Retail is not a word I hear too often.

I wouldn't say either is easier necessarily as that would depend on how you run your business and your clients. Either could be lucrative depending on clients

Neither are any easier.  I work with both.  Both have to find homes at the right price point.  With investors that is harder to do, because they need to pay for fixup and turn a profit.  Homes are sold as-is out here and with a super hot seller's market, more and more sellers won't do a thing for repairs.  That's harder for the "retail" buyer to deal with.

I cringe at the word 'retail'. I think that investors are a pain in the arse & are often know it alls with money. First time buyers are usually pretty amiable until they get scared. More hand holding/teaching involved with first timers.

Investors can be just as dangerous.

Better / more lucrative / easier is in the eyes of the individual.  Most would say listings are the easiest but I always enjoyed working with buyers.  Of course I did both but whatever you are passionate about and work effectively will be lucrative.  It is a personal preference.  

I was a buyer agent approx 38 years ago for about 10 months....then I quickly learned how to list by networking and having "bird dogs" set me up with business until I made enough money to do self promotion.... the rest is history!!

I've done both. Neither is easy.

work with both

I like both.

Retail agent? Haven't heard an agent called that before

Nothing worth having in life is easy.

Nothing is easy in this business. I prefer represnting the listing. But when it comes to buyers for me it is investors.

Investors are repeat customers. Does that answer your question?

Investors are not emotional and can make many offers at one time. I work an investor and we make about 10 a week. Some of them stick.

I do investment full time but it requires more than your normal expertise.

Subjective answers. If ones skills bank lines up with the profession, easy-peasy takes place. If new growth, staggered results and if doing it without heart, results will follow but with stress and no personal pay-off

I have worked with both investors and owner occupants. Investors tend to be savvy and know what they want. I prefer putting people in homes they will enjoy, but have no problem selling to both!

Option 1 - Investor's buyer agent. This option is viable ONLY if you also list the property. IF the investor is holding the real estate you won't make any $$$.

Secondarilythe traditional source of investor grade property is extremely competitive. Unless you have the resource and 'COMMITTED' investors to fish further upstream, this will become an increasingly tight and competitive market.

Option 2. Retail buyers agent. This oion leads to a quicker payday, no negotiation regarding compensation, fewer marketing expenses and more resources to attract clients. This segment is where most agents spend the first five years of their career until their previous buyers become sellers. The majority of agents with over ten years experience are listing agents due to this natural evolution of business.

Option 3. Become a retail owner/sellers agent. Some who advise real estate agents repeat "List to last" regarding a golden rule of real estate.

With listings an agent will attract both buyers and sellers. They spend more on self promotion and infrastructure. They will need more resources in order to provide solutions for the unforeseen problems sellers have, will create or surface in the process.

What is best for you depends on your resources, skills, experience and budget.

There are a hundred ways to fail and a thousand ways to succeed. Those who reach the business owner level of real estate did so by following a business plan that identified their business. The others thought they could succeed practicing accidental real estate. That usually does not end well.

You may find the book 'Get On The Right Track - Breaking The Failure System" beneficial in creating your business plan.

Thirty years in real estate, always residential owner occupied properties.  Good luck working with investors. 

Welcome to ActiveRain.  Look forward to reading your posts about working with investors.

I work with both. For me it's not the catagory/type of real estate the buyer is buying but more fundamental personality traits that determine which is better. In other words, I've had both great and tough clients in both catagories.

I believe there is no blanket "better" "more lucrative" or "easier" route in this or any business.  That's what great about real estate -- so many different directions and finding what works best for the individual.  

Aaron Sorensten - anyone who has firm plan to buy should be the one you want to work with.

Investors do NOT have emotional appeal - it's the price and ROI for them. So, they need to be 'tackled' differently.

Neither, being the listing agent as buyers are attracted to you naturally

Aaron, I think that in real estate you are better off being, well, multi-lingual!  It's good to have a niche, but you're better off if you can learn to work well with both types of buyers.

Definitely Retail Buyers agent over Investor Buyers Agent

I have worked with investors for the past 14 years and more.

Listing agent.

Do what you do best.

Investors know what they want and try not to waste your time or theirs.

You will get as many differnt answers as there are agents. If you are looking to do whatever is better, more lucrative and easier in RE, good luck.

I like working with investors as well, but any buyer who has a solid financing is good for my business. 

It depends on many factors.

Residential Buyer's Agent.

 You work with both to stay busy. I have some affluent investors-flippers who have unrealistic expectation that homes will be transferred at very low price to them only when owners have no problem sell it at market or over market price.

Good Question, will have to watch the comments.