real estate training

High-Quality Real Estate Training Takes You To a Higher Level of Career Success

The term “real estate training” has different meanings to different people. To many, it means local sales seminars offered by various self-proclaimed investment “gurus” who appear in late-night Infomercials. For others, it induces imagery of long winded lectures conducted within formal classroom settings wherein technical concepts and abstract theories are conveyed.

As contemplated in this Article, “real estate training” denotes the proscribed preparatory coursework required for professional licensure as a real estate agent or broker.

Different Folks Seek Different Strokes

There are perhaps as many motivations for seeking formal real estate licensure, as there are prospective practitioners. Many “born salespeople” want a remunerative forum of expression for their natural talents. Some are displaced workers or retirees looking for a career change or supplemental income source. Still others are would-be investors wanting ideal positioning to glean “inside information” about potentially profitable investment opportunities.

Whatever one’s personal reasons for pursuing real estate training, it is important to have realistic expectations about what such instruction ordinarily entails. To avoid wasting colossal time or money, you must be aware of what formal real estate instruction is - and is not.

Inner Instructional Infrastructure

Legitimate operators of real estate licensing courses must obtain the prior approval of appropriate regulatory agencies. This quality assurance process ensures that course content and materials satisfies minimum instructional standards. Protecting the public from incompetent practitioners is the underlying rationale for these requirements.

Thus, pre-licensure real estate training courses encompass broad coverage of subject matter most pertinent to professional practice. As such courses usually last but a few weeks, instruction is relatively concentrated and introductory.

Following are the common topics of instruction featured in most real estate training courses:

Overview

Covers basic characteristics of common uses and natural topographical features of land.

Ethics

Instructs on how to avoid conflicts of interest, maintain confidentiality, comply with full disclosure requirements, and conducting adequate due diligence. Also outlined is the importance of maintaining adequate professional error and omissions insurance.

Land use

Topics like zoning laws and common legal land-use designations like “R-1,” “R-2,” “C-1,” “C-2,” and their respective distinctions are explained. Related matters like local variance and building permit acquisitions are also covered.

Legal descriptions

Explores the two primary means of expression legal land descriptions (i.e., “metes and bounds” and “lot and block”) and explains their respective origins.

Land Valuation

This topic includes basic coverage of primary factors that influence land values. Both natural and artificially induced property appreciation are also featured.

Legal Realty Listings Types

This professional educational aspect explores the distinctions between “exclusive right to sell,” “exclusive agency,” “Net,” and other common realty sales contracts.

MLS Training

The Multiple Listing Service (“MLS”) is the backbone of all professional realty practice. Thus, local MLS operations and features are a major part of any competent real estate training course. This educational nodule explains MLS resource composition, membership, access requirements, and conducting efficient MLS searches.

Practical skills

Training in fundamental hands-on tasks such as taking measurements of a property’s physical dimensions and ascertaining a asking price are covered. Optimal advertising strategies and building professional referral bases are also touched on.

Test Time!

A minimum exam score for each individual instructional topic is necessary to advance to the next instructional phase.

You must then pass a comprehensive final examination that encompasses all substantive content featured in the entire course. This examination is structured and administered in order to simulate your state’s actual licensing exam very closely.

Every state requires a minimum number of continuing education (“CE”) real estate training in order to maintain licensure. The specific total of required course credits varies from state to state. However, available offerings invariably include highly specialized, advanced topics. You may choose from a broad range of topics that best address your specific sub-specialty or individualized area of interest.