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Interested In A Real Estate Career?

About

Interested in a Real Estate Career?  Here's some answers to some common questions... 

Congratulations!
You’ve made the first move toward your new career.  Freedom, flexibility of a fixed work schedule and unlimited income are some of the benefits of a real estate career.  If you’re considering a career in real estate, read on to find out more and to have answers to your most common questions.

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What do I actually do for work?

Real estate agents help people buy and sell real estate. This includes residential houses for re-sale and new construction, vacant land, commercial properties, business opportunities, and property management.

 

Is it full time?

In real estate, you work for yourself.  You are a 1099 sub contractor that must work under a broker, however you set the hours that you work.  Basically, you are starting your own business, so you have to think of yourself as self-employed.  Just as with any business, if you are the boss, you set your hours.  Keep in mind though, the more you put into your “new business” the more you will reap the rewards in income.  Successful Realtors® work full time, and some work as much as 90 hours a week.  You can work as much or as little as you like, and depending on the amount of income you want to earn.


Are the hours flexible?

Again, you are your boss when it comes to your schedule, so you can take a day off to go on a field trip with your child, or to go to the doctor, or whatever you need the time off for.  Real estate is very flexible.  Most business is done by cell phone, so as long as you’re available to return calls in a timely manner, the hours are very flexible.

 

 Do I have to work weekends?

Due to most people looking to buy a house working during the week, you will have to work some weekends.  This doesn’t mean every weekend, but you are “on call” for appointments to show houses if a customer needs you to.

 

 Do I need previous sales experience?

Previous sales experience certainly helps, but it’s not necessary.  As long as you are a people person and have some customer service experience, you will be able to talk to customers.  

 Do I have to get a license?

In Florida, you must have a real estate license to sell real estate for a fee.  Once you obtain the license, it is renewed every 2 years.  Before obtaining a license, you must go to school and then take the state exam.

 

 How long is the class I have to take?

The class is 63 hours long.  That works out to either 2 weeks during the day in class, Monday through Thursday, or 4 weeks if you go in the evening, Monday through Thursday.

 

 Where are the classes?

The closest place to take the classes is a school in Daytona Beach, just off I-4. 

How much are the fees to get started?

The school and textbook cost $300.  There is an application to the state of Florida for your license, that fee is $105.  You must get fingerprinted electronically for the state at a cost of $61.  To take the state exam, its $45.  Once you pass the state exam, you will join the Association of Realtors®, which provide us with the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) database along with education and lockbox services, and those dues are approximately $1200 a year.  These dues are paid every year.

 

 How soon can I start working?

Once you start the school, you can have your license in as little as 2 weeks.  Once you pass the test, you can start working that day.

 

 Are there any other expenses I can anticipate?

Remember that you’re starting your own business, your real estate career.  You will want to have available some money to advertise, send mailers to neighborhoods, promote yourself as much as possible.  The general rule of thumb is to set aside $2500 for advertising your career, however, some people spend as much as $20,000 their first year in the business.  If you don’t have that much to set aside, there are other ways to promote yourself that are free or don’t cost much.

 

 What about training opportunities once I receive my license?

That’s where Total Realty comes in.  Total Realty offers plenty of training courses, plus they have a “Career Boost” course which will get you started on the right track.

 

 How long does it take for me to receive an income?

Generally, it will take at least 90 days to have your first closing.  From the time you start promoting yourself, get a customer to look at houses, they find one they like,  and then go through the process of closing, that will take that long if not a little longer.  Be prepared for that initial time frame of working without pay.

 

 How does the pay work?

Real estate is a commission based business. The more you sell, the more you earn.  There is no draw schedule, you get paid when you have a closing.  The average paycheck right now in West Volusia at a closing for our average sales price is $4200.  So even though we don’t get paid every Friday, our paychecks are larger than most.

 

 I’m ready!  How do I get started?

The next step is to call Cynthia DeLuca for a personal interview to answer any final questions you have.  To schedule an interview, call Cynthia at 386-734-5155, ext 312 or Click Here.