The Easiest Way to Get Your Real Estate License

In today’s red-hot real estate market, many qualified applicants for licensure as a real estate agent or broker. But competition is fierce. Even if you have the educational background, experience, and skills to qualify for a license, you still need to stand out from other applicants. 

How can you make your application so memorable that it stands out from the crowd? Here are some tips on how to get your real estate license.

Apply to as many brokerages as you can.

Each brokerage has its standards for hiring applicants and its procedures for reviewing applications. If you apply to five or ten brokerages, you may have a better chance of being selected by one of them. 

If you have a friend already licensed and working in real estate, you may want to ask if they can put in a good word for you with their brokerage. Licensed brokers often know other brokers and may be willing to recommend you.

Take the required courses ASAP.

Many brokerages require you to take a series of real estate courses before hiring you. If you don’t know the courses you need to take, find out as soon as possible. Real estate courses are offered online. Many colleges also offer distance learning courses that can be done online or by mail. 

Contact your local community college and ask if they offer real estate courses. You may find that the courses you need to take are offered as part of a broader real estate curriculum. 

Some colleges have separate departments for real estate studies, but many combine them with other business courses, such as accounting, management, and marketing. 

If you need to take a series of classes, start planning now so you can complete them as soon as possible. Some courses require you to complete them within a year, so you don’t have much time to complete all your courses.

Network, network, network.

This is the best way for a real estate agent to get a job. Ask your friends, family, and colleagues if they know a real estate broker. There are many online groups for people getting their real estate license, and they are a great way to meet and network with others going through the same process as you. 

You can also find and follow real estate professionals on social media channels like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Many brokerages are now hiring online, so you can search online job sites like Indeed, Monster, and Simply Hired.

Be proud of your resume.

If you were ever in sales, you know the importance of having a stellar resume. A real estate license is no different. A real estate license is a professional license, and you must present yourself as a professional. Most brokerages will ask you to submit a copy of your resume with your application. Make sure your resume is neat, well organized, and free of typos. 

A resume for a real estate license should include your educational background, work experience, and any extracurricular activities that demonstrate your interest and involvement in the real estate industry. You may also want to list any professional organizations you belong to, such as the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT) or the National Association of Realtors (NAR).

Choose the best photos for your online portfolio.

Some brokerages allow applicants to create an online portfolio of their work. Others may require you to create a digital portfolio only. If you are asked to create an online portfolio, most brokerages provide you with the tools you need to do so.

If you have professional photographs of yourself, use these photos for your online portfolio. If you don’t have professional photographs available, you can use photos of yourself that are not professional. Just make sure that the photos are appropriate for a work setting.

Final words: Start your own real estate business

If you don’t have a job, you need to get one. You cannot support yourself long enough to get your real estate license if you have no income. You can start your own real estate business. It costs nothing to do so, and you can start your business before you get your real estate license, and it is fully operational even before you get your license.