Real estate course

[fluid]

Ive been thinking about getting into real estate, ive got free time now so...

Any one know of real estate courses that i can take; or any advice.

thanks!

[fluid]

so far ive found course at mount royal, more expensive than i though it would be...
says in total it would be around 6800$

[barmanjay]

After all is said and done,.. after all your yearly fees and etc,... living expenses,.. expect to be in well over 10k.

the average 1st year gross for a 1st year realtor - 23k

[Nabberj]

Go to Creb (Calgary Real Estate Board) they offer the courses there. As well like the OP mentioned Mount Royal does too.

[JordanLotoski]

Id say if your looking at becomeing a realtor...try to work for some of the busier agents in town...I have 2 newer agents working for me now and they do pretty good.

Best of luck

[msouther]

"Id say if your looking at becomeing a realtor...try to work for some of the busier agents in town...I have 2 newer agents working for me now and they do pretty good. Best of luck"

How does one go about getting to work under a busy realtor?

I have a realtor I have used a number of times who would be a great mentor, but he already has some people working under him, so he doesn't have room for me.

I quit my current sales job where I have done very well (top sales nationally) so that I could focus on selling something I am passionate about, real estate. I am going to enlist in the program starting on July 6th at CREB, and should be done by late September. I have a real estate company who I am meeting with that will sponsor me, but how does one know they are picking the right one?

Any advice from existing realtors would be appreciated. Thanks!

[barmanjay]

For you being new in the biz

the #1 thing should be support from the broker, continuous training, ability to "shadow" some experienced realtors and some good mentoring

Cost will be HUGE for your first year, you might have to work a heft commission split (very small monthly fees though) to get yourself moving (70/30)

[msouther]

I sent you a PM Barman, but what you said sounds exactly like what I am on the trail of. I have a brokerage I am meeting with which I told you about in my message. They will provide training, mentorship with a realtor who has owned a brokerage and has almost 20 years experience, and much more. This is the type of set up I like.

I am prepared to not make much money and have some financial backing to get through it. I do expect myself to make more than the average 1st year realtor would make, as I have a very strong sales background, and above average knowledge of the real estate industry to start with. I am actually excited to take the courses and learn about the theory and minutia about the biz.

[HRD2PLZ]

If you don't have the option to work with a successful, experienced Realtor, then select a brokerage who will provide training (and ACTUALLY provide training), support and have a genuine interest in your success. Over my years in the industry, I've worked at a few different brokerages and the differences between them have been night and day. My best advice to you would be to interview with as many brokers and brokerages as possible. Most of our larger brokerages in Calgary are franchised... and they are not all created equal :)

Even as someone with 6 years in the business under my belt, I wish I would have found my current brokerage sooner. The amount of time, money and effort they invest in their agents is incredible. We have a fantastic support system and everything the Brokerage does is meant to streamline our business and take the "office" stress off os us Realtors so that we can focus on our clients. The Broker and Manager basically "hand-pick" their Realtors and that makes a big difference as well.

Best of luck! Its a fantastic career!

[msouther]

I have a question for you Barmanjay or HRD2PLZ:

I start the course on July 6th. At what point in the process of obtaining my license do I need to have a brokerage selected or be selected for sponsorship by a brokerage?

I have one in mind, but I wouldn't mind checking out others as well. If I don't need to have the sponsorship secured before it starts, then this gives me more time to do my due dilligence.

Thanks for your help guys, it is much appreciated. I am slightly nervous, but mostly just excited about this, the biggest career transition in my young life.

[barmanjay]

IIRC:

Taking the course is fine, when you register to enter the Calgary Real Estate Board and take those relevant 1-2 day courses; that is when you need sponsorship.

While taking the introductory courses and supplementing courses, you didn't have to pick a brokerage yet.

If you are taking the courses at creb, call them up and ask for the prerequisites to taking the initial RE course just to make sure.

I took mine at Mount Royal - better atmosphere and the food is better :)

Food at creb sucks - personal opinion.

[extm88]

Just have fun through the course msouther
It is not difficult at all and to be honest, once you finish.... 80% of what you learned in the course goes out the window (for me anyways) and the real learning begins by actually doing it and making mistakes.
Best of luck, Im one of the youngest in the city and cope with that challenge all the time however looking at people like HRD2PLZ our sponsor who is a seasoned vetts gives me motivation!!!

