You do NOT need a degree in real estate or construction management to break into the development gig. What you DO need is experience and getting a real estate license (even if it’s just PT) will gain you the experience you need.

As a former Realtor and Broker of 10+years, let me say that with todays vast online resources available to buyers and sellers, a reasonably intelligent person can navigate the entire buying/selling process without shelling out exorbitant fees! It’s work, but balance that against the cost of say $12,000.00 for selling a $200,000.00 home, and you’ll agree with me that it may be worth the effort!

A great way to start is to make a website and find a niche for that website. Great way to start generating some ad revenues and get your name out there.

Me and a partner started this website bout 3 months ago and we do it part time. We are getting over 200 unique visitors a day and it is solely for Los Angeles. The internet is a great place to start working on your own because it takes very little start up capital.

Check out our site,

This is my business – I work with an affiliate of realtors – we do home inspections and home warranties (do NOT not get a home warranty!!!)

when I need to research a new agent that I haven’t met before I go straight to our local Association of realtors. For example here we have a few – to give you an idea or on the state level it is so you go to these sights it will bring up all of the agents in those orgs and then you can go to their websites and read their ‘about me’ section and see the houses they have either listed or represented the buyer on. or I don’t know if you have mls listings for your area but here it is then you can search the agents. Another thing about going to the mls site is that you can see all of the homes in your area that are for sale right now without having to speak to anyone.

I hope this all helps.

Typically if you have exclusive, or line of site on a good project that you can easily articulate how you can drive a return, finding capital will not be that difficult. I would pursue the following strategy:
-Lock up the real estate/ or at least develop a strong relationship with seller
-Build your financial model that captures the development, operating, and carrying costs to show the projected return on equity for the investor as well as the return to you.
-Create a presentation that articulates the financial return, the sub-market trends, targeted tenants, etc.
-Form an LLC
-Start fund raising.

Once I was looking into buying this condo, the RE agent I didn’t like, but I meet another one at an open house I really liked, so she became my agent on that condo I liked. end of story,
YOUR AGENT will not charge you a dime, they make their earnings from the seller, and belive me, they work their but off on your favor, ONE THING: never go with a listing agent (seller’s agent) as they will allways be partial in favor of their main client, the owner of the selling house

you can become a realestate sales person without a test in some states, in others-theres no such thing. What you need to do is LOOK up your state on the web for a description of what you need.
Example: this is calif links for requirements:http://www.dre.ca.gov/exm_home.html

sure. all you have to do is convince an investor or lender to give you money.

This is a great time to start in the business if you have other income, or if you are willing to work your rear end off.
Since the market is slow you have the time to really learn the business and build up your network and reputation.
Educate yourself about short sales because that is going to be your bread and butter for the foreseeable future.
I fully expect to have a huge jump in sales early next year as buyers realize that the first time home buyer’s and current home buyers tax credits are coming to an end.
It is a great business to be in if you like people and LOVE Real Estate.
It doesn’t hurt to have skills as a counselor, teacher, and psychiatrist!

Your cash; your options.

I wouldn’t expect anyone to invest in you right away till you got an established track record to read from.

You need a team.

See if there are any real estate investment groups in your town. Google it.

Then go to yahoo groups, msn groups and google groups and search for real estate investment groups in your community.

Find out when they meet and go sit in on the meetings. Don’t discuss your plans until you know who you’re dealing with. You’re there to learn first, network second, and do business third.

Your goal is to build your team (investors – contractors – etc)

Well you could get into the education part now. Its very difficult to get a real estate business started. Noone is going to give a loan for it right now. But in the next 5 years or so things should pick up. Personally I think you are crazy. Houses aren’t worth jack right now.

Um DUH! Yellow pages!

You probably should repost your question in the Yahoo Products category – no one from Yahoo is going to see your question in this category. (It’s more of a Yahoo glitch question rather than an actual real estate question).

I like being a real estate agent. I have never found it an easy business to be in.

In almost every state you start out as an agent working for a broker- that is a great system because the emotional support helps when you need it and the inspiration and drive most of us get from other agents in the same office help also.

I have now been a broker for 30 years and love being able to bounce ideas off other brokers and agents that I trust and respect.

I don’t think there is a great time or a horrible time to enter into real estate. There are always positives and negatives. Right now the listings have to be priced much lower than most sellers wish they would be. Buyers have a harder time qualifying than they used to. But you have a great opportunity to learn the facts and ropes and when things loosen up you will be ready to really start earning. If you wait until then to start- no one will know who you are and you won’t have experience to fall back on.

I personally like to go on recommendations. That way you get first-hand insight from someone on what worked/didn’t work.
I used a really great realtor…..you can check him out at:

Very responsive, personalized service. Gave great advice, and really had MY best interest in mind. Very honest and trustworthy….which is kind of hard to come by in the real estate field.

