How to Become an Agent: Licensing Classes and Finding a Broker

Question

Hello. I am in the US Navy and currently stationed in California. I will be transitioning out of the Navy in 6 months and wish to work as a real estate agent. I know it takes time to start to see cash flow so I have already put aside 6 months of savings that will sustain me based off of California's cost of living. I want to take the necessary classes online and obtain my license before the end of my contract. After, I will be moving to Jacksonville, Fl. So here are my questions:

1) Do you have any recommendations for online schools or classes for real estate?

2) Should I obtain my license for both California and Florida since I will be in California for a while?

3) What advice do you have about finding a good broker to begin working with in the industry?

If you believe there is more I need to look into, or advice that you believe that would be beneficial to me, please feel free to bless me with your knowledge. I am grateful for any bit of information you are willing to share.

Desreal Shorts · Answer

Thanks so much for the info @Maria D. That will actually come in very handy as I have a life update. Due to unforeseen circumstances surrounding the school I originally wanted to attend I had to make a big decision. Instead of moving to Florida, I will instead make my way to Detroit, Mi. Sometimes life throws us curve balls. But my plans are still in tact. I will pursue my realtors license for the state of Michigan and attend school to study interior design. I am nervous, but looking forward to what I ma sure to be a challenge. Thank you all for your advice and support.

Maria D. · Answer

If you want to get licensed in CA I was happy with Allied online courses.I recommend looking at eXp Realty. Its one big company in all 50 States, not separate market place offices or franchises. The benefits of this is there’s one cap/fee even if you’re licensed in multiple states. Makes it great if you’re ever planning to invest in more than one state and be licensed and also it’s easy to connect with network in every state in our Workplace group.If you’re interested in checking out the online classes and meetings message me and I’ll setup a 2 week pass for you.

Joshua Baker · Answer

@Desreal Shorts I have used ProSchools for licensing and they were awesome. Regarding licensing in both states, I would recommend licensing in the state you’ll be in most frequently so that you can focus your efforts on marketing and networking to one location to start. Best wishes and thank you for your service!

Jeremy McAlee · Answer

@Desreal ShortsIn addition to Florida Real Estate Institute you can check out Watson School of Real Estate. They are a local brokerage but also have a school that provides a good learning environment (coming from a broker/owner of my own firm). Interview multiple brokers. Large companies have advantages but don’t underestimate the smaller family run businesses. Because it takes a while to get traction I’m not sure I would commit to CA but that depends if you plan on going back at all. Remember you will have to maintain the license and do continuing education to keep the license active. But having multiple license is great as you can still earn referral fee income. Best of luck.

Shane Short · Answer

@Desreal Shorts From a Short to a Shorts, Congrats on seeking out your Real Estate License! Honestly, I wouldn't even look at California Real Estate if you're moving to Florida. I just recently received my license and I will consider myself extremely lucky if I sell a home in the next 6 months, by the time you get networked there you'll be moving again. Just focus on preparing a network in Florida while in Cali. It's all Networking, and it tree branches from there. Every person you do a good job for will recommend you to 2 more people and so forth. It takes a while to build a good steady income with Real Estate unless you are already very well networked in the area you are in. As far as resources, this is what I did, and I'm not at all saying this is the best way, but it worked for my brain lol. I used OnlineED for the required Class hours, and then I paid 10/mo. for the 'Real Estate for Dummies' application. I let the OnlineEd run in the background and studied through the dummies application. The services like OnlineEd have fantastic information but they try to fill the required mandatory hours and it's like reading an encyclopedia. EXCEPT when it comes to State information, use OnlineEd. the dummies application covers federal law, but they don't cover the few individual state laws, but they will direct you in their sections to look up your state law regarding specific items. Also, use Quizlet, there are tons of great flashcards people have put up on there. The Federal Exam is very straight forward, I thought it was easier then it was made out to be. The State Portion I failed the first time because I didn't know the super state-specific laws for recordkeeping so pay close attention to that. You're going to do so awesome, just stay positive and keep grinding. I'm not trying to be negative, but I would highly recommend getting a job in the meantime, and then making a transition into Real Estate. A savings is so valuable to have, and can be used for so many great REI opportunites. Getting started in Real Estate is going to push you back 3k, and you're going to have to live off your savings for a year or so before you have a comfortable income if you grind hard. I'm not at all trying to deter you, It's an awesome industry, and there are so many happy people that have taken this step, I just think it takes longer than people expect. Even an early morning gig at a coffee shop that you can live off, then grind on networking during the afternoon and attending Networking events in the evening would be great. Reach out to some bigger brokerage companies in the area you plan on moving to. Plenty of brokers will sign on people that are getting their license and provide meetings, tools, encouragement etc. I don't know if I would have gotten my license without my Principal Broker emailing me 2 or 3 times a week with encouragement and giving me the tools he did. I wish you the best of luck, I'm very excited to see your success stories on here. Keep us updated! Ask us any questions you have. You're welcome to reach out to me for anything.Regards,

Desreal Shorts · Answer

Hello Kevin,First I want to say thank you for you and your wife's service. Also, thank you for your quick reply. I will definitely look into the Florida Real Estate Institute. I understand what you mean about trying to study for two different states. It looks like I almost overwhelmed myself. I really appreciate the sound advice. If any other questions come up I will take you up on your offer and reach out.Best wishes to you.

Kevin Kwiatek · Answer

Hi Desreal,I enjoyed The Florida Real Estate Institute. I took the classroom version but I know they have online classes. Personally 6 months is not a lot of time and it could take you a few months just to get your license so I would say just shoot for getting your Florida license. California and Florida are two very different states in regards to real estate so I would imagine studying for both would just hinder your education.As far as brokerages it’s hard to ask for advice because most people would obviously say their brokerage is the best. The best thing you can do is reach out to brokerages and interview to get a glimpse into fees, expectations, and most importantly, culture. Once you get your license your information goes public and brokerages will reach out anyway. I left the Navy last fall and my wife is still active duty here in Jax so if you have any questions, I can relate to your situation. Feel free to reach out if you have any other questions. Best of luck to you!

Kristin Kiddy · Answer

I agree with everyone here, focus on Florida if that is where you are going to end up. Depending on what kind of learner you are, you may want to schedule a vacation to FL and take the classroom version. You'll also make contacts in the class who you can be resources later down the road. Don't forget that DBPR offers fee waivers for veterans and their spouses http://www.veteransflorida.org/2016/02/22/licensing-fee-waiver-program-for-florida-military-veterans/

Desreal Shorts · Answer

Desreal Shorts · Answer

Hello Jo-Ann. Thank you very much for the advice. I have actually heard of Keller Williams so I will look into that.