Need clarification on a possible job at a Comm Real Estate firm

[Kate Johnson]

I'm trying to get positioned to break back in to the workforce after a hiatus (6 years) to be home with my little kids.  Though I'd really prefer to transition back with a part time role, I applied for a full time job for a small commercial RE investment firm.  I'm not exactly qualified anymore (I might have been right out of B-school) and I have no industry experience, but I'm not letting that stop me.  I didn't receive a response, so I followed up after a week, and to my surprise the founding partner at the firm sent an interesting reply, including this sentence--

"If you would be willing to work as an independent contractor agent on 100% commission and learn as you go, I would be willing to speak with you."

Questions-- 

He uses the word "agent".  That implies courses, tests, and license to me.  Is that right? 

And my research leads me to believe that CRE is real "feast or famine" type of work where it takes months and months to close a deal. Thankfully, I don't need a lot of money to start out, but I would have significant child care costs if I was doing this full time, thus hard to afford a 100% commission job if I wasn't getting paid for long periods of time.

Lastly, is it even realistic start out in CRE "part time"? That might help with the child care cost problem.