[HRD2PLZ]

The course and processes have changed quite a bit since I took it. But I do believe you need to have the brokerage selected before taking the CREB orientation course right before becoming licensed. The brokerage "sponsors" you for the CREB orientation and once you're through that and the brokerage has you licensed you're ready to go!!



Originally posted by extm88

Best of luck, Im one of the youngest in the city and cope with that challenge all the time however looking at people like HRD2PLZ our sponsor who is a seasoned vetts gives me motivation!!!

Sure, it can be a challenge but it doesn't have to be tough. I was licensed at the age of 20. Just have to use the age to your advantage :)

[extm88]

Originally posted by HRD2PLZ
The course and processes have changed quite a bit since I took it. But I do believe you need to have the brokerage selected before taking the CREB orientation course right before becoming licensed. The brokerage "sponsors" you for the CREB orientation and once you're through that and the brokerage has you licensed you're ready to go!!




Sure, it can be a challenge but it doesn't have to be tough. I was licensed at the age of 20. Just have to use the age to your advantage :)

You are correct
1) go through the course at MRC or CREB
2) find brokerage to sign with
3) take creb orientation
4) become a instant millionaire :P jk

PS: I started a year before you and know what you mean about a challenge but not tough. Different target market!

[msouther]

Thanks everybody for the advice. I am super excited about this new endeavour and working with some of you on some sales hopefully. I am confident that if you have passion about selling something, success will follow. I put customer service # 1, and that is what separates the mediocre from the top realtors. Referrals are the staple of a solid business. I am also going to meet with a few different real estate agencies to get an idea of what their prospective sponsorship package would be like. I plan on bringing my resume with me too, just so they know what type of salesperson they are getting on their team.

[HRD2PLZ]

Originally posted by msouther
Thanks everybody for the advice. I am super excited about this new endeavour and working with some of you on some sales hopefully. I am confident that if you have passion about selling something, success will follow. I put customer service # 1, and that is what separates the mediocre from the top realtors. Referrals are the staple of a solid business. I am also going to meet with a few different real estate agencies to get an idea of what their prospective sponsorship package would be like. I plan on bringing my resume with me too, just so they know what type of salesperson they are getting on their team.

Referrals are the way to go, I work by referral only and built my business on that alone. A phenomenal training program to take is Brian Buffini's 100 Days to Greatness. A number of the good brokerages in the city offer this.

[msouther]

Hey Everybody,

This is a little bit last minute, but I am hoping that someone will have some info for me. I am taking the Intro course tomorrow to the REAP program, and apparently I overlooked the part about picking up the text book beforehand and doing some reading prior to the start.

I have a pretty good knowledge of the basics as it is, but do you think that I will be penalized or will this hinder my learning experience and outcome on the exam which will be on Tuesday? I plan on going in a 1/2 hour early tomorrow to read a bit, and then also read the rest on my lunch break.

Please advise. I thought I had done my due dilligence as I have already had my transcripts sent to AREA, had my finger printing and criminal record check done, and for some reason I didn't see this part. Thanks!

[600cc's]

Intro course is a joke its plain and simple it’s the material you learn after that you have to pay attention to you will be fine good luck :thumbsup:

[barmanjay]

intro is pretty cut and dry, easiest part of the whole course

[msouther]

I can always count on Beyond to come through. Thanks for the answers. From reading through the material on the CREB website, I was pretty sure this would be simple stuff. Thanks!

[msouther]

As a number of people mentioned, the Intro course and test were a joke. I am entering my last week of Phase 2 with the exam on August 4th. I am slightly nervous about this exam. I have attended and particated in every class. I have done review questions and studied, although lately I have been too tired at the end of the day to go over the material again. I also went to the site: www.agentexams.com

Any feedback from existing realtors on the Phase 2 exam? I think it is going to be the hardest of all because of the diversity and amount of information presented. Thanks!

[gqmw]

Keep up the updates! I was thinking about taking this course over the summer, but I ended up not having the time. Good luck with it. I'll be looking forward to hearing what you have to say about the whole course.

[robpark]

There's a lot of stuff to take in on phase 2, but at least they give you 3 weeks for it. Commercial is just as loaded and you have 7 days.....so get ready to be a sponge.

Do the review questions and make sure you learn all the key points. Contract law and agency relationships are big pieces of that phase, know them well.

