5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Taking Pre-License Real Estate Courses

There are a few things to know before becoming a real estate agent. The first one being you can’t get a real estate license simply by passing a test and paying a fee. There’s schooling involved if you want to work in real estate. In order to become an agent, you’ll need to pass a number of required real estate pre-licensing coursesAceableAgent.

The process of completing the required real estate pre-licensing course is easier for some than others. Here’s a rundown of what to know before becoming a real estate agent so the licensing process goes as smoothly, quickly and cheaply as possible.

1. Prelicense Education Must Be Provided by an Approved Educator

Don’t get fooled by companies offering dirt cheap real estate courses. There’s a good chance they aren’t approved by the state’s real estate commission, and therefore any classes they offer won’t count towards the required credits. 

Be sure to check if they are accredited before signing up for any pre-license education course. If you're not sure, you can always check with your state's real estate council, like TREC in TexasTexas What Is Trec Career Center or DPOR in VirginiaWhat Virginia Dpor Blog. 

2. You Have Options for How, When and Where You Take a Real Estate PreLicense Course

Many people assume you have to go to a real estate school for pre-license education courses, but that hasn’t been the case for years. Today, hopeful real estate agents have a number of options in terms of how, when and where they take their pre-licensing courses.

AceableAgent's TREC-approved Texas real estate pre-licensing courseTexas Real Estate License is the perfect example. We’ve turned your mobile device into the classroom with courses that can be taken online at your own pace. They’re interactive and you’ll learn everything you would in a traditional course, but you get to choose when and where you do the work.

3. It Pays to Study

If you don’t pass your courses or the pre-licensing exam on the first try you won’t get a second shot for free. You have to pay to take them again. Plus, retaking courses and exams adds time to the process. 

Aceable is among the few online pre-licensing course providers that have free practice exams and study guides. Be sure to take the time to study and don't sign up to take an exam unless you feel ready for it. 

4. Pay a Lot of Attention to Real Estate Pre-licensing Courses on Contracts

There’s nothing more important than the real estate contract. It establishes the parameters for a close and has to be done correctly to protect your client’s best interests. You may get lucky and land a deal within days or weeks of getting your license. That’s when you’ll be glad you really internalized the sections about executing contracts.

5. The Courses Don’t End When You Get a Real Estate License

In the real estate industry, there’s a little thing called real estate continuing educationTexas Real Estate Continuing Education. Agents have to continue educating themselves after getting a license to keep said license. Each state has their own continuing education requirements that stipulate which courses need to be taken and when they have to be completed.

In Texas, for example, agents have to complete at least 18 hours of continuing education before their license can be renewed. If you’re a new agent eight of those hours must come from the Legal Update I and Legal Update II courses.

There you have it! It’s what you need to know before becoming a real estate agent in terms of the education requirements. If you’re ready to hit the books you can sign up for your state’s real estate course in minutes and get started today!