Thread: Getting Started

As far as the classes and the companies that provide them... I would ask about their pass rates for the state exam. Luckily, the company I went with had a higher pass rate than other companies. As it turned out, they had a better study guide program than the rest and that made all the difference in the world.

Income levels... there is no rhyme or reason on what to expect. It will totally come down to you and your surroundings, work habits, committment, connections in the community, etc... Past successes will not guarantee future results.

I would suggest easing into it if possible. Atleast from the standpoint of being 100% in the game when you step away from your other job. It is the "getting up to speed" part that takes the time and money. Not to mention, it will take some time for your friends to think/trust you with your "new hat" on with the business.

Regarding who to hang your license with...

I have heard Century 21 and Coldwell Banker have the best training programs for us noobs.

It is not free though Not sure about CB but century 21s new agent training is 199$ but they do have a wealth of resources at hand.

Good luck!

1st. Talk to the brokers in your area. Come prepared with questions, lots of them. Most brokers are happy to have a new agent, so effectively you are interviewing them. Ask about what training they offer, where they would recommend taking your real estate classes, etc. A good broker will be able to give you lots of direction and advise. The 'canned' training from C21, Prudential, (the two I'm most familiar with) may be ok, but it doesn't substitute for knowing the local market, local MLS/board, what works locally, etc. I'd favor a good mentoring/shadowing program (ie. on the job training that you'll really use) myself. A formal arrangement where all parties are compensated for their time is best (not one where the broker just says 'ask Joe, he'll help you')

Here are some Tips for choosing your realestate office. They are a bit taylored to our area (time to first sale, value of franchises, etc), but it should give you some ideas.

-Tim

Thank you all for your advice. I have also been speaking with a couple of local realtors and they told me to get my feet wet slowly especially in today's market. (in other words don't quit your day job)
So , let's see where this might take me in the next couple of years

What part of Virginia will you service? If I was you I would go to salary.com and type in your career and area and see what the average is. That is a nice start to figuring out what the average agent makes.

I definately agree. With today's market it may not be something you want to just jump into. Occassionally you get to be in the right place at the right time but the amount of money you can make from Real Estate Sales is dependant upon the networking and marketing of the individual. The more aggressive you are and how good you are talking to people will really have a big impact on how many listings / houses you will sell.

I would recommend starting out as a part-time profession (a lot of agents do this) and then as you become more known in the area you could possibly convert into full-time or find something else to do if you decide it's not for you.

Here is an article on Real Estate Licensing http://www.hummelcompanies.com/requirements.php . It says Michigan in the article because that's the area we are in, but I'm sure it's quite similiar to the other states.