How long does it take to be a real estate agent?
Posted on May 4th, 2010 in Renting & Real Estate | 2 Comments »
Victoria asked:
I am asking because I have a 7 month old daughter and I know I need to start doing something with my life here soon! Money is not an option, but what I need to know is if I would like to be a real estate agent what do I need to obtain, how do I go about doing it, and can I survive on this income.
Body Thermage
I am asking because I have a 7 month old daughter and I know I need to start doing something with my life here soon! Money is not an option, but what I need to know is if I would like to be a real estate agent what do I need to obtain, how do I go about doing it, and can I survive on this income.
Body Thermage
2 Responses
Berkey Water Filters
You can learn what you need for the exam in a week, take the exam and voila. To build a clientele, that takes a while, months,….Now is also a down market, and you have to have significant amount of sales skill…. if you still want to do it, good luck, go for what you want.
Playa Del Rey Real Estate
Different states have different qualifications as to schooling, etc. Illinois used to be 30 hours of training to become a real estate agent and an additional 30 hours of training to become a broker.
Bear in mind that usually, real estate salespeople are paid on a commission basis and there is no dependable salary coming in from that job. You may work weeks or even months before a paycheck comes in. The better at “networking” you are, the better the chances of obtaining listings and potential buyers. This is job for someone with “connections” and be careful, as it is a “dog eat dog” business – since there is no guaranteed paychecks coming in – you’ll find out it’s amazing what people will do to others in an office, just to make a buck.
I’ve had other agents sitting across from me ask who I was talking to – when I told them, they called them, right in front of me and made some comment that they heard they might be interested in buying/selling a house and would they like to have them stop by and talk to them about it? Even though I was just on the phone with them.
Agents will go through phone messages of others, looking for potential business – transfer phones to their homes for the after-hours calls that’s supposed to come to you.
Your office may have you pay for desk space, sign installation, office supplies, forms, etc, even though you haven’t made any money as of yet – they may even put some of that on a “tab” – but that means when you finally do make a paycheck, it’ll be reduced! Also, since you’ll probably considered an “independent contractor”, you’ll have to manually figure out income tax deductions from your check(s) and send that in yourself or face penalties and fines from the IRS –
There is money to be made doing this, and after some time with good connections, it can be a decent amount. Just be prepared for a rocky road until you get some time and experience under your belt.
Good Luck!