Fancy a Career as a Real Estate Agent in India
The real estate sector is booming in India and this has created a demand for real estate brokers. There are over 3 million real estate agents most of which are part time professionals.
The market is however unorganized and unregulated and there is there is no standard code for brokerage, commissions, fees, licenses, ethics etc.
In order to synchronize the operation of brokers India and to imbue them with modern practices and world-class standards, The India Institute of Real Estate or IIRE was set up in 2001. This is a non-profit organization that provides training to both new aspirants and existing players.
The group has a tie-up with National Association of Realtors® USA to provide world wide recognized certifications in India. It is also in the process to have similar certification programs from Certified Commercial Investment Manager (CCIM) and Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM).
At the moment, this organization is offering two courses - International Certification Program (which is equivalent to GRI® of National Association of Realtors) and National Certification Program (which deals with practices and ethics of real estate). The course is available in Mumbai at the moment, but will soon be extended to cities like Delhi and Bangalore.
With so many brokers in the market, one needs to have something extra to stand out in the crowd. Although the market is unregulated in India, having the proper training and a ‘license’ will provide extra stability and safety to the agent. It has been observed that people with a MBA degree or a diploma/degree in design, development, and architecture have better success in this sector.
Even going through online courses (like those available on realtyu.com and californialicense.com) can help considerably. If you are contemplating a career in this field you should be prepared to get the relevant training and certification.