Good luck!!!

Yes, you can break your contract. You do not have to wait for it to run out, you have a right to terminate it whenever you want. However, you will still have to pay the agent’s commission if you break the contract. Also, you may want to find another agent to handle the paperwork with the private buyer, or else a real estate lawyer. The paperwork can be rather complex if you’re not familiar with all the laws.

You may want to work with a few and see which one makes you most comfortable. Since most agents can see all of the same homes available in a given area via an MLS system, the big difference from one agent to another will be experience, drive, personality, and overall knowledge of the market. Don’t waste your time or the agents time. Make sure you have a nice down payment, and get a mortgage pre-qualification so you know exactly what you can afford to look at. Realtor.com is a good place to start. You can also walk into a couple of neighborhood offices and start the process that way. An office where everyone is sitting around is not the right choice. A busy office is always good. They will generate more leads and more contacts, and probably have more listings.

it has its ups and downs
there will be good years and there will be bad ones
lots of agents have quit some businesses have quit, your guess is as good as the next guy

So, your Realtor has a sign in the yard. A snake in the grass sees the sign and says to you that he’ll buy the house if you’re willing to cheat your Realtor (who’s sign led to getting a buyer) out of his earned commission.

How honestly do you think this buyer is going to treat you?

BTW – If he does cheat you out of your house after you’ve cheated your Realtor out of his earned commission, you deserve it.

I need some body to help me for this I can”t do it a none i need help, I dont want make a mistake ,It not a small thing as I think.

unfortunately there’s no such thing as a decent real estate agent… they are basically the same as car salesmen. i am not bashing them, just speaking my mind from experience.
the large corporate real estate agencies have agents that are ’sub contractors’ that work on minimal commissions and pay their own benefits, they are no longer employees of the company…. so what does this mean? it means that they want to sell you a house at any cost. no sale = no pay. no pay = no pay personal bills…
be careful, do your own homework. GET YOUR OWN HOME INSPECTOR THAT IS LICENSED BY THE STATE. using a realtor’s home inspector will get you in trouble. if the home does not pass inspection, then there’s no sale… so most home inspectors that have an affiliation with a real estate co will downplay larger defects in a home so the sale can be made. do not scrimp on a home inspector, get a GOOD ONE!!!

Im a real estate agent, depends on what you are looking for in what area, zillow.com is a great place to start researching and it will show you all the homes for sale in an area and will lead you to an agent

Start with a company like Sotheby’s or another well known high end company.
Get LISTINGS, then offer them to “Celebrities.”
Remember, there are many other home buyers who are very wealthy, so don’t limit your clientele.

Probably not. The listing agent gets paid for any buyer that approaches you during the listing period. Odds are good that they knew the house was for sale by the sign in the yard, so you know you owe them the money.

You do not need a four year degree in most states to become a real estate sales agent. There are many local schools that offer the necessary training to become a real estate agent to include on line schools

You should google Texas Real Estate License requirements. This site should give you enough information about the license requirements.

Sitting in the office listening to the other agents tell you what will not work is not the key to being a successful real estate agent.

The key to having a successful career in the real estate field are simply and easy to follow.

#1 Get the necessary education to get your state license.

A. An internet class would do just fine you are only trying to get your license.

B. If you like to sit through a class then find a real estate school in your local area.

C. Some real estate offices offer career real estate license school in their office

#2 Obtain the necessary continuing education to maintain and keep your license to sell real estate up to date.

#3 Formalize the best marketing plan you can think of to maintain a high degree of referrals and a good customer base.

You may listen to others that are successful and those that are unsuccessful tell you about what they do that work and what they do that don’t work for them.

You are not them so, what might work or not work for them might be the reverse for you. So take what they tell you and put them into something that work for you.

Starting part time might work for some and not for others. It simply depends on how many hours a day you are willing to put into your new career and how bad you want to leave your old career behind. Sometime your present career can be a crutch.

The main thing you want to remember about making real estate your career is that you are working for yourself, so you are the one that have to motivate yourself each and every day.

You want to become an expert in real estate not just a person that sell and list houses. There is a big difference.

There are several marketing techniques that are in use today.

#1 There is telemarketing, but then there is the “Do not call list” So you have to be careful there and not make a mistake or you will be sued. Cost is $11,000 per call for you as well as your employer.

#3 Advertise in the local newspaper that you are now in the business of doing real estate.

#4 You can direct mail to people in your city telling them you are in the real estate business.

I suggest you market yourself by leaving the office and spending time in a area that you want to work and get to know the people that could be your future clients.

Find an area in your city that you want to work approximately 5,000-10,000 houses. Make you enough fliers to cover your area. If you have children this will be a good weekend activity for them as well as yourself. While walking the area passing out your fliers, if you see someone out doing the lawn or just out introduce yourself, give them one of your cards. See if they are willing to give you their name and email address so you can email them, on a monthly basis, things about the real estate industry as well as your monthly newsletter. Place any information you collect in a data base that you should start.

