@Niecy Smith - here's my take as a Virginia agent who is becoming a broker:
- First, only you know what is best for you and your future. Please take anyone's input with a grain of salt and filter it through your own goals. Consider the experience of others and their perspectives but make your own decisions after you've researched thoroughly.
- For me, becoming an agent was a unique experience. I actually took the RE Principles course a long time ago (2006) as a junior in college. I had zero interest in it (or anything related to school - I partied...a lot). I only took it because it was a credit I needed for my degree. Fast-forward to 2014 and I realized I wanted to get my license and start investing. As I researched the requirements, I realized I had a huge amount of the coursework completed. I took the exam (failed it the first time!) and got my license.
- The coursework teaches you some but I'd say it's lost in the process. Your goal is really to get the license and the education really begins once you hang your license at a reputable broker and put the elbow grease into creating a line of work for yourself. Your teacher, your sensei, your mentor and guide in the practice should be your broker. I'd say that is the most important part of the licensing process. Following someone's lead who has a solid local reputation, a lengthy career, and spotless ethical record is a huge win. There's a good number of solid brokers in the F'Burg/Spotsy area (where I went to high school! Go Cougars!) so you should be able to identify them. Putting some energy into identifying particular brokers with investing experience can be a major win for you.
- Does having a license help with investing? I can certainly. Having MLS access, the ability to represent yourself and gain a portion of the deal as a commission, and a general knowledge of the buying/selling process are all advantages. But caveat emptor - buyer beware - there is a big cost to doing this: in addition to the licensing process (which @Russell Brazil is right - it's a huge pain in the booty!), you'll need to pay a bajillion different membership fees (NAR dues, MLS dues, Fredericksburg Area Association of Realtors dues, DPOR licensing fees, remote entry fees, all in addition to having a website and marketing costs you'll incur). It's a big, big commitment and the cost doesn't get communicated enough to aspiring agents - which is why so many drop it when they realize it's not worth it to them.
- Weigh these costs in relation to what you could spend in terms of time learning the flipping process from people who have good track records. Maybe that means spending a few hundred dollars on a bootcamp to get acquainted with the best practices of how to get involved in flipping or asking someone in the area if you can shadow them for a few months in exchange for you performing certain tasks for free. Avoid Avoid Avoid anyone who tries to sell you bootcamps that exceed the several thousand dollar realm. Maybe there are some out there, but I have not met a single person who has pinned the success of their career on a $15,000 bootcamp.
