SpiralHex Posted August 12, 2005 Share Posted August 12, 2005 I'm in dire need of some book suggestions, certainly there has to be quite a handfull of successful real estate agents/loan officers out there....right? Well I'm calling you out to ask you what books assisted you the most in earning real estate license and broker license. Concurrently, who really makes the most money in this field... the loan officer...or the real estate agent... Powerhouse questions? Far from it...just simple run of the mill rookie inquiries from a very nervous future test taker....Anybody? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The New Juniper Posted August 14, 2005 Share Posted August 14, 2005 I found that online courses at Austin Institute Real Estate (or something close to that) were by far and away the best. The textbooks i bought turned out to not have any real value. And, I bought four or five.TNJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trophy Property Posted August 15, 2005 Share Posted August 15, 2005 I'm in dire need of some book suggestions, certainly there has to be quite a handfull of successful real estate agents/loan officers out there....right? Well I'm calling you out to ask you what books assisted you the most in earning real estate license and broker license. Concurrently, who really makes the most money in this field... the loan officer...or the real estate agent... Powerhouse questions? Far from it...just simple run of the mill rookie inquiries from a very nervous future test taker....Anybody? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> The Real Estate agent has the opportunity to make a lot of money but it requires a lot of dedication and selling. It is not for everyone. If you want to take the exam you must first take all the educational pre-requisite courses. The amount depend on the amound of college you have taken. Most likely you will need to take 3-6 classes which will cost you $100+ each. Then you will be able to take the exam. It is not hard for the average joe (although there were some idiots in my classes), but it is time consuming and cost a fair amount of money. If you are too that point I would recommend taking a prep course through one of the real estate schools. They give you all sorts of practice exams and study materials. I aced both the salesman and the brokers exams. I definetely would reccoment one of those classes - they are usually crammed into 1-2 days. For more info on what you need go to the TREC website. http://www.trec.state.tx.us/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpiralHex Posted August 15, 2005 Author Share Posted August 15, 2005 Thanks New & Trophy, I appreciate your replies... I'll actually be taking three additional RE courses at HCC (Principles II, Law of Agency, Loan Origination) and from there I'll be on my way to, what I hope, is a successfull career. Also, I've been reading this great book called '21 Things I Wish My Broker Had Told Me' that I would highly recommend. By the way, how are things going for both of you? Any regrets?Swimming in dough? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The New Juniper Posted August 16, 2005 Share Posted August 16, 2005 Any regrets?Swimming in dough?Always & not yet. It's all about establishing relationships and doing what you say you will do. Too many people in this (and most) businesses are looking for the quick buck and don't have the foresight to realize that long term success is predicated on being honest. If you treat every deal as though it is in a vacuum and is the last deal you'll ever do, then it will be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpiralHex Posted August 16, 2005 Author Share Posted August 16, 2005 Always & not yet. It's all about establishing relationships and doing what you say you will do. Too many people in this (and most) businesses are looking for the quick buck and don't have the foresight to realize that long term success is predicated on being honest. If you treat every deal as though it is in a vacuum and is the last deal you'll ever do, then it will be.<{POST_SNAPBACK}>New,I've read and been told countless times that this business is for a certain niche of people. I agree with you completely that dedication and honesty compose the foundation for success in RE. With that said, are you rather optimistic about your financial future? Are your more established colleagues reaping the benefits of all that dedication and hard work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trophy Property Posted August 16, 2005 Share Posted August 16, 2005 New,I've read and been told countless times that this business is for a certain niche of people. I agree with you completely that dedication and honesty compose the foundation for success in RE. With that said, are you rather optimistic about your financial future? Are your more established colleagues reaping the benefits of all that dedication and hard work? <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I sold commercial real estate for some years. It was totally hit or miss. At 26 I made close to $200k and was loving life. I partied and pissed some of it away and took a lot of trips. I let my pipeline go empty and at 27 I made $39k. Needless to say I went back to b-school and got an MBA (with money I earned at 26) and have been in corporate real estate ever since. I do not want to live commission to commission at this stage in my life. I keep my brokers liscence since my company pays for the dues and I do not want to have to go through the hassle of taking the exam again.I am a firm believer in brokers though. In fact we are selling our house and even though I am a broker and have full confidence in my ability to handle the transaction I have hired a broker to represent me anyway. Good luck to you in quest. I agree 100% that is takes a certain person to succeed in Real Estate sales. It can be brutal and frustrating. My only advice to you is to be 100% ethical in every transaction. There are a lot of scammers out there with a Real Estate liscence and they will screw up, steal, or wedge into a commission payment wherever they can. Of course my experience is mainly in commercial real estate where the deals are larger and fewer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpiralHex Posted August 16, 2005 Author Share Posted August 16, 2005 Trophy,Honestly, reading how much moola you earned at 26 definitely spurred my motivation to succeed in this industry. And although the green around my ears is quite bright and barely sprouting, and although I'm still languidly chipping away at all this real estate terminology...I feel very pumped to get started. Thanks for your encouragement. By the way, an acquaintance I am loosely connected to is a Bilingual Loan Officer at a bank, and she is earning close to 100k each year. Is that good money for someone in that position?My oh my, I'm really painting my portrait as one with neon dollar signs popping out the eyes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trophy Property Posted August 17, 2005 Share Posted August 17, 2005 Trophy,By the way, an acquaintance I am loosely connected to is a Bilingual Loan Officer at a bank, and she is earning close to 100k each year. Is that good money for someone in that position? <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I am thinking that is pretty good money. I was never involved with lenders that often. Most of my clients already had key contacts in that area or were utilizing 1031 Tax Deferred exchanges. I would think that a mortgage broker could make a pretty decent living but again it is a lot of work and there is no guarantee salary.If you are looking to make some contacts try www.linkedin.com. It is a professional netwroking site that works great. It really helped me land my current position. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandrak Posted November 11, 2005 Share Posted November 11, 2005 Thanks New & Trophy, I appreciate your replies... I'll actually be taking three additional RE courses at HCC (Principles II, Law of Agency, Loan Origination) and from there I'll be on my way to, what I hope, is a successfull career. Also, I've been reading this great book called '21 Things I Wish My Broker Had Told Me' that I would highly recommend. By the way, how are things going for both of you? Any regrets?Swimming in dough?Good luck! I'm always happy to talk to rookies because I love this field and quitting my corporate career to pursue real estate was one of the best decisions I ever made. One thing I always suggest is that you take most of your classes (with a few exceptions) in an actual classroom and not online. Real estate is all about experience and very little of what you learn in your exam will actually be used on a day to day basis. Having an actual experienced teacher (try to pick out former brokers) is invaluable. Regarding books, just get the books that the classes provide and if you do well on all of your tests and read your books, I don't think a prep course is necessary. I actually paid for mine up front but never took it because I knew that I was prepared. Later, I used that credit for another class.After you obtain your license, I can suggest some books and other resources that will benefit your career. One of the best ones for a new agent is "How to become a Power Agent in Real Estate" by Darryl Davis. It actually provides a daily and weekly to do list, which I still use today. Two reference books that I couldn't live without are "Realty Bluebook" by Robert de Heer and "Word Marketing" by Therese F. Kasemodel. Finally, seek out workshops specific to your community. For example, I took the City of Austin's Green Building Program workshop, which was just an incredible learning experience. You will be bombarded with books from morgage professionals and other people trying to earn your business, but most that I've received are just a bunch of motivational jargon without much substance. Feel free to e-mail me anytime with questions and be wary of those brokerages who try too hard to recruit you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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