PURSUING A CAREER IN REAL ESTATE

Dave,

I have lived in the Grand Valley for the past 9 years and we absolutely love living in Western Colorado. I currently work in retail, as one of our store managers, but honestly know that if we continue to reside in Grand Junction there is very little upside potential with my current employer. I am married and have two young children. My wife works as a nurse and between our two jobs we earn a good living, but we are both on the verge of being “capped out” in our jobs. All this has me thinking about real estate. I have two questions, What is required to become a realtor and what (if any) advice would you give me about pursuing a new career in real estate?

Thanks,
Bobby

Bobby,

I find the business of real estate to be wonderful and becoming a Realtor was one of the best decisions of my life. This business is truly a business where you reap what you sew and your results are a direct reflection of your hard work or lack thereof. I think you will love the business, should you decide to pursue it. Okay, on to your questions.

First, you need to go to the Colorado Division of Real Estate website and make sure that you meet all the requirements for obtaining a license (dora.colorado.gov). Once you have determined that you meet the requirements for obtaining your license, you then must find a real estate training course. General course requirements are 168 hours of study and then you must pass the state real estate exam. There are many options to achieve your 168 hours of course study, but the most popular is probably online. You can also go to Denver and take the course in a classroom setting if that is your preferred way of learning. I took my license online and through course books from the Real Estate College of Colorado (realestatecollege.com) and it was great! They were extremely helpful, when I needed it and I could learn at my own pace. It took me 2-3 months to complete my course study and prepare for the final exam.  Costs of the various courses run between $350-$1100.

After you pass your exam, you are good to go to find a place of employment. You will want to interview several agencies to find the one that is the best culture fit for you. Each agency has its own “personality” and you will likely find that one of them fits you like a glove and you will know it right away. Remember you will be interviewing them at that same time they are interviewing you.

Below is how I would summarize what it takes and what it is to be a Realtor. Not advice, just what to expect and see if it lines up with who you are and what you are looking for and you can judge for yourself if you think it will be a good fit.

Real estate is an incredible business. No two days or hours are the same and I mean it! If you like routine, then you need not apply. If your family likes routine (with you present), then you need not apply. There is nothing routine about any of my days. This business is very competitive. You will never stop learning, even if you don’t want to learn any more, it will force you to keep learning or move over. Just when you think you know it all and have it all figured out, you will be humbled. There are great highs and very low, lows. Most people will love you and you will love them, but not all, so you must have a thick skin to thrive. You will make mistakes and you must own them, take responsibility and correct them, this will put you well ahead of those who cannot. Always remember, honesty wins every time! As with everything, it is what you make of it. What you put in, you will get out. What you make, you will earn. What you dream, you can achieve. If this sounds like your kind of business then you will do great, if you read this last paragraph and think you are not so sure, then keep looking for something else. Personally, I love it and hope you do too. Hope this helped and feel free to call.