Your flier should tell them a little about you, the high school and college you attended, a little about your family # of children, husbands first name if you have a family yet, a few of the real estate programs that you will be offering and introducing. This is an introductory flier that you can make on your computer. You can get them ran off at Staples or Office Depot.

You should pass these type fliers out at least 3 months in a row. This will let them know that you are sincere and look as if you will be there for them.

You should also visit the local commercial places in the same area. Find out if they will allow you to place a flier holder in their business, give them one of your business cards, find out their
name, write it down you never want to forget it because they will become one of your partners. buy something even if you are gonna give it away and don’t need it. Do this to as many commercial businesses in the area as will allow you to place a flier holder in their place of business. You will find the flier holders at Staples or Office Depot.

Call the post office and inquire about their bulk mailing stamp. Get one and learn the system of bulk mailing.

Also call your title company and get them to provide you with the names of the people in your area that you have been passing out your flier.

Remember your data base you were starting and now should have over a thousand names that you alone should have been able to get if you have been walking the area.

Once you have passed out the fliers for at least 3-4 months start you a newsletter covering topics on the real estate business. Get articles from your local newspaper as well as off the internet. Just remember

Best time to get in is now. Just make sure you have 3 years of business and living expenses covered.

in the REAL YELLOW PAGES!!

I’m not sure that you can ever hire anyone to do a job and be a hunderd percent sure. The best thing that I have found is to take out a 3 THREE Month contract with them and have an option to terminate them for ANY reason if you think they are not doing their job. In general I do think that larger agencies spend more money to advertise. Open houses are helpful

I think it is more incentive to get them to do their job. Keep in mind , that they are not miracle workers , they can’t always control the market conditions, the condition of the house , etc. You also have an obligation to the realtor to do your part to help make a sale. Listen to them for hints about how to improve the curb appeal / inside of house. The staging of the house is very important. Remove extra furniture from room, get pod storage for clutter, empty closets 1/2 way so they look better and keep the place spotless. they will give you lists of stuff to get done before it is even listed. It’s no fun selling a house / but the closings can be worthwhile. Hopefully, this is your payday !

I would interview them / I think all you can really judge in meeting someone 15 minutes is if you like them appearance/personality and think they can sell. The only thing you can do beyond that is make sure the contract is in your favor (listing expires in 3 months not 6 and you have a right to terminate for any cause) and that you do your part in getting house ready and keeping it perfect for showings/open houses.

Good luck!

If your contract is 6 months, then it might be difficult, but I would talk to the agent, and tell him you have decided to take it off the market, or tell him you want to end the contract. Seeing he has not represented you like he is supposed to, that could be a breach of contract, therefore, the contract is null and void. You might need a lawyer, to get out of this. In the meantime, tell the private buyer you are interested in selling to him, or her, then all you have to do is get a real estate attorney, he will draw up the paperwork, and then enter it into escrow, and soon, the house will close, and it is that easy. I did that when I bought my first house, and the seller and I used a lawyer, instead of a Realtor, and by doing this, it saves a lot of money, for the seller. It is the best way to go, as long as you have a good real estate attorney, then you will be protected, and not sued. Also, you can sell your house, AS IS, and you will not have to deal with any repairs.

Good question. Well lets begin here to be honest not all well known Real estate companys are the best! In todays market and having a computer as i now see you really can do your own shopping. Ok now start making a list as you look around thye computer at so many of the homes available. Do you know what your looking for? A big Kitchen, number of bathrooms, neighborhood, room sizes, do you want land? Is it a home that will be a keeper or one to make money with?
Are you looking for a fixer -upper to save money?
The questions can go on and on. But im going to give you the best advice you could ever get! Real Estate is a business! A business to sell homes and please remember they are all on a commission!!! Being a man that Remodels homes you could and would never believe the things i see that people have been stuck with. Don’t jump into anything!
Now when you do find a home you have a deep set interest in…find a friend who is in the same business as myself. Or Hire a company thats does as i do. And pay them to completely check the home from bottom to top! Foundation. Roof, flooring, electrical, plumbing, anything and everything that can go wrong. Believe me this is good advice from someone who knows.
Next be careful who you get your loan from and make sure that it is a FIXED MORTAGE! One that you can afford. And remember that you want to buy in an area that is going to get better. for instance. I have seen many homes that are just beautiful in a neighborhood that is mediocre at best! Do not over buy in a neighborhood. Look at the homes around the one you want to buy. Do the people take care of them? A bad home even down the block can bring your home down as far as worth. Use common sense and im sure you will find many of the ideas i have given you will be good ones that you will use in the purchase of your new home.
Oh and 1 more thing……never let the Realtor know this is your first purchase. Let them know you have a good knowledge. I wish you good luck and God Bless you in your 1st home.

