Are you very much interested in starting a career in the fast-paced real estate business? Are you fond of selling? If yes, then you can think of a rewarding career in becoming a real estate agent.

Who a real estate agent is

A real estate agent is a person who works under a real estate broker. An agent has a license, so that he can negotiate with the terms and conditions associated with the sale. As an agent, you will have to list the properties, show the property to the prospective borrowers, fill in contracts, list agreements and purchase contracts. If you can successfully sell a property, you will get a portion of the sale price as your commission.

What the work of an agent is

As an agent you will be required to help and guide people in purchasing or selling real estate  properties. You will be required to possess a thorough knowledge of the real estate market, proceedings of buying and selling and real estate law of the state, where you will work. You have to work with a broker on a contract basis. You will also have to know, from where you will get financing for your clients, for the purchase of a particular property.

You work will comprise of pre-qualifying the clients  to make sure of their purchase. You will also have to tour properties with your clients. You will have to market a home for selling using Multiple Listing Service (MLS), virtual tours and by using fliers and ads. You will also need to handle offers and counteroffers on real estate listing. You should also be aware of the process involved in closing a transaction.

Eligibility criteria to be an agent

To become a licensed agent you need to fulfill the following requirements:

You should be at least 18 years at the time of application. (Some states require minimum age to be 21 years).

You should have completed high school.

You should have completed 40 to 50 hours of pre-licensing course from an institution which is accredited by the state.

You should not have any criminal convictions in the US or abroad for the last ten years from the time of application.

You should have a real estate license for the state where you will work. Prior to getting your license, you should be assigned to a broker. To get the license you have to clear the license exam and getting a minimum score of 75 is considered as good.

You should have completed post-licensing course within a year of getting your license, otherwise your license can get terminated.

Advantages of being an agent

The benefits of a career as a real estate agent are:

No boss:As you will be working as an independent contractor, you will have no boss. You can set your own work schedules, develop a client of your own, decide on the marketing techniques and develop your business at your own convenience.

Future rewards: If you can build a good relationship with your clients, they will recommend you to their friends and neighbors and thus it will be great beneficial for your business.

No time limit: As you’re the owner, there will not be any fixed working hours for you. You can set your own time limit.

Job security: As you won’t have any boss, there will not be any insecurity of getting fired.

However, as it will be your own independent venture, the more time you can give in it and more work you can do will give you better results. If you are honest and have perseverance in your work, the career as a real estate agent will be very much lucrative for you.