Realtor License for Investor?

[Todd Schaefer]

I am looking for some advice on the benefits of obtaining a Realtor License. I am currently in the US Navy and I have about 3 years until retirement. I was considering obtaining a a Realtor Associate License in the very near future for a couple of reasons. 1) It would provide a good fall back into an industry that I very much want to be a part of. 2) Doing it now would allow me to meet the experience timeline to have my Broker's License prior to retirement. My goal is to build a larger portfolio of Buy/Hold properties for passive income. Does the continuing training associated with maintaining your license justify the benefits you gain (i.e. access to MLS, slight reduction in buy/sell costs)? I appreciate any insight I can get.

Thanks