All Forum Posts by: Serena Salvato

Thanks so much everyone for your advice and sorry for the delay. I think the 3 broker option is really good advice which I wasn't intending on doing but I think it makes sense. I also have to remember that I will be an asset to the brokerage so need to treat it like an interview which is harder to do than say but I'll try! Thanks again.

Hi all,

I recently started my lessons for the New York Real Estate License. At the weekend my husband and I went to a few open houses to start getting a feel for the market. We met with a broker in luxury real estate who really knew his stuff. He was approachable, professional and on further research has had a very lucrative career to date. Whilst my aim with the exam is to enable us to access MLS and gain a good grounding in the industry, I think it would be a good idea to work for this broker for a period of time, to learn the ropes in luxury real estate, whilst continuing my deals on the side. I need a sponsoring broker in order to pass the exam so really want to make a good impression with this broker.

So here are my questions:

1. How do I approach him to ask if he would be interested in sponsoring me. 

Would email or phone be good? 

Should I offer to take him to lunch or is that too forward?

2. What questions should I ask? 

Should I just come out and ask for a "job". 

Do established agencies even hire newbies?

3. How do I make a good impression?

Are there any brokers reading this who can tell me what would impress them?

(A little background on me - I am a Doctor of Philosophy, with a strong emphasis on statistics and data analysis, so know my way around research, data and figures. I am Oxford University educated and have a cursory understanding of marketing through my husband who is an entrepreneur).

Thanks so much for your input in advance!

Thanks everyone for your advice and input, it's really useful. @Michael Lane I never thought to get a discount for the classes. I was just going to go ahead and buy the course for $395, now I can see that you can get a discount, which will definitely be welcomed! I can see the reedc.com course that's available, but it says that exams but hold a minimum of 50 people. Do you remember there being any issues when it came to booking the exam?

@Ricardo Harrison, @Brian Dayal, @Jake Thomas you make great points about being in the classroom for the lessons. I'll check out some schedules and see if I can fit it around my baby. Thanks for your help!

@OnYango Williams would definitely like to chat some time about Brooklyn. Seems like every block has its nuances, so culturally diverse!

@Melissa 

@Melissa Gittens Thanks for the welcome.

Hi everyone, as one of my first steps I'm going to get my real estate license for New York. I've found what seem to be good options for both online and in school classes. As a mom to an 8 month old baby girl, the online classes seem appealing. I'm just nervous about whether the companies that offer them are legit. My fear is that I pay the $395 fee plus $45/50 for the text book and the websites are a scam. Does anyone have any recommendations for online schools? What have been your experiences with online lessons? Good idea or not better to attend classes? Thanks so much in advance! 

Hi all.  I'm really excited to be taking the first steps on my real estate journey. I've had a keen interest in real estate from an early age but went the conventional route through life, ultimately getting a PhD last year. I did however buy and sell two primary residences along the way, both at a profit, and both in the UK. So now I want to take this seriously here in the USA and start generating a revenue stream for my recently expanded family ( I gave birth to a baby girl last August). I'd like to think I'm smart enough to make this happen (although currently feel very overwhelmed) and I definitely have the work ethos. I thrive on pressure and can multitask like you wouldn't believe! I'm currently working my way through the podcasts one by one in between baby naps and bedtime! I just moved to Brooklyn, NY and am likely going to start my search in the bay ridge area for properties suitable for flipping. And because I apparently love to study, I am going to get my real estate license as soon as I can. So I'll be studying for that, driving for dollars with my husband (looking around when stuck at traffic lights every 10 yards) and (in addition to the podcasts) reading what every real estate investor needs to know about cash flow). I guess I'm in the learning phase. My husband and I would ideally like to have flipped at least one property by the end of the year.. Right now I feel like there is a huge way to go...