Real Estate Degrees: What Can You Do Once You Earn Your Degree
Real estate is a competitive and fascinating industry that encompasses professionals in many sub sectors, including residential and commercial real estate agents, brokers, mortgage brokers, property managers and independent investors. Many of these careers are held by independent business people who have a strong entrepreneurial spirit and desire to build a career and life on their own terms. However they also recognize that in order to succeed, they need the very best training and education to serve as a foundation on which to build their dreams. This is where real estate degrees come in.
A real estate license will provide a certain level of education and preparedness, but increasingly the professionals who truly succeed have full academic real estate degrees. There are degrees available at the associate’s, bachelor’s and master’s levels that focus specifically on real estate. They go into depth and detail about how real estate markets work and provide you with the sort of knowledge you need to position your business for maximum success. When you focus your efforts specifically on real estate for the duration of a degree program, you will enter the job market with a level of preparedness that was formerly only found among seasoned professionals.
The Basics Of A Career In Real Estate
Real estate agents are individuals who bring buyers and sellers together for real estate transactions. They handle negotiations between all parties involved. Most agents specialize in residential or commercial real estate.
Regardless of who they work forwhether that’s a buyer or a sellerreal estate agents require a great deal of marketing, sales, networking, and people skills. Some of the duties of a real estate agent who works with sellers include helping clients to prepare and price properties, and listing properties for sale, being available for viewings, and working with attorneys to close deals. Some agents may also advise their clients on how to get better offers for their properties including making certain structural or cosmetic improvements, as well as how to stage a home or commercial space to appeal to a wide variety of buyers. Agents who work for buyers help them find the right property and negotiate a good price for their clients.
6 Steps to Become a Real Estate Agent
What Is The Difference Between A Real Estate Agent And A Real Estate Broker
Simply put, you have to be a real estate agent first to become a broker. But real estate agents arent always brokers. Real estate agents must achieve and maintain a professional license to help their clients buy, sell, and rent real estate properties. A broker is a real estate professional with further education, training, and license requirements. Brokers might work independently, but often hire a team of real estate agents to work for them.
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Begin Your Real Estate Certification
The first step in the process is successfully completing the basic real estate licensing course in your province. Each province administers their own certification courses through sanctioned real estate councils or association boards.
For instance, British Columbia provides real estate education through UBC Sauders Real Estate Division. Manitoba, on the other hand, offers training through the Manitoba Real Estate Association . Each province handles educational certification in a different manner from the others.
While education requirements, institutes and courses vary between provinces, the basic real estate licensing requirements appear to be fairly consistent across the board.
How Much Do Pe Analysts Make
An associates salary ranges from $50,000 to $250,000, with an average of $125,000 for the first year. Bonuses of 25-50 percent of base salary are typical for first-year salaries of $81,000. An associate in their second year typically earns between $100,000 and $300,000. An associates salary ranges from $150,000 to $350,000, with an average of $160,000 over three years.
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How To Get A Real Estate License With Or Without A College Degree
Whether you choose to get a real estate degree before becoming an agent or not, the steps to getting a real estate license remain the same. These are the general education requirements to starting your new career, regardless of the state in which you live. To really aid in the process, most states also allow real estate schools to offer online courses. Online programs help you learn at your own pace or as you have time, especially when everyday life comes calling.
Real Estate Principles And Practices Review Course
Before you sit for the CT Real Estate Salesperson Licensing Exam, review the knowledge and skills you learned in Real Estate Principles and Practices. We will review the following topics: property ownership, passage of title, financing, closings, agency and contracts, as well as practice questions and math concepts. The emphasis of the course will be preparing for the State exam. The textbooks that will be used are the same three texts required for Real Estate Principles and Practices. This course is approved for three continuing education hours by the CT Real Estate Commission.
CRN 10965 | Fee: $605:30-9:30 p.m. | Online via WebexInstructor: Marc Vallen, JD
MCC also periodically offers a variety of Continuing Education courses with credits approved for maintaining licensure for salespeople and brokers. These courses include:
- Real Estate Broker Principles and Practices
- Due Diligence for Real Estate Professionals
- Foreclosure and Bankruptcy
- Mortgage Loan Documentation
- Real Estate Principles and Practices Review Course
Note: Real estate salespersons and brokers must fulfill educational requirements to qualify for State of Connecticut mandated exams. Please refer to the Department of Consumer Protection website for information on these educational requirements for Connecticut.
For more information on the State of Connecticut Real Estate Commission, please visit the Department of Consumer Protection website.
