Before you perform any act related to real estate, you must undergo licensing--attending real estate license school, filling out applications, taking the appropriate exams and any other requirements directed by your state. In most states, you must first be licensed as an agent or salesperson for some time before you can become licensed to work as a broker.

Some states may have other levels of licensing including state licensing for Realtors, time-share agents, associate brokers, apprentices or trainees. Not only is there a certain process for each category, but each state also has its own set of rules regarding agent age, citizenship and criminal background.

Consider these other factors when securing training for real estate licensing:

1. Education, application and exam requirements are all regulated via your state's real estate commission or other similar governmental agency. Obtain official information about your obligation.

2. You most likely will have to pass an exam with your real estate license course as well as pass the state exam in order to obtain your license.

3. Most states require a certain number of hours of training or real estate license classes.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Learn about commercial real estate license regulations in your state

Each state has a different procedure when it comes to real estate licensing. Make sure you understand and follow the rules when it comes to the state you want to do business in.

I recommend: The State of Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection gives information, education and licensing applications for brokers, salespeople and appraisers. Check out the real estate salesperson licensing requirements through the State of Alaska Real Estate Commission.

Take a real estate license course online

You have options when it comes to learning more about the real estate business. Traditional college classes have given way to online learning as a popular way for aspiring real estate agents to learn at their own pace.

I recommend: Enroll at Americas Best Distance Education or Van Education Center by clicking on the state in which you wish to be licensed.

Get additional study help before your state real estate licensing exam

A number of tools exist to help you study for your state's real estate license exam. Self-study books, online tutorials and other resources are available to help you ace that final exam and obtain your license.

I recommend: Study Guide Systems offers study guides for both sales agents and brokers. Order the AMP Real Estate Exam Preparation Guide from Cengage Learning for practice exams and other helpful tools.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Besides attending real estate license schools or taking courses, completing the exam and other requirements, some states (like Texas) require real estate licensing to also include sponsorship from a licensed broker. It is a good idea to network with other professionals anyway as a young agent, as it could open the door to a future position.

Working as a real estate agent is a challenging and rewarding career. State laws dictate a real estate agent's education and training, and states vary regarding the depth and breadth of pre-license requirements. Here are the three basic steps to real estate sales training and education:

1. Fulfill your state's prelicense, post-license, and continuing education (CE) license requirements first.
2. Sharpen your selling skills with real estate sales-focused training.
3. Continue to learn and grow in your sales knowledge and expertise.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Fulfill the required learning

Your state's real estate regulatory body - usually known as the 'State Department of Real Estate' or the 'Board of Real Estate' - is a goldmine of information. You'll find prelicense, post-license, and CE educational mandates and a list of state-accredited institutions.

I recommend: The Association of Real Estate License Law Officials (ARELLO) Regulatory Bodies has links to state governing bodies. Check out the National Association of Realtors (NAR) to download the "CE Requirements by State" Excel file. Check out the top online educators, such as 360Training, American School of Real Estate Express, Allied Real Estate School and CE2GO, which each offer dozens of accredited courses for several states.

Sharpen your sales skills

Your prelicense, post-license and CE courses are all required by law to teach you the legalities of the real estate practice. If you're looking to increase your sales, you'll need to continue to learn to specifically hone your sales skills.

I recommend: The NAR's Realtor University offers more than 80 inexpensive online courses, many of which are designed to sharpen your selling skills. Check out Real Estate Champions for comprehensive sales training and free resources.

Consider specializing

Within the real estate industry, there are many ways for a real estate agent to specialize on a particular market segment, such as residential or commercial sales.

I recommend: Looking to gain additional designations? Then click here: NAR's REALTOR Family Designation Programs. The Open Directory Project (DMOZ) Real Estate Education and Training Schools, lists educators who offer general and specific types of training.

Keep training, keep selling

There are hundreds of real estate sales training courses and materials available on the Internet, or through real estate institutions and universities.

I recommend: For a clearinghouse of real estate sales training websites and resources, check out DMOZ Real Estate Education and Training and click on any of these subcategories: Academic Departments, Books, or Seminars and Coaching.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  A successful real estate agent must be organized, ethical, personable, self-motivated, and professional.
• •  Many real estate educational courses are offered during weekends, evenings, or through correspondence or online, to accommodate those who already work full-time in another career.
• •  Remember not to overbook on sales training courses at any one time, or you'll end up missing the actual SALES!
• •  Many states have reciprocal licensing laws, which allow the already-licensed professional (from another state) to take a single state-specific course to become licensed in both states.
• •  Many states permit traditional classroom, correspondence courses, or e-learning for real estate students and licensees. If your state allows you this choice, choose whichever method fits your lifestyle and your personality.

