The rebound in the Quad-City housing market also is creating a renewed interest in real estate as a career, according to Caroline Ruhl, president of Ruhl & Ruhl Realtors. Part of the growth may come from the fact that last year's weakened housing market drove a lot of agents out of the business.

The number of agents registered with the Quad-City Area Realtor Association decreased from 856 a year ago to 805 this month.

"You couldn't dabble in the difficult market; you had to be full-time," Ruhl said, adding that the market accelerated some retirements and ended a lot of part-time careers.

Kris Ratigan, marketing director for the Mel Foster Co., agreed, adding that while the market was down it was a tough time for recruiting. Mel Foster has lost about 25 agents since January - mostly from retirements, she said. But interest is growing again. Mel Foster's upcoming informational class is fuller than it has been for the past two sessions.

"You had to be pretty passionate and get it in your blood to succeed and hang through tough times," she said.

Ruhl said with the economy the way it is, qualified candidates are turning to real estate. "What we're seeing is a lot of people who are leaving their original careers … a lot of mature, middle management who are ready to own their own businesses, which is what real estate is," she said.