Obtaining a Real Estate License
If you're considering a real estate license, let the San Antonio Board of REALTORS®
help usher you into your new career.
Exploring new career options? There are certainly advantages to selling real estate. If you're thinking about real estate as a career, you should give serious thought to the special qualities required. As with other professions, not everyone is cut out to be a real estate broker or sales associate. Persons considering a real estate career should ponder their motivation and personal qualifications before making this important decision.
Ask yourself exactly why a real estate career appeals to you. Do any of the following reasons sound familiar?
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I can make lots of money without working too hard.
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I can be my own boss, working a few hours a day and spending the rest of the time at home.
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It's easy to get a real estate license. It takes little education and training compared with other fields and besides, it's inexpensive.
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I'm so bored at home. This will get me out of the house for awhile. Besides, I enjoy looking at other people's homes.
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We'll be selling our home in a year or two, and I can save the commission by listing and selling myself.
The above statements are, of course, absolutely false. As a profession, real estate is demanding. Financial realities also must be faced before a commitment is made, or serious consequences could result. Answer the following questions as honestly as you can:
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Are you able to live on your financial assets for three months or even longer, or are you dependent on a monthly paycheck to make ends meet?
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Are you sufficiently disciplined to refrain from spending a large commission check on the premise that you might not see another for several months?
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What happens when your closing falls through and the check you counted on doesn't materialize?
Are you flexible? For example:
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Are you prepared to dash out of the house at 10:30 on a Sunday night to present a contract?
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Will you forego a long-awaited evening out or an important social event to obtain that sale or listing you have pursued for so long?
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Will you burst into tears when the door is slammed in your face as you announce that you are the neighborhood real estate professional "just stopping by to get acquainted?"
REAL ESTATE FACTS:
Real estate is an excellent profession, one of the best. Who, then, is a good candidate for this demanding field? The person who is independent, well organized, hardworking and financially secure. The individual who is willing to work long hours and enjoys making contacts with the public, who views rejection as a challenge rather than as a personal affront. Someone who is willing to invest his or her time and money in education to improve personal knowledge and skills in the continuing quest to become more professional. The person who does not depend on such corporate benefits as paid vacations and holidays, medical and dental insurance, sick days and company paid social security and unemployment benefits.
If this description fits you, then by all means pursue a real estate career. Interview real estate professionals and listen closely to what they have to say. Take a seminar on real estate at The Real Estate School at SABOR. And then, if you are still so inclined, study for your real estate license at The Real Estate School at SABOR with the full knowledge that you are one who will succeed in this challenging field.
Remember, a career in real estate is not a hobby or pastime for the faint of heart. The real estate professional devotes the same hours and personal efforts to his or her calling as does the doctor, nurse, attorney, accountant, writer or any other of a thousand dedicated specialists. To do any less would be a disservice to both yourself and the industry.
The Real Estate School at SABOR is dedicated to your professional development at every stage of your career. Once you've decided to begin a real estate career, start here. The Real Estate School at SABOR is Texas' only accredited real estate education provider housed at a local REALTOR® association. The San Antonio Board of REALTORS® is the largest professional and trade organization in San Antonio and represents over 7,000 REALTOR® members. SABOR is one of over 1,600 local boards and 54 state and territory associations of REALTORS® nationwide that make up the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR).
