Should I get my real estate license before buying a home?

There is no doubt that getting a real estate license will take a large portion of time, devotion, energy and, of course, money… all of which will be done to ultimately “Earn you a commission” (that may be a question). My other question to you would be, “If you put this much time, devotion, energy and investment into furthering your own career, what would the payoff be?”

 

It seems focusing on your career, and working with an expert in the real estate business pays off in two separate ways;

 

1. When working with a professional buyer or sellers agent that is experienced in real estate, your chances of costly mistakes are minimal and your chances for an expert negotiation on your purchase or sale are enhanced.
2. Putting this type of commitment into your own profession should earn you an annual raise equal to a commission, which you will collect every year for the rest of your working life!

 

I’d also like to point out that the real estate industry has experienced such complication over the past few years, that it's hard to imagine anyone would be interested in such a fiasco.

 

You should seriously consider the amount of time, dedication, energy and money it will take to obtain your Real Estate license. The decision is yours whether you think it's worth it or not, but, as far as I'm concerned, I would not be willing to go through that entire process in order to buy or sell one house. It is normally a better idea to leave it up to someone who is highly qualified, experienced and does this every day.

 

It certainly may be worth your time, however, if you’re retired, unemployed, underemployed, and were planning to purchase a home strictly for the sake of fixing it up and re-selling for a profit ~ Or even better if you plan to buy multiples houses.

 

Real estate license requirements vary depending on which state you reside in. In addition to licensing and testing there are requirements for insurance, continuing annual education, and don’t forget as a new agent you’ll be required to hang you licensed under an employing broker, which of course will want a piece of every commission you earn.

 

Every state has its own specific requirements and restrictions for individuals who are seeking a Real Estate License: There is a broad variety of regulations among all the United States.

 

The best suggestion I can offer is that you take a blank piece of paper and make a basic pros and cons list… for each item that is listed (as a pro/con) assign a number between 1 and 3 which will represent the importance of that particular pro/con. Once you have completed your list, add up the importance value numbers for each column. This should be a simple process for discovering the better solution for your specific situation.

 

Additionally, there is certainly an extraordinary amount of resources throughout the internet and also specialists who you can refer to for advice, so this would be a good idea as well.

 

Being a real estate agent is a great career ~ if you’d like to make a career of it, move forward with this knowledge… otherwise, continue doing what you do best.

 

 

Author Jeff Hammerberg is the Founding CEO of www.GayRealEstate.com ~ Free Instant Access to the Nation’s Top Gay, Lesbian and Gay Friendly Realtors Coast-to-Coast.