Is there an advantage to getting your RE license as an investor?

[Matthew Crawford]

I currently own and manage 35 rentals. They are a mix of commercial, single family, townhouse community, and 4 unit apartment buildings. I’ve been debating getting my RE license to gain access to MLS and save money when buying or selling (currently working on two flips). Would there be an advantage to getting my RE license? Or would it cause conflict for me to obtain deals in the future? Thanks for any feed back!

[Matthew Teter]

Matthew,

There are several advantages of having your RE license as an investor. You named two of the big three. The ability to access the MLS and negotiate your own commission, depending on the brokerage model and structure you create for yourself, are two of reasons many investors get a license. A third reason is to transact in real estate. My mentor bought and sold as an investor and got his license because he believed he could provide better service and have quicker access as an agent. He would create a buy and flip list and send it out to his colleagues for the properties he could not buy at that time. Today, nearly a decade later, his team does $25 million a year in closed volume with most of it coming from referrals, past clients, and investors from that list. When you invest, as I'm certain you hear now, people want to learn how you did it and get advice on their investment, which I'm certain you provide. Getting a license is not just about convenience, for you it could be another income stream.