If you're going to walk the walk, you must learn to talk the talk and know what you're saying, and a real estate license course in terminology can help. The more keywords you can commit to memory the better, and a grasp of real estate licensing key terms will help you when you're applying for real estate licensing, attending school and eventually working with clients.

State licensing for Realtors requires some work on your part, including learning the industry jargon which can seem like an entire different language if you aren't familiar with it. Learning the key terms will not only project the image of a competent salesperson but can also give you that inner confidence to sell, negotiate and close the deal.

Consider the following information on real estate licensing key terms:

1. One of the terms you may already be familiar with, "real estate commission," refers to the percentage of the sale price that is collected by a Realtor as a service fee.

2. Real estate license classes will include not only terminology but also acronyms that are commonly used.

3. Once you've completed a real estate licensing course, gained your license and started working, key terminology will become second nature. Practice makes perfect.

Action Steps
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Utilize general real estate terms in real estate license school

As a real estate professional, you become the catch-all for questions from clients. From the deed and title to insurance and loans, your clients will look to you for the answers. Having a good working knowledge of all real estate terms can help provide that simple explanation they're looking for.

I recommend: Log on to RealEstateABC.com for general real estate terms. From "acceleration clause" to "wraparound mortgage," find other real estate definitions you need from RE/MAX International.

To obtain a commercial real estate license, access a glossary of mortgage keywords

When it comes to closing the deal, money talks. Your clients will need to be well informed of their credit limits and get pre-approved with a lender. Analyzing your client's financial data will be key in narrowing down the list of properties they will be able to afford.

I recommend: Commonly used terms in mortgage and financing can be researched through Jack Guttentag's Mortgage Professor and also through FHA Mortgage Center.com.

For your real estate license training, look up real estate law terms

A real estate transaction is legally binding. Probably the most important area you'll need to be informed on is real estate law. Making sure all your legal obligations are met must be a top priority.

I recommend: Learn real estate legal language through the glossaries at Legal Help Mate and Lawcheck.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Learning key terms in real estate licensing schools can also play a significant role in advertising properties whether it be through the MLS or real estate magazines and newspapers. Acronyms can come in handy when you're limited by word count.

Real estate licensing for beginners can give you the knowledge to start or expand your real estate career. In the United States, individuals can’t legally sell real estate without obtaining real estate license training.

Real estate licensing guidelines are state-specific. This means that there’s no such thing as a national real estate license, although you may occasionally see real estate license classes marketed as being national. To learn more about real estate licensing for beginners, you should:

1. Understand how to obtain real estate licensing.

2. Find a real estate license school that meets state requirements.

3. Enroll in a real estate course to continue your education.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Take the necessary steps to meet real estate licensing requirements

Each state has its own specific guidelines on how to obtain real estate licensing. While the requirements will vary, each state sets requirements minimum age of students, education and experience, application and costs and a range of other criteria. Some states require a specialization in commercial real estate before obtaining a commercial real estate license, while others don't. It's also important to note that real estate licensing requirements can change and the criteria you read about last year may have since changed.

I recommend: Visit Real Estate Express to find out more about obtaining a real estate license. Read more about obtaining a commercial real estate license at Mortgage News Daily.

Enroll in a state approved real estate license school

States establish the number of required hours of real estate license training and the type of acceptable real estate license course programs. Some states allow students to enroll in online real estate licensing course programs, while others may not. One common element across all states is the requirement of enrolling in a state approved real estate license school.

I recommend: You can learn more about attending online real estate license school at USA Real Estate Licensing Network. You can also take state licensing for realtors courses at Allied Real Estate School.

Keep your real estate licensing active

Real estate laws and regulations are ever-changing. Every state except New Jersey requires real estate professionals to attend continuing education real estate license classes. These courses are required to maintain an active license. Each state determines whether or not a real estate license course will be approved for continuing education credit.

I recommend: Read more about continuing education classes by visiting the National Association of Realtors. You may also learn more about continuing education real estate license course programs by checking out The CE Shop.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When determining which real estate license school to attend, it's important that you thoroughly evaluate the cost, convenience and inquire about the school's pass rate, or the percentage of students who successfully pass the state real estate licensing exam.