What do I need to learn to become a real estate agent?
Its hard. Real estate agents hear this so many times prior to getting their real estate license. Real estate brokers and other agents don't tell agents this because they want to discourage the agent, but rather to not disillusion the agent with portraying it as a get-rich-quick-scheme with little or no work. It is well-known by real estate practicioneers that the drop out rate for real estate agents is extremely high, with most agents changing careers before they reach their third year in real estate.
On a lighter note, real estate can be fun. Some love it because there isn't a day that goes by that they don't learn something new and are not challenged. So while real estate can be fun for some, it isn't easy. But being hard does not make something not worthwhile.
In Louisiana a real estate agent isn't required to have a college degree to become a real estate agent. One can come straight from high school and begin helping others buy and sell real estate. In Lousiana, Louisiana Real Estate Schools teach math and real estate law in their real estate classes. It may be useful for aspiring real estate agents in having finance, business, sales or marketing experience. These subjects are not taught in real estate schools and they may or may not be taught to real estate agents by their managing broker.
Some real estate companies work with their real estate agents on all of subjects as necessary to help agents achieve their greatest potential. Any subject can help out greatly, but these are not requirements to be a real estate agent. Besides an aspiring agent can always pick up these subjects after one becomes an agent if they're willing to put out the extra effort.
A good real estate agent is always growing. Always working harder. Always learning more. Starting out you won't have all the information in your head as a real estate agent, but that will always be the case. Real estate law, finances, property values, environmental conditions, and more always change and so good real estate agents always stay learning. Learning is one of the things real estate agents end up loving about their real estate career. It never gets boring.