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What Are The Best College Majors For Real Estate Agents
Popular majors for future real estate agents include marketing, finance, accounting, psychology, and business. Even though going to college isnt required, you may find it helpful to complete a degree or certificate program to gain knowledge that would help you succeed as a real estate agent.
Passing your exam and completing your prelicensing education doesnt guarantee you a thriving career, which is why many agents find it beneficial to have additional background knowledge in marketing themselves, maintaining their finances, and understanding the psychology of their clients.
You dont need to spend a lot of money or time at a four-year university to gain an understanding of these topics, either. For a busy parent or professional, it might not be feasible to find the time and money needed to earn a four-year degree in real estate. Local community colleges offer two-year associates degrees in areas like marketing, business, and accounting, and many offer night and online classes. Boosting your marketing or business knowledge could be as simple as taking a few classes.
Real Estate School Requirements
Again, these criteria and licensing requirements differ by the state you live in, but heres a good idea of what youll need to attend real estate school in the process of becoming a real estate agent, broker, or realtor.
- Be at least 18 years old
- Some states require you to be at least 19-21
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Master’s Degree In Real Estate Development
To succeed as a real estate developer, you will need to go all the way and matriculate with a Master’s in Real Estate Development or a Master of Science in Real Estate Development . Since real estate development requires intricate calculations regarding financing, construction costs and long-term projections for profitability, you will need the training that only a master’s degree can offer.
Some courses you might take towards a MRED include:
- Real Estate Market Analysis
- Design of the Built Environment
- Advanced Financial Analysis for Commercial Real Estate
- Real Estate Law for Developers
What Is The Purpose Of Real Estate School
In order for prospective licensees to gain the requisite knowledge of the industry and get a real estate license, they must take pre-licensing courses from a state-approved real estate school. The purpose of these courses is to help students gain knowledge, have a successful career, and pass the state and national portions of the real estate exam. However, each state has different requirements for licensing education including the total number of required credit hours and the topics presented in each course.
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How Can You Save Time
The best way to save time becoming a real estate agent is to take an accelerated online course. These are completed on your own time from anywhere with an internet connection.
How long does a real estate background check take?
In most states, a real estate background check takes between 5 and 7 weeks. Be sure to submit your application at the beginning of your pre-license courses to expedite the process.
Is it hard to become a real estate agent?
It’s not hard to become a real estate agent, but it is hard to become successful in the field. It takes hard work, dedication, and thick skin to make a good living as an agent.
Do I Need A College Degree To Be A Real Estate Agent
Becoming a real estate agent is an attractive career option for many people because of the minimal requirements to get started. Regardless of educational or professional background, most people can start a new career as a real estate agent within a few months. For motivated self-starters, the combination of minimal requirements and high earning potential makes real estate sales a perfect fit.
No degree? No problem. You dont need a college degree to become a real estate agent in most states. A degree or certificate program can help you learn skills that youll use while on the job, but its not required. In fact, there are only a few things required to become a real estate agent in each state. Familiarizing yourself with those requirements is the first step you can take towards starting your career in real estate.
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Important Skills For Real Estate Agents
The real estate profession relies heavily on personal interfacing, so successful real estate agents need exceptional social and communication skills. This helps agents understand client needs and successfully navigate negotiations. Additional skills often used in real estate include:
- Time management
- Active listening
- Mathematics and quantitative reasoning
Soft skills typically aren’t assessed in state real estate exams, but they can make a significant difference in career success.
Prepare For And Pass Your States Real Estate Exam
Exam Prep Edge allows you to take a free initial assessment then receive feedback on the topics youve mastered and the ones you need to study harder. Once you complete the initial assessment, you’ll study lessons by topic and improve your score with our real-time dashboards while taking unlimited simulated practice exams to fully prepare you for your state licensing exam. We cover everything you need to know from both a national and state perspective based on your states Candidate Handbook.
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Best Career Choices With No College Degree: Real Estate And Transportation
Like most jobs in sales, you do not need a college degree to become a real estate agent or broker. In this career, you help people buy and sell houses or commercial property as an agent, and list property for sale as a broker. To get a real estate broker license, you need 60 to 90 hours of training and one to three years of experience as real estate sales agent. After all that training, the median salary for a real estate broker in New York is $77, 582.
The downside of real estate is the ease of entry: there is a lot of competition. While top agents and brokers do very well, there is a tremendous amount of turn over in the field. A simple study of PayScale data showed that, of people who were real estate agents five years ago, 75 percent were no longer in the real estate field at all.
