Will a broker hold an Agent's License for personal deals only?

[Robert Mason]

I am a new investor and have recently finished my real estate agent courses online. I am hoping to buy a few properties over the next 6-12 months and was curious if it is beneficial for me to actually go out and get my license? Why or why not? Also, if I were to go and get my license, are there brokers who are willing to hold an agent's license when that agent is only planning on doing their own personal deals?

[Maggie L.]

The first question is tricky to answer - there's helpful information e.g. MLS, supra, etc that require a license (yes there are exceptions, but that's diving into minutiae that doesn't seem relevant here) for you to access. That said, it's fairly easy to get an agent to help you out e.g. auto search, showings if you're going to be a high frequency buyer (full disclosure, I'm an investor-friendly agent so I do this for investors all of the time). A lot of it probably comes down to how much do you care about being beholden to another person's schedule, and how much information do you want/need - agents get access to more than their clients. If you do get your license there are many brokers that are happy to hold a license for personal deals. Just be sure to ask for details about fees (E & O, desk) and requirements (do you need to have NAR membership, what portion of your commission do they take, how much can you negotiate with commission to reduce sales price) when you're comparing brokerages.