- It takes longer and costs a lot more to get a license and close your first deal than many realize. Make a financial plan, and choose the right brokerage for you.
The million dollar listers, flippers and fixer-uppers on TV make real estate look glamorous, easy and fun. You get to make huge amounts of money on one deal, exercise your creative and design muscles and meet new people — all in a day’s work, right?
So you’ve done some research and walked through more open hoses than you can count. And you think that getting your real estate license is your next move.
But before you jump into this exciting and challenging industry, here are six important things you need to know.
1. It’ll take longer than you think to get your license
The process of getting your real estate license varies from state to state. For most states, the requirements for getting your license include taking a real estate laws and theories class, passing an exam at the end of that class and then taking and passing the state-sanctioned licensing test. There are several different ways you can take these classes including online, in-person and a combination of live streaming and classroom time. Unless you are taking a single-week, cram course, your studying and exam prep will take longer than you think. You should expect a minimum of two to three months just to get licensed. And that timeline is assuming you pass the exam the first time you take it. Plus, if you fail the exam the first time, you will have to wait upward of another month before you can take the exam again. However long you think it will take to get your license, add at least another two months to your timeline.2. Getting a license costs more than you think
The biggest hurdle most individuals who get their real estate license come across is the amount of money it can take to start being a real estate agent. You can expect to spend a minimum of $1,000 in your first year simply on licensing and fees. And that doesn’t even cover any of the actual business expenses it takes to do any of the job functions required of an agent. You will probably spend around $200 – $400 on courses, textbooks, exam prep and testing. You can expect to spend another $400 – $800 on Realtor association dues at the local, state and national level. Plus there are MLS fees on top of those dues. On top of that, you might even have to pay your brokerage money just for being an agent under that brokerage. All these fees would then be on-going for the rest of your career as an agent with that brokerage. Why does it cost so much to be a real estate agent? Being a real estate agent isn’t just a job. It’s a career as a business owner. As an agent, you will be an independent contractor for a real estate broker. The best way to think of an independent contractor is like a small business. In this case, this small business is you as a licensed real estate agent. You are the CEO of your own small business. As such, you should treat yourself like a small business owner. Do you think it doesn’t cost any money to open a restaurant? Or become a doctor? Or to own a bowling alley? Or a mobile pet grooming salon? No. It costs money to open and run any business. Just like it will cost you money to open and run your small business in the real estate industry.3. All brokerages are not created equally
There is a reason there are several thousand real estate brokerages across the country. Every single one is unique and offers different services and tools to its agents and clients. It is up to you to pick the real estate brokerage that is best suited to fit your needs and wants. There are six things you should look at when selecting a real estate brokerage:- Education and training
- Branding, advertising and marketing services
- Technology tools
- Lead generation
- Compensation plans
- Company culture