New wholesaling investor. Should I become an agent too?

[Adrianna Bocanegra]

I'm interested in wholesaling and want to be able to effectively communicate with buyers & sellers. I also want to understand their needs in a pretty in-depth way. Long term, I’d love to invest in my own multifamily/commercial space.

Will becoming a real estate agent help me be better & more effective at being able to assist investors and sellers? Are there any other courses/training/books you'd recommend that would give me the upper hand in helping me meet the wants/needs of each?

Thank you!

[Charissa Bruckman]

Hey Adrianna, I just want to share my experience with getting my license. 

I did get my license when my husband and I were first looking into investing. I did a full year as an active real estate agent working with a team and under the guidance of my team leader my first year with a license. It was a fantastic experience and education. I have since moved into just using my license for personal deals. I don't find that I necessarily NEED it, but since I have it, I'm going to keep my license active. It was helpful having it just to understand that side of the transaction and how to negotiate and to understand what a Realtor does and the documents involved first hand. Also, it's been nice to be able to go look at a property in my state where I'm licensed when I want and I don't have to coordinate with someone else's schedule. However, if you're looking to build a strong team and leverage people, having a good investor friendly Realtor on your team could free you up to focus on more of what you like doing and be all you need to help you further your wholesaling adventure without you having to get a license.

My biggest thing though would be to mention that some firms/brokerages may not allow you to be a wholesaler with your license because of your fiduciary duty as a Realtor to your client. I would just look into that a little more if you do end up getting your license and just make sure that you can have your real estate license and act as a wholesaler where you are. 

Hope that helps!