Choose registered nurse. That’s a skill you can always count on. Down the line, it would be easier to get into real estate if you felt like it. The real estate market is horrible now…you’ll starve. I’m not kidding. Good luck!

Most real estate listing contracts have a clause in them which states how you would terminate an agreement (most agents will let you out of the contract quickly) and how long after you are out of the agreement before you will not have to compensate the agent. However, you may want to consider allowing your agent to help you with your contract. In this “lawsuit happy” world, it is important that you make sure you protect your assets. That is what the agents job really is — to make sure you have a clear contract and don’t violate laws. Can you do this yourself, possibly — do you know what information you must disclose to a buyers? Who will hold the good faith money (there is no contract without the exchange of a deposit). What happens if the buyer cannot obtain financing for the home after you have your house off of the market for a month. What about home inspections, title searches, and lead-based paint.
If you are willing to learn about this (or get can find and follow a good book on selling your house), then save your 6%. I hope the person is offering you full price with no contingencies.
BTW, I am NOT a real estate agent, but I work in an office with many of them and hear the stories of deals gone bad due to unethical buyers (and sellers, too).

Are you simply choosing careers that start with “R”?

The are two diametrically opposed fields. Each has it’s own demands, rewards, skill sets and needs.

Wow! It is amazing the advice you are getting. As a realtor I agree with some of the advice but not with all of it.
I am a realtor, originally from NY and now reside in Florida. I was a little bewildered when I was planning to move here and went to a local office of a national company. The training of the agents is usually better but not necessarily so. I was very skeptical about the Mom & Pop real estate shops and now that I work with a lot of them I had the right gut feeling about them.
I frequently deal with people relocating to another area so what I do is I contact a Coldwell Banker office in the city or town where my clients are planning to move. Most national companies have an online directory that you can find by doing a google search ie Coldwell Banker or whatever should bring you to the main site and then you can search for the city or town that you are looking for. You should be given offices in that area and can look up their agents. I prefer being able to call the agents directly off the site and not to have to email them and wait for a response. I interview the broker first. If he is cooperative and understanding of my situation I ask him to recommend his best “Buyers Agent” I then interview that agent.
Some of the points that I look for is:
1. Do they answer their cell phones most of the time or do you get their voice mail?

2. Are they able and willing to disclose how many days a house has been on the market, if they believe the house is priced at, above or below market value and if they think the house will appraise.

3. Will they show houses that are on MLS (multiple listing service) and not just their own office listings.

4. Do they have an automatic email service from their MLS and can they email me listings to view at my leisure.

5. What available mortgage sources do they have and what success do you have in getting houses closed in a timely manner with as least amount of hassles as possible.

This is not an exhaustive list of questions that I ask but I do find that I get a good feel for the caliber of person that I am talking to. If they give me an attitude then I will cut short my interview and go on to the next agent.

If you would like my help feel free to click on my name and email me, I’ll be happy to help you.

Sara

As a Realtor, I would definitely ask several people for referrals for Realtors that they have used in the areas that you are interested in buying.
Then, I would interview them. Ask them for a list of the services that they provide. This list should be extensive. The list should include providing information that is pertinent to purchasing a home, a consultation/counseling session where ideas, information of desired housing needs and have to haves are shared, financing information, time-line when you wish to purchase a home, when you would want or need possession, etc.
Next: Help you narrow your search by Internet use, show you homes on your time schedule, receive sound advice on the homes you are considering, assist you in your decision, you purchase offer, negotiate on your behalf, coach through the financing phase, closing phase,etc. They should be willing to go the extra mile for you.
This isn’t nearly all the services that should be provided, but I am sure you get the picture. An agent that will be there for you is worth every dime that they receive.
The Realtor should listen to you in this consultaion meeting, and take stock in what you say. They should ask you questions about the reasons that you want a basement for instance or a large garage. This will help them to picture you needs. They shouldn/t show you homes where you don’t want to be, Unless they can explain in advance why?

You can look in the local phone book or use the internet, I am a mortgage consultant and if you are successfull with your licensing I would love to network with you so we could expand eaxch others business. you can reach me at

good luck!

You should send the private buyer to your agent. You never know when you are about to be had by someone. You should have contacted your agent after not hearing from them in 30 days….. You must pay a commission under contract. Read your contract and/or ask your agent if you can look for your own buyer and pay a reduced commission.

real estate agent…. Why? because one, real estate agents are or can be there own boss, two, there are no messes to clean, no people to cut open, three,you get lots of cash

If you are in a large city, you might check out some of the local real estate offices, some of them have schools within their organization to assist people they want to hire to get through the school, normally after passing the test and getting your license.

