Real estate investing has opened its doors to the many professionals seeking to make an income out of it. In that matter, real estate agents are no different. The commission-based income and the extravagant lifestyle are goals worth pursuing in most careers. So, if you’ve gotten here, you just want to know how to become a real estate agent, and, most importantly, how to become a successful real estate agent.
Depending on where you live, real estate laws and regulations are going to differ. Accordingly, you must learn about your state’s real estate laws to see if it requires any additional information or training than others.
What are the steps to take to become a real estate agent?
Research real estate – leave no stone unturned
Research is the first thing you must do after planning to do anything, including getting started in the real estate business. By researching, you can find all the information you need about becoming a real estate agent and how it will all work. Moreover, you must research if there are any popular real estate agents in your area, mainly because they are the sharks you must acknowledge. A major move for your career is to find one that agrees to train you until you can stand on your feet. Many successful real estate agents have trained on the hands of other successful real estate agents and built more on their strategies and perfected every sales design they’ve used.
Additionally, you must read about real estate investments. Read blogs, books, and magazines. There are many real estate podcasts and videos that you can learn lots of information through it. Check out this blog post to find resources to learn from: Learn From the Best Real Estate Investing Books.
Pre-licensing course
After doing your due diligence and finding all the information you need, take a pre-licensing course. How does that work? Well, go to your state’s real estate commission’s website and you’ll find what’s required of you. Not to forget, the entire point of taking a pre-licensing course is that it is intended to be an introduction to the real estate world.
Through the course’s life, you will learn all about real estate terms and the variety of skills that both real estate investors and real estate agents must have. Nowadays, you can choose to take the course online or in person. Additionally, you must check how many hours are required by your state’s regulations. Each state has its own criteria and obligatory hours.
The exam
We all had to take exams at various points in our lives. This should be no different. Mainly, the exam includes multiple choice questions and the passing score fluctuates but is around about 70%. Each state has different passing scores so make sure to look it up. The exam mainly focuses on your knowledge of state laws and federal laws in regard to real estate.
Lastly, once you pass the exam, you can apply to pay the fees associated with the license. This marks your last step towards becoming a real estate agent as you’ve already become one.
Become a realtor
This may not be the path for everyone, but it can be rewarding enough if you take that extra step. Being a realtor can bring you more business and more credibility at the same time. To clarify, a realtor is a real estate agent who’s a member of The National Association of Realtors. In any case, becoming a realtor brings along many benefits ranging from transaction to financial services.
Of course, if you wish to take that upgrade into becoming a realtor, you’ll have to go through one more course and one more exam. We recommend you visit the NAR website to get the complete information. For further information, read this: Wondering How to Be a Realtor? Read Here.
Join a brokerage firm
A real estate brokerage is where real estate agents and real estate brokers work. Considerably, it’s not very difficult to find a brokerage firm to work for. You must find one with a spotless reputation and a vision that aligns with your ambitions.
Note that real estate brokerage firms don’t mind hiring fresh real estate agents or realtors. Why? Because you will get a commission-based salary. Meaning that you get paid when you sell. Ultimately, hiring you comes at no cost to the agency.
With that in mind, the types of real estate agents are many. There are investment property real estate agents, foreclosure real estate agents, buyer’s agents, and seller’s agents. Any agent can venture into any of them by taking the proper steps with the right knowledge.
Read this if you wish to learn more about the different types of real estate agents: What Are the Different Types of Real Estate Agents?
Becoming a successful real estate agent requires you to constantly better yourself by keeping up with the updates. Of course, there are many real estate agents making different brackets of annual salaries. This can be a result of constantly bettering yourself and creating a business operation that creates more leads and more sales in return.
A major tool that both successful real estate investors and real estate agents rely on is an adequate investment property calculator. Specifically, an investment property calculator can help you help both home buyers and real estate investors buy the right property through an investment property analysis and a real estate market analysis. Check out Mashvisor’s investment property calculator. It has many tools that you’ll find particularly useful for real estate agents.
With Mashvisor, a real estate agent can create an agent profile, and through it, he/she can update their personal information, listed properties, and even publish articles and blog posts.
To claim your free real estate agent profile at Mashvisor, click here.
Moreover, another major perk that a Mashvisor real estate agent can enjoy is the lead profile feature. Specifically, real estate agents can upload a copy of their own leads and let Mashvisor’s AI take care of the rest. Subsequently, the AI analyzes the leads information and determines which leads are more likely to end up in a sale. Ultimately, this saves you time to focus your energy on most-likely-to-turn-into-sales leads.
You can enjoy a 14-day free trial by clicking here.
Last but not least, if you’re considering becoming a real estate agent, do not let fear stop you! Many have done it and so can you!
If you have any more insights on the matter, please share them with us in the comments section.
