow of my pop’s kid brother) was a prominent agent in the Bay Area for many years before retiring.
My younger aunt is still a rather prominent agent there.
I really don’t believe any of that made me particularly knowledgeable about real estate but maybe your experience was different.
It did teach me about getting deals to work and about being honest.
However, I think actually doing real estate is the only thing that actually helps you understand it in any meaningful way.
My 2 bits.