You have to impress them and show them your desire to work with them as a real estate agent, so you would go to this as a job interview, dressed nice, with a resume, potential questions you need answered, so you should make a list of them, don’t be intimated, because you want to see if you will fit in with them also. A Few of the questions you might ask is how many employees do they have in your age group? Do they offer continuing real estate education and does it cost me? What are the chance for promotion.

You might want to do about three of these and select the one you feel you fit in the best after you have considered all that you have learned.

Failure to latch on to one of the firms you interviewed for you just can go out find a local real estate school, attend, finish, get your license, after which you may then go to other places to find a position.

I hope this has been of some use to you, good luck

“FIGHT ON”

That really depends upon what state you live/work in. You can search the Internet for your states Real estate commission website and the information will be listed there.

All of the answers are good…. You need to interview several agents. I would find homes in the area you think that you want to live, look and see who has listings there. Call on the sign and tell them you want to talk about them being your Agent. See who listens to you, see who responds the way you want to be responded to, i.e. courteous, helpful, offers to get you with a reputable lender, etc. Meet with them, see their office and see if you like this person. You are getting ready to make the largest single purchase you have ever made. You will need an Agent who works well with first time homebuyers as you will have more questions than a seasoned one. You will need to understand the process to be able to make good decisions so you will need an Agent who will explain things so you can understand the process. You can go so far as to check with the local real estate commission to see if any complaints have been filed (not necessary but you can do as a precaution based on one answerer’s frightening experience!) on the agent or the broker. Use good sense and interview the agent(s). Ask people at your office, school, or house of worship who they would recommend. But still — interview them and make sure the agent is a good fit for you!!

Depending on the state. The costs will run about 2,000. 500 for the class and about 1500 for the initial set up in your states MIBOR systems. Then you need to join an office, stay away form the big ones that charge alot for deskspace. Try Keller Williams if they have one in your area they charge desk fees of about 100/month.

If you are looking to e a full time realtor, get ready to give 60-70 hours a week for you first 2-3 years. Real Estate is tough everyone is or knows a realtor. You need to be available at the times your clients need you nights/weekends especially. If you are not available, someone else will be

You do not need to be a college grad to be a realtor

Good luck out there

I would call a large real estate office, such as ReMax and ask to speak to the agent who won the “top producer” award last year.

Your listing has a start time and a ending or expiration, there may be a protection clause that the agent will notify you that he was working with a buyer?

Its always best to read the contract and ask a broker or real Estate Attorney your options.

Good Luck

I think either career choice would be good.

Being a Real Estate agent now might not be to good with the housing market.
Being a nurse, there will always be sick people and there are different types of nurses.

Good luck with what ever choice you make.

It varies by state. Go to the state Real Estate Commission for the requirements or ask a broker or agent in that state.

Alaska

sure, but you would still pay the agent his commission,, wait until the contract expires
some contracts say that even if the time has expired, the agent is entitled to fee for so many months, read your contract

No. Check your contract it should say if the house isn’t sold in x amount of days, weeks or months then the contract is done. Check the contract you can get out legally. Don’t mess it up Realtors feed their families on commission so it is a big deal.

yes but still pay commission

If you have a computer then go to and were ever you want to move to then type in real estate. oh and go to goggle first. hope my advice worked.

is useful and important website for solving this question.

I have been a Real Estate Investor for 10 years, you need to put it under your corporation. You may even want to put it under another corporation entirely.

Real Estate investing is a business of only big liabilities. One big mistake can cost you literally thousands of dollars. Of course ricks can always be mitigated you should realize that a bad mistake can tie up all your assets.

I run all of my deals under an LLC it keeps me protected and the tax benefits are decent. Depending on how many deals you are doing you will want to consult with a tax professional as you don’t want to get drawn into huge tax liabilities like being considered a dealer.

I don’t mean to scare you off from real estate investing as I have done it for over 10 years and been quite successful. I have only been sued once and I won my case. With that being said you only have to lose once to be very very sorry so keep it protected their really is no reason not to.

if you are in CA, you can use

i used their online course and passed my exam the first time.

It depends on what your lifestyle is. Real estate agents must work eves and weekends. that is their busiest time. A real estate income is largely dependent on market conditions and commissions.

As a registered nurse, you will probably have to work weekends, nights, holidays, but there is much more flexibility and job security is probably something you wouldn’t have to worry about

Let’s start with the cheapest way to do this…

1. Find a mentor. If you know a friend that works as a real estate agent, a real estate lawyer, etc. — you can ’shadow’ him. Run errands. Like an apprentice.

2. Read books. There’s tons of cheap books on Amazon you can buy. Ever heard of Carleton Sheets? He has infomercials a lot on TV. I DO NOT recommend you buy his stuff, but his collection of noteworthy books are actually good starts:

3. Going to a real estate class is expensive but at a community college, you know its legit. There are other real estate seminars that charge a lot of money — avoid those, most of the tactics you can read from cheaper books. A $30.00 book investment is better than $3000 seminar….which you have to write your notes down anyway!

