How to Become a Real Estate Agent with No Experience

1. Quick Start with High Earning Potential: You can become a real estate agent in just a few months without needing a college degree, and your earning potential is largely commission-based, meaning there’s no fixed salary cap.
2. Essential Steps to Get Licensed: Understand your state’s requirements, complete a pre-licensing course, pass the licensing exam, and activate your license to start your career.
3. Importance of Joining a Brokerage: Partnering with a brokerage provides essential training, mentorship, resources, and support to help you succeed as a new agent.
4. Continuous Learning and Networking: Engage in ongoing education, pursue additional certifications, and build a professional network to stay competitive and grow your career.
5. Finding Fulfillment in Your Career: Embrace lifelong learning, build meaningful relationships, maintain a healthy work-life balance, and give back to your community for a fulfilling and enjoyable career as a real estate agent.

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For many, real estate is more than a job — it’s a passion that aligns with their lifestyle and purpose. They find fulfillment each day helping people find their dream homes, building their networks, and forming new relationships.

Many real estate agents are drawn to the earning potential of the career, which is largely based on commissions — the more you sell, the more you can earn with no fixed salary cap. Unlike careers with similar income potential, you don’t need a college degree or years of training to get started. Becoming a real estate agent can be a relatively quick process, often taking just a few short months to complete the necessary training and licensing.

Starting your career as a real estate agent with no experience in the field can feel a little overwhelming for some. However, with the proper guidance and dedication, you’ll be moving through the steps quickly and starting your career in real estate in no time.

How do you become a real estate agent with no experience? We’ve got you covered! Our comprehensive guide will help you get started on your new career path.

Roles and Responsibilities of a Real Estate Agent

Before getting into the specifics of becoming a real estate agent, it’s important to understand the roles and responsibilities that you’ll be taking on in your new career.

As a real estate agent, you are responsible for promoting listings and marketing properties to potential buyers. This includes creating property descriptions, posting listings on theMultiple Listing Service (MLS), and using social media to promote those listings for your clients.

Other responsibilities include:

• Acting as an intermediary between buyers and sellers
• Performing comparative market analysis to estimate property values
• Providing guidance to buyers and sellers about the real estate process, market conditions, and financial considerations
• Arranging and conducting property viewings for potential buyers
• Staying up to date on local real estate market trends, property prices, and rental rates

While we understand it may seem like a lot of responsibility to take on, many real estate agents find the work fulfilling and exciting. As you gain experience in the field, you’ll find the tasks start to become second nature.

Researching Your State’s Requirements

Before starting on your path to becoming a real estate agent, you must first check your state’s requirements to obtain your real estate license, as each state is different. The requirements typically include:

• Age and Residency: Most states require you to be at least 18 or 19 years old and a legal resident of that state.
• Education level: While no state requires a bachelor’s degree, many states mandate either a high school diploma or GED
• Pre-Licensing Education: Completion of a pre-licensing course is mandatory. The content requirements and number of required hours vary by state (e.g., 75 hours in North Carolina vs 180 hours in Texas).
• Background Check: Many states require a background check and fingerprinting.
• Sponsoring Broker: Most states require new agents to work under a licensed real estate broker

We recommend checking with your state’s real estate commission or regulatory body for the most up-to-date and accurate information. Understanding these requirements is the first step toward your new career as a real estate agent.

Selecting a Pre-Licensing Course

Once you’ve met all your state’s requirements, you’ll need to enroll in an approved real estate pre-licensing course. While there are a number of pre-licensing courses available, it can be difficult to decide which one to choose.

Here are some factors to consider:

• Learning Format: Options include in-person classes, online self-paced courses, or live online classes. Choose the format that best suits your learning style.
• Cost: Courses can range from $350 to $1,000. Compare prices between different approved providers, but be wary of extremely cheap options that may not be legitimate.
• Course Duration and Flexibility: Look at the total hours required and how long you have to complete the course. Some providers offer more flexible timelines than others.
• Reputation: Look for schools with good reviews and a high pass rate. A school with a solid reputation can provide you with the best education.
• Additional Resources: Some schools offer business-building courses and pass guarantees. These resources can be invaluable as you start your career.
• Exam Preparation: Courses that offer an exam prep component will help you increase your chances of passing the exam on the first try
• Post-licensing education: Consider providers that also offer continuing education courses, as you’ll need these to maintain your license after obtaining it.

Quality matters more than price — don’t opt for the cheapest option. A reputable course provider will help you on your path to becoming a real estate agent with no previous experience.

Feeling overwhelmed? View our top recommended online real estate schools

Enrolling in a Pre-Licensing Course

Once you’ve selected the pre-licensing course, it’s time to dig into learning! Whether you’ve opted into a self-paced course or prefer a more classic classroom setting, these courses are designed to provide you with the foundational knowