I have a real estate license in CA #01935461& TX #645065 so I feel I'm somewhat qualified to speak on the subject.
The first thing you're going to want to consider is which "school" you go with. I went with Lumbleau for my CA lic. & Kaplan for my TX lic. I feel the 3 most important things to consider when choosing a real estate "school" are
- Course materials- you want as much physical material as possible (books, cd's, packets, practice tests, online tests , etc.
- Reviews/ Reputation- self explanatory. Google " ABC school of real estate reviews".
- In class vs online/at home- Both times I chose to take the online/ at home courses because I was too busy with school to attend the full time classes. The take home courses take a lot longer to complete because you're probably not going to be able to make a full time commitment but you'll be able to learn at your own pace. The in class licensing courses take a few as two weeks I've been told, so if you've got the time I'd say go for it. Quick Tip: Get the CDs if your school offers them! They helped me tremendously!
You'll also want to make sure you have some money set aside or some sort of financial support because the licensing fees will come out of no where and add up quickly. Sorry, I don't remember what the costs were...
While you're studying the course material you'll probably get overwhelmed but that's ok! There is so much , dare I say "useless" verbage in the study material. Go online and google " -enter your state- real estate test". Chances are there will be forums full of people who have already taken the test and know what sections to put your focus on. In my particular case, the school I used had a small booklet that contained summarized key points. Although they'll never admit it, these key points made up at least 70% of the ACTUAL REAL ESTATE EXAM. Still study all the course material given to you! Think about it...Real estate schools need you to pass! The more people that pass using their courses the more online reviews there will be pointing to them as the RE school to go to.
Over prepare then prepare some more! The last thing you want to do is walk into the testing room un-prepared. I've seen so many people walk out of the RE testing center crying because they didn't pass. Sure they can still take the test over again but why go through the trouble when you could just pass the first time?
CRASH COURSE!!!- I'll vouch for these things until the day I die. Basically this is a 2 day class you can sign up for (ideally a week before your test) that is taught by instructors who know exactly what will be on the official exam. They'll even give you actual practice questions that the state has used on previous exams. It's almost like cheating!They range anywhere from $100 to $300. Obviously you can pass without taking these crash courses but if you have the money and want to increase your chances of passing on your first try, I don't see why you shouldn't go with one.
The Real Exam isn't hard! It really isn't...for the most part the test is 70 % course material and 30% common sense. You may want to schedule your test at a time later in the evening that way you can review all of your key notes and have the material fresh in your head (focus on the stuff you're having trouble with not the stuff you already know).
You're going to pass! Just keep a positive mindset! So much of being successful involves having the right mindset. As quoted by the great Venus Williams -“In my mind, I'm always the best. If I walk out on the court (and) I think the next person is better, I've already lost.”