If youre good at reading maps and supervising people, a career as a transportation manager might be for you. Basically, you are working with truckers and trucking companies. Usually people get this gig by first working as a truck driver, and then working in transportation sales. Over half of transportation managers reportedly have some college, but less than twenty-five percent finish their degree: must be the call of the road! The median salary for a transportation manager in Illinois is $65,837.
Career Options For Brokers
While not all real estate salespersons become brokers, doing so may provide a competitive advantage for your business. Clients may perceive licensed real estate brokers as having higher levels of expertise, which can increase demand for their services. Earning your brokers license also opens up additional career options:
Work as an Independent Agent
Brokers who choose to work as independent agents effectively have the same roles and responsibilities as a licensed salesperson: Nurturing relationships, generating leads, managing real estate transactions, and managing their business.
Build Your Real Estate Team
These licensed brokers join an existing brokerage and, under the supervision of a broker-owner, build their own real estate team. As a team leader, brokers will need a plan for mentoring and managing the agents and staff they supervise, while meeting the requirements of their broker-owners. Team leaders take on many of the same roles as broker-owners, but on a smaller scale.
Start Your Own Brokerage
For real estate brokers who are ready to be leaders on a larger scale, becoming a broker-owner means youll likely spend more of your time managing other agents than handling real estate transactions. While broker-owners do earn a portion of each transaction completed by their agents, they also deal with daily concerns of running a business, such as:
Legal and compliance requirements at the board, state, and national levels
Payroll and compensation for agents and staff
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Additional Requirements For Brokers
To become a licensed real estate broker, candidates must complete eight college-level courses required by the DRE. In addition, they must provide proof of two years full-time professional experience in real estate . For example, qualified broker license applicants may have been employed:
In the mortgage industry as a title, loan, or escrow officer
As a builder or subdivider, performing duties related to real estate purchasing, financing, or development
As a real estate appraiser or property inspector
In real estate law or transactions as a member of the California Bar Association
Broker license candidates must submit proof of completed coursework and equivalent experience to the DRE for approval. Once approval is issued, you must schedule your broker licensing exam and obtain a passing score.
To Becoming A Real Estate Agent: Pass The Real Estate Salesperson Exam
Passing the real estate exam takes more than finishing the educational requirementsit takes preparation. Not everyone passes the exam the first time. Preparing yourself to pass the state exam takes additional study time.
Kaplan highly recommends enrolling in a real estate exam prep class. Because the ultimate goal is to help you pass the exam, most of Kaplans prelicensing packages include the comprehensive Exam Prep Course. Taking practice exams, measuring your strengths and weaknesses, and working through the comprehensive topical reviews will sharpen your knowledge and prepare you for exam day.
Show up to the exam location with a positive attitude, answer the questions using the massive knowledge bank you accumulated in your studies, and walk out with a passing grade on your real estate exam!
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Real Estate License School
Where you get your real estate education will also contribute to how long it takes to get your real estate license. One option is a traditional real estate school where you take courses in a classroom. Depending upon the state that you are in and the number of hours offered per week, in most cases the educational requirements in a classroom setting can be completed in 4-6 months.
An online real estate school can decrease the educational period from a few months to mere weeks. An accredited online real estate school will allow people to study at their own pace, whenever and wherever they chose. Coursework can be completed in significantly less time for motivated individuals. Do your research to determine which is the best online real estate school.
How To Get Your Real Estate Salesperson License In Ohio
When you choose Hondros College for your real estate education, were with you every step of the way along your career journey. The information below outlines the steps it takes to become a real estate agent in Ohio. Keep in mind that the real estate licensing requirements vary by state. Should you have questions, our team will be happy to assist you. Call us at 1-888-HONDROS, reach out via email info@hondros.com, or fill out the contact form and a member of our team will follow up with you. Ready to get started? Check out our pre-licensing packages.
Ohio State Required Salesperson Pre-Licensing Hours: 120 hours
Hondros College Ohio Course Hours Offered: 120 hours
Expand Section to View Steps to Licensure
Step 1: Meet the general Ohio real estate license requirements as outlined on the Ohio Division of Real Estate Website.
Step 2: Complete the approved 120 hours of pre-licensing education.
At Hondros, you can choose to take the required education through our self-paced online course format, our instructor-led Livestream option, or a combination of both! For more information about Livestream courses and how they work, .
Step 3: Select a sponsoring broker. Need help finding a broker? Attend one of our Career Expos!
Step 4: Submit your Salesperson Examination Application & pay the application fee.
Step 5: Schedule your State License Exam & pass with a 70% or higher.
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