Last week I saw an ad for a Real Estate Consultant. I have wanted a career in real estate for as long as I could remember. There is only one thing that has stopped me from pursuing this career, MONEY.
I have always been afraid to begin the process because of the money you need to have for classes, insurance etc… It’s crazy because I have had my own business and the fear of investment wasn’t as strong. I realize now that the difference was that I had more control over what I would invest in for my own business and could pull in the reins as needed. In real estate, you have fees that can’t be controlled in the same way. Gas money, a bigger cell phone package, money for marketing materials and so forth are ongoing and necessary for this particular career choice.
So with all of this fear of money going out and the length of time before money might come back in the form of a sale, why did I finally bite the bullet and go after my dream? The company I was applying to has a program that helps you get on your feet with an amazing amount of training and support to get you on the right path. I was sold. For me this was a perfect arrangement.
Several days after sending in my resume, I got an email from the hiring manager stating that I needed to fill out the attached questionnaire and then do a personality test. The questionnaire was long. Questions asked were about my goals, current responsibilities, what I needed to achieve financially and so on. The personality test was even longer. The best part of this process was that I had a solid idea of where my brain was at and what I saw for myself success wise.
The personality test was really cool because you receive a copy of the results in great detail. I got the opportunity to really see what I was all about from a different perspective. This test was incredibly thorough in that there were 5 pages describing me. Here is what the personality test covered:
There are 8 different personality styles and you are told the categories that make up you. My temperament tendencies (as they put it) fall under Social, Imaginative, Emotional and Laissez-Faire. Under each category was an explaination of what each category means. For instance under Laissez-Faire, it says that I am lenient, tolerant, lax, liberal, patient and accommodating. The test also said what my overall characteristics are as well as my natural strengths and weakness. Overall, it was the most fun and fascinating test I have ever taken.
All of this information was sent to the person who had contacted me. The next day I received a wonderful email about setting up an interview and that the company felt that I had the skills and personality that would be a good fit at their company.
I had an interview a few days later. The office was beautiful and had an air of success about it. While I was waiting to be interviewed I had a chance to speak with the receptionist. She was such a nice woman and I learned a lot about the office. Most of the people had been there for years and survived the rough economy. A few salespeople walked through the office and each person was so nice. They each took a moment to say hello and showed such support. I hadn’t been interviewed yet, but these people talked about how everyone helps each other out, that the company is great and that there is a ton of support from the company. I had never had an experience like this. I honestly thought the salespeople would be cutthroat. I figured they would be rolling their eyes at the idea of another salesperson coming in. Instead these people seemed happy to see a new face and I felt as though each of them would be more that happy to take me under their wing.
In the interview I found out that they had already decided to hire me. I was so excited until I heard about the fees to start out. I have to be honest, I was a little freaked out. After hearing about their program to help new realtors through the first few months I was reassured.
The next step is the big hurdle. I will be taking a one week class (40hrs) to learn all about real estate. At the end is a test. When I pass the test, I will take the test that the state gives out. Once I pass that test, I may begin to work in the office.
I’m sure you would like to know about cost. Below is a general breakdown of what the upfront fees can be. Please note that these are general fees. Each state and company might have varying amounts you must pay. This is just a general idea of what to expect.
School- $99.00
State Licensing Application- $31.00
State Exam- $72.00
Association Fee (application and annual fee)- $561.00
Please note that there will be additional service fees with each office. Each office sets up their fees differently so providing an idea of what to expect would not be useful.
Adventures in Real Estate 