About Brenda Savage
Brenda Savage is a Real Estate Broker and Instructor licensed in the State of Arizona. She has been active in the real estate industry since 1988, and has been a Real Estate Instructor since 1999.
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Real Estate License
How to obtain your real estate salesperson license
Every state has its own requirements regarding real estate licensing. The best place to start is to find your state's Department of Real Estate online. For example, if you search "California Department of Real Estate", your first result will lead you to: http://www.dre.cahwnet.gov/. Do the same search for Texas Department of Real Estate, and you will find the link to: http://www.trec.state.tx.us/index.asp. Although the Real Estate Division for each state may be named differently, each should be easy to find following this procedure.
Next, read through the education and eligibility requirements. Assuming that you meet those requirements, take the next step! However, before beginning your real estate classes, I strongly suggest you invest some time in speaking with other licensees. Note that I recommend speaking with licensees, plural! Try to get a moment to discuss a career in real estate with as many different agents and brokers as possible, so that you can get a true feel for what it takes to become successful in real estate sales. There is a very high "drop out" rate in our industry, and the main reason is that people truly don't understand the commitment and time needed to truly become successful. On average, about 2 out of 3 new licensees will be out of the real estate business within 18 months of getting their license. To make sure you are on the correct side of that statistic, get a realistic concept of the tasks you will need to complete on a daily basis, to build and grow your business.
Some states require that a brokerage sponsor you into your classes, other states allow for you to choose your brokerage later, and other states require that all licensees are themselves, brokers. The brokerage that you choose will be one of the absolute most important decisions you will make in your real estate career. Yes, even your first brokerage. Because your first brokerage, if chosen well, should hold the opportunities for you to build your business today and 5 and 10 years from today. the less times you change brokerages in your career, the better. Every brokerage change will cost you business, time, and money. even if you think you have found a better financial deal than the one you have with a current brokerage. So, as you begin your business, look at many brokerages, and look at their Compensation Plans with an eye not only to what is provided to you as you begin your career, but also what each plan provides for later in your career. is there a transition plan to a higher commission split or a 100% plan? Will the company support you in legal matters? Are there knowledgeable experts that are easily available to you should you have questions? Is there a spirit of camaraderie within the office, or is it more "cut-throat"? Is recognition important to you? Does the company offer awards and recognition? What is the public perception of the company, and what perception do you want your potential clients to associate with you and your company?
Too many new licensees fail to look at obtaining their real estate license as they would, had they decided to invest in a business. Before embarking on a new business venture, wouldn't you do an enormous amount of research on the business itself, on competing businesses, on marketing plans, client base, public perception, business plans, and whether or not a profit can be made? Of course you would! Yet every day, people invest a great deal of time and money into getting their real estate license, with no idea of what would help them be successful, or if the actual work involved suits their personality!
As you can see, there is much to be considered in getting your real estate license, if, in fact, you wish to have a profitable, productive, and personally rewarding new career. Do not take this research step lightly. it will set the tone for your new endeavor, and may very well determine if you are the 1 in 3 that stays in real estate, or one of the 2 in 3 that "drops out".
A career in real estate is a wonderful way to make a living. It provides the opportunity for anyone to make very good money while helping people achieve the American Dream. A successful career in real estate will always be diverse and interesting. You will learn new things every day, you will meet and interact with a variety of people from all walks of life, and you will hone skills you never knew you had! It will be demanding, it will require hard work, it will, occasionally be disappointing. But, overall, a career in real estate can be a dream job where you are essentially your own boss, the rewards are great, and in which you will never be bored!