Janet is right, you just take a test, but its best to study b4 taking the test. Most real estate firms run courses which teach you what you need to know. call up the firms and ask them if they charge anything to join the groups. Usually the big firms i.e. Century 21 won’t charge you if you become an agent for their firm.

You have to be able to market yourself and get your name out there, so you get more leads. AKA: You absolutely NEED a website. The NAR put out a study in 2005 saying that the use of the Internet to search for a home has risen from 2% in 1995 to 77% in 2005 and agents with websites has increased 129% over the past 5 years. It also said that In terms of lead generation, only referrals and repeat clients rank above the Internet as the most effective methods of gaining new business.

Unfortunately the real estate industry is a little bit behind in marketing themselves online, so having a website that displays the MLS data with an integrated IDX feed is probably your best bet to beat the competition. Especially since most of the real estate being sold is being done so by the newly established realtors who have mastered online marketing.

Some good website design companies are or

But the real kicker is being able to display MLS listings on your site and integrate search tools using an IDX feed. IDX Broker is definitely a superior product:

Good luck!

Sell some homes!

hitting the pavement, knocking doors. Do what others don’t do!

RN for sure!!! The baby boomer generation are all getting older, and for that reason Heath care is the way to go!!
That’s why I’m here too.
I have friends that are RN’s and they are in high demand.
Real estate right now is in a bad situation.

Well, Canadians are flooding south to buy US real estate. That doesn’t say much for that idea. The problem with Costa Rica is the instability of the government. Mexico and other Central and South American countries do not actually allow full ownership of real estate. The government has the right to rescind your ownership rights at any time it deems fit.

Remember the recession is worldwide, not just a US problem. Europe and parts of Asia are very much impacted by the unstable economy. Northern Ireland, Ireland, England and Scotland, Scandanavia and others are all affected. Any country that is involved in conflict such as Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan, India and Pakistan, Sri Lanka, etc., is not a good investment. So, the Middle East is out.

Unless you know the country from the inside out and have ties to the citizenry, you are taking a huge risk with your money. However, all those warnings having been said, China may be the best investment right now. It is growing by leaps and bounds and the US government seems to be intent upon making it our very best friend. Trade is heavily weighted on the Chinese side.

Be sure to research, research and research again before making any investment. As Will Rogers once said, a good investment is getting your principle back.

After spending months looking for the perfect house for us, the BEST way to find an agent is the internet! Enter in “real estate/(your state)”. Anything imaginable will be provided. And they ask specifics what you’re looking for. Actually, also enter in your city for the local agents because even though the big names have a reputation for selling homes, the locals will bend over backwards to help you! I also checked online newspapers for our state in their classified sections. Good luck!

Real estate agents help people buy and sell houses. They must be able to say approximately how much money a house is worth. They need to know what the neighborhoods in their towns are like. They must know the laws that have to do with buying or selling a house. They also can tell home buyers where to get a loan if they need money to buy a house. In return for selling a house, real estate agents get to keep a small part of the money that the seller got for it.

A real estate investor is someone who actively or passively invests in real estate. An active investor may buy a property, make repairs and/or improvements to the property, and sell it later for a profit. A passive investor might hire a firm to find and manage an investment property for him. Typically, investors choose real estate for several reasons: cash flow, appreciation, depreciation, tax benefits and leverage.

There are a lot of issues about real estate agent; new immigrants are really dumb. They fall for any scams possible. Its gents like Laeeque Ahmed lurking in the corners waiting for them. People like him should be sitting in jail as they are no different from Madoff or the ENRON chief. He is a crook and I have read a lot about him in various complains boards online.

Just want to give you additional information and tips with this book I know, good news it is now available online. Here it is.

Since youre a buyer you dont have to pay for it so i would go with the biggest local broker because they will have the most listings. Also, try to get a well known and experienced agent because they may have leads on properties that arent listed in the MLS yet.

Look in the yellow pages for real estate schools in your area or contact the local board of realtors. They can tell you what schools are in your area.

You just have to take a test. It costs about 300. No eduction required.

Edited addition: I am sorry. You did ask what was required, not what would help you. There are absolutely no requirements at all. A high school drop out can be an agent. Only brokers have education requirements. The real estae test is VERY easy, anyone could pass it.

good luck

You can only collect profits after 9am on a Monday. So if you’ve bought it on a Wednesday, you have to wait before you can go to the store/resteraunt and collect the money. (You can become a “partner” at some places for less than the full buy price, but you get less profits.)

ok well there are heaps of real estates but depeds on what country your in, i live in australia so i go to but im not sure about any other country

You just a need enough money to purchase a commercial property.

Agent sells (not a good thing -0- income until sells), Investor buys, and sell on his own.

