Rising from the Ashes

It has been a while since my last post so let me first bring you up to date. After that post I did get my Real Estate license in my state and I must say it was one of the smartest things I ever did and here is why.

I Got A Mentor - One of the questions I asked when I interviewed agencies. (Yes when you become a licensed agent YOU interview THEM.) was what do you have available to help new agents along. This company (Century 21 Jack Associates) had a mentor program. They assigned me an agent that has been in the business for a few years and he basically held my hand through the whole process. He accompanied me through my first deal and to this day remains a great friend and wonderful guide.

MLS Access - With access to MLS finding out what a property is worth is so much easier. Not to mention I find out about the deals on day 1.

Investor Buyers - I have had the privilege of working with investor buyers who have done this stuff for years they have been very generous in telling me some of the techniques they use in estimating the cost to repair homes and how they calculate their bottom line.

Cheap Education - Because my state requires me to have 16 education credits every other year I have access to some great learning tools. Unlike the gurus who charge $500 or $1000 or more for their education these classes can be taken on line for $20 - $100 per class depending on how in depth it is. Don't get me wrong I LOVE bigger pockets they have some of the best educational materials out there. But these materials provide you with worksheets and handbooks that you get to keep and some of them are specific to the laws of my state. 

Are there any drawbacks to becoming an agent. Yes sure there are. The biggest being the cash I had to shell out to get the license and the overhead to keep it. But I am happy to say that I have been at this as an agent for just under a year now and have already recouped what I spent in commissions and then some. The other "problem" is that I have to adhere to a higher standard. I must tell people I am a licensed agent and I need to be careful about what I say and do. But fortunately I am an person of honor and integrity so what I say and do doesn't get me into trouble.