Real estate BUSINESS LICENSE required or not?

[Reginald S.]

Ok so my question is, as real estate investors, do we actually need a business license to buy and sell houses via our registered entities/companies? When I first opened my business (about three years ago) I went to my local city hall (In the small town of Manning, SC) and asked if I was required to have a business license. Looking a ted confused the clerk asked me “where was my office located.” I informed her that my home-office was located just outside of the city in an adjacent county. She then proceeded to ask if I was a real estate broker, I of course replied” no.” She then asked me if I was a real estate consultant, I again replied with a polite “no I’m not I’m a real estate investor.” She then stared at the computer for about five minutes or so and proceeded to tell me that she found a category to list my business in. After that she finally proceeded to answer my original question. She said that in order for me to legally buy and sell houses in that particular City as a company I “needed to be licensed.” Does anyone have any insight on this? Thanks in advance for all of your comments and helpful insight.