Investor buys reos/foreclosures, pre-forclosures, tax deeds, tax sales. Flips these houses and makes big bucks.

Google each on how to.

check your states real estate laws regarding company ownership. if you plan on being a sole proprietorship, you will need to be a broker. to get your brokers lic you will need to work for a broker for at least (1) yr as a salesperson after you get your sales lic

Check and research local offices and let then know that you are interested. they may hire you once you receive a certificate an d allow you to work hands on while finishing it only takes a few weeks and I think you obtain several certifications at different levels

Ditto. I agree with Glenn. Flipping is very hands on best learned from someone actively doing it in today’s market SUCCESSFULLY. Let them mentor you through the process as there are many facets to working the full scope of this type of business.

While it is not required to have a license in real estate to flip houses, the benefit of a license is the info access you have in pricing and marketing the finished product. For that, you could affiliate yourself with a Realtor as many investors and flippers do.

I’m glad that you are asking some questions before you get into the middle of it! I hope you continue to do so. How much you make depends on a few things that you have control over. First if you charge x%. You don’t get all of it! You have to share it with your broker and if you are the listing agent you share half with the other agent who then shares it with their broker. Then you have to pay expenses up front before you ever get paid. And by the way the seller will try to get you to take less or “contribute part of yur commission to them to get them to “give ” you the listing. So if you go with a company like RE/MAX you keep more of your 1/2 of the commission but, you still pay for expenses. Rent, copies, phones advertising etc.
My best advice? Don’t go with the first broker-interview them! You will make more as an agent couple of hundred as an appraiser, couple of thousand as an agent. Start to plan now. Get everyone that you now into a database-OUTLOOK? Find a way to meet as many people as possible now and keep doing it through your entire career. Be picky about what the brokers offer you-they are not all the same and you deserve the best! So find them and make them convince you that this is the best choice for you. Good luck. 6 months of cushion in the bank will help tremendously.

List and sell houses.

They are completely different.

A real estate agent helps people complete the purchase and/or sale of property. They receive a commission on sales.

A real estate investor purchases properties hoping to sell them at a higher price. Like any investment, this can be risky, and he can lose money on it. There is no paycheck for this.

To be an agent, ask a local agency to hire you on and train you. There is a licensing test you need to take to be an agent.

To be an investor, no education or certification is necessary. You do need enough money to buy a property. Don’t bet on a bank loaning it to you if you’ve never rented a property before. Working as an agent, a paralegal in a real estate legal firm, or at a survey or civil engineering firm will give you background that will help tremendously.

In this market, property management is becoming much more popular as a way to begin your real estate career. There are a few different formats – will you be working for an apartment complex as an employee, or as an independent PM for a variety of income property owners? An apartment complex will have its own rules and possibly a training program for you. An independent firm will not, and will expect you to know a bit more.

It’s a fine line – you have to have a good relationship with the tenants, but you also have to be firm enough to turn down those with bad credit or insufficient income, and there are some uncomfortable situations like evictions that have to be dealt with, too! The better you are at marketing to and selecting good tenants, the fewer lousy ones you will need to handle. Look up your state’s landlord/tenant laws and know them well. Join the local rental association as well – there are usually people there who have a wide variety of experience and can offer good suggestions.

There is a huge need for professional service-oriented property managers. I hope you become one!

You will need to research what your state requires. Most states it’s a series of classes and passing a state exam. That is the easy part. The hard part, is running a business.

iran because :

1 – construction / buildng almost since last 1 year ( not totally but very slow )

2 – young pupulation who needs home to live shortly are about 60 pct
of total population of iran ,

3 – almost no any foregn companies investing these days becasue of
econ. crises

I dont know i was wondering the same thing :/
i want to try and buy a holiday home but when i click on that area all it says is the properties in tn the town it doesnt show houses ?
and to make money on buisnesses you have to go to map view and becombe a partner

hope this helps xx

ask one online… you’ll 50,0000 of them leaches spamming your e-mail box by sundown..

definitely nurse! They make a lot more money on a consistent basis due to the fact that people are always getting sick or hurt. The real estate market and drop, it can go sky high as well. But for a stable career, I would pick nursing… just because it’s always going to be around.

If you earned income like commissions not as a W-2 employee but as independent contractor, you’ll need to do Schedule C. See a tax professional; this form is not for amateurs.

Tax Advisor

If you are already in the city start with doing apartment rentals to learn the first steps in developing lease agreements between tenant and landlord. You will make some quick cash, learn the basics, and develop a clientele while learning the trade. Commercial is more in depth and the prospective business that you are trying to find space for will be more picky…there needs are alot greater than an apartment renter. Public traffic, SQ FT, sign fronts, local competitors, blah blah blah- the list goes on…start small before you decide to jump in with the big fish.

Look for classes that are offered in your area…also hit up-.

