Networking & Starting Out; Should I get a realtors license?

Question

Greetings all,

I recently graduated (in my 20s) and moved into the area for work. I plan on saving my income and applying for a FHA loan next year. In the meantime, I am trying to better understand the Indianapolis (Fishers, Carmel) real estate market and considering getting a realtors license.

In Indiana, the cost for the real estate licensing course is approximately ~$580 and an additional ~$80 annually to maintain. I am trying to decide if this is a worthwhile endeavor.

From what I have read, the main benefit is early access to MLS for purchasing homes and saving on commission costs while selling homes.

This leads to two questions:

- Is simply having early access to new listings worth $600, or is it only worthwhile if I plan on flipping and selling a property on my own? I don't plan on representing others.

- Is the license itself intrinsically useful for networking, or does nobody really need a rookie agent?

My provisional strategy is to put a room in a property up for rent while also living in it as my primary residence for a year. I will do minor renovations over the course of that year then flip for a profit. This may be an overly ambitious strategy considering that I am inexperienced in both DIY and sales contracts, but in theory it seems like a very efficient option. Feel free to give me any advice or direct me to any meetups. I am always looking to build my network.

Best,

James

Jonathan Greene · Answer

This question, "From what I have read, the main benefit is early access to MLS for purchasing homes and saving on commission costs while selling homes." is an absolute hard no. That is not at all the benefit to getting your real estate license. Most people who list and sell their own homes with no experience as an agent crap the bad in fantastic fashion. The reason to get your license is access (to see properties) and data (for ARV and comps.)

The class to get your license is way more relevant to investors than agents since they work residential and most do nothing so it's useful to take the class. But if you only plan on using it for yourself and you are 20 and have no properties, it won't be worth it unless you want to learn how to be an agent also.