The courses lay the groundwork for a business in real estate. Jumping right in to the 'biz right out of the course will make your head spin. If you want to do well, try and find an A+ agent to mentor with. Sure, you have to work for somebody for a while, but the rewards can be great (from both a knowledge and financial standpoint) and you'll see how the best do it. In time, it could very well be the ace up your sleeve.

[msouther]

Hi Folks,

Update: I passed the Phase 2 exam by a fair margin, but it was even harder than I had thought it would be. I was scared to hit that "End Exam" button because I thought I was right on the bubble. Sigh of relief.

As was previously mentioned though, all 3 sections of Phase 3 will be hard as well because of the amount of info, and the short timeframe to absorb the said information.

Thanks to everybody for offering advice etc. on here and I will update this thread as I go along. Maybe I will get to work with some of you on a transaction one day :thumbsup:

[barmanjay]

:thumbsup:

[msouther]

Well another update, finished Phase 3 Residential test today. I thought it would be easier than the Phase 2 exam, but it turned out to be just slightly harder in my opinion. Now to finish up Rural and Commercial which will be the toughest challenges yet from what I have heard. I am excited to get done this stuff so I can start executing my business plan.

[HRD2PLZ]

Thats great! Glad to hear things are coming along so well for you :thumbsup:

[JordanLotoski]

Originally posted by msouther
Well another update, finished Phase 3 Residential test today. I thought it would be easier than the Phase 2 exam, but it turned out to be just slightly harder in my opinion. Now to finish up Rural and Commercial which will be the toughest challenges yet from what I have heard. I am excited to get done this stuff so I can start executing my business plan.

Good stuff:thumbsup:

Whats your business plan?

[msouther]

Good stuff
Whats your business plan?

I am just interviewing with new brokerages and scheduling some secondary interviews with a few brokerages that I have already met with. As far as my business plan, I won't outline that here and I don't really want to share that regardless. I am confident that given my past experiences and knowledge that I have of the real estate industry and sales cycle, that I will be just fine.

[msouther]

Do any new realtors (recent or within the past year or so) have any insight on the Rural exam for the REAP program? I have heard this is very hard and I am a little nervous about this one? I still have to take the Commercial one, but at least it has some overlapping material in it from other phases. Rural is like taking a science and biology course. Write the exam on Monday.

[robpark]

Rural is the toughest - I did high 90's on all the exams EXCEPT rural (88%). The biggest problem for me was that I had NO interest in it. I will NEVER do any business outside of Calgary.

Second problem is that a lot of the test seems like it has little to do with the actual real estate transaction, and more about knowing the farmer's/end user's business. Types of grains, where they grow, growing season, difference between growing season and frost-free season, cattle operations, chicken and dairy quotas, climate factors, soil types/classification systems, animal units......it's all in there.

You are also expected to know about the different types of septic systems, the "grid" land system which divides up the parcels, foreign ownership rules....which is a bit more relevant.

I didn't like it at all, but you have to remember that the rural guys had to sit through residential and commercial, so now it's your turn to sit through rural..... Part of it is familiarity, us city folks can wrap our heads around res/comm because in at least some way, we interact with it on a daily basis. For most of us, rural living/operations are an entirely nebulous concept...

Enjoy! PM me if you have any further questions.

[msouther]

Update: wrote the Rural today and actually did better on this one than any of the others. I got 85% on the Phase 2 exam, 82% on the Residential Phase 3, and 88% on the Rural. I think it is because I didn't have that AgentExams site for this section, so I studied much harder. Taking orientation for the next three days, then Commercial starting next week and I will be joining the ranks in early October. Looking forward to working with some of Beyonds realtors in the future hopefully.

[barmanjay]

:thumbsup:

[msouther]

Well I am going to close the chapter on my updates on this thread, because I am now done and licensed. Tomorrow I will be a realtor once I register with CREB, AREA, CREA. Commercial was tough as well, but the math stuff was one of my strong points so I did well on the exam. Basically it can be summarized like anything else in life, you get out of it what you put into it. See you out there folks.

[barmanjay]

:thumbsup:

GL

let me know who you end up with

[HRD2PLZ]

Awesome, good luck! See ya out there! :thumbsup:

[JordanLotoski]

good stuff....best of luck with everything....Hope to do a deal with yeah someday