RN for sure. Housing market goes up and down but people will always need medical assistance. You will get more of a sense of accomplishment (II think) from helping sick and injured people than you would selling a split level ranch to Jonny and Jacke Six-pack.

Yes, it’s a great time if you commit to it and treat is as your full time job. It takes years to build your client base… do not weed yourself out by spending money on any advertising. Get good business cards and do the rest with face to face meetings and your handshake. Start with friends and family and all of your networking groups. Target buyers right now, not listings. It’s a “buyer’s market”.

You will have hard labor & increase your concept about real estate industries. But no worry, if u have capability & determination to that one you can become a famous in this field. Carry on.

Best of Luck!

First Congratulations to your state exam.

To find the right company/broker to work for, you might want to talk with other Realtors in your area. Ask them how they like the company they are working for, how much training is being offered, if they have experienced agents willing to help new people, if they are asking a desk fee, what the company is doing for their agents in regards of advertising, business cards and so on, does their company have a web site and are the agents listed on this web sites – a lot of questions. Realtors outside the office will tell you the goods and the bads of the company they are working for – another good question to ask would be – why are you with this company and also if you would switch companies today who would you go and work for. I think that would be a good start.

when I starte my Real Estate Carreer I started out with Century 21. first because it is a good name and a good reputation and they did a lot especially for agents coming fresh from school. They had a seasoned Realtor on my site for my first few transactions and he did help me through the whole procedure. When I started there it was a fairly small office and it felt just like family, everybody was helping everybody. Then this Office started growing and I was just not ready to work in an office with so many people – mainly because then all the back stabbing started and the former so great atmosphere went down. So I switched to ERA. This office was similar to the Century 21 office when I started. It was fairly small and here also everybody helped everybody. This office closed after a few years and then I was ready to go back to Century 21 and even to the larger office.

Most Real Estate offices offer training – the larger franchises of course normally more and specific training than smaller non franchise companys are able to provide.

Als if you just start in real estate you might be better of in one of the big franchise offices because the name alone will drive clients to you. Everybody knows who Century 21,ERA, Coldwell and Banker or the other big brand names are. The clients recognize the name and are more likely to walk through the door – other companys have to advertise more to get the client into their office. For my own start into Real Estate – picking a smaller office from a big franchise, worked out for me.

Do not get into being an agent because of the money that you might earn, instead look at the work you will be doing and decide if the work is what will excite you everyday and don’t think about the money. The truth is that if you do not have the excitment then you will not get the money. So what would you rather do appraise or sell?

real estate classes mostly just help you pass a real estate license exam. It does not sound like that is the way you want to go.

Based on what you say you want to do I would strongly suggest you find someone that does exactly that and go to work for them. Don’t worry about how much salary you make- consider it an education.

You will either learn how to do this or learn you don’t want to do this.

Did you receive a W-2 or a 1099 form? If you haven’t received either you should call the office and ask them when it will come in the mail.

Most real estate agents receive a 1099 and are considered self employed. If you receive a 1099 you know that you have self employment income.

If you receive a W-2 you know that you received income as an employee.

It sounds like you need some tax help…find someone good to help you…perhaps that should be your next question on here.

This is different with certain states however, in Virginia, a real estate sales agent must be licensed and practicing real estate for 3 of the last 4 years, successfully complete a curriculum of classes including but not limited to: Real Estate Brokerage, Real Estate Law, Real Estate Financing… and pass the broker test.

A Real Estate Broker may either open a franchise (Century 21, Re/Max…) or open their own business. Brokers are also able to have real estate agents or brokers working in their firm.

As a real estate agent, you must hang your license up with a broker and cannot practice real estate on your own.

To find schools in real estate search for your Professional licensing department in Michigan.

I am a sales secreatry at a real estate agent and I think that the best leeds you can possibly get a previous buyers or sellers (if the agency you will be working for keeps these records) also setting yourself targets each day, such as door knocking for a few hours then making calls the rest of the day. I believe that being honest and being yourself will get you a long way with clients. Show people how laid back you are and don’t let them judge you or feel intimdated by seeing you standing at their door step with a suit. Being prompt with appointments and keeping a daily diary of tasks which need to be met..hope that helps!! All the best!!

Registered Nurse – great demand for the profession so you will always have a job, good pay (but this also depends on the area of the country)

Real Estate Agent – only gets money if sells houses, so in this slow market how would you make a living. There are more real estate agents than the market can handle.

why get an agent, start looking at fsbo homes first. you will get much more for your money. we bought our first two houses fsbo and made plenty when we sold(saved commission when buying and selling, which equaled about $50,000. in total)Good Luck!!

Here in Calgary, where the commercial real estate market (all real estate, actually) is red-hot, there are some companies where you can invest $25,000, $50,000, etc. and buy a piece of commercial real estate, while getting a return on your investment.

If you have something like that in your city, that might be a good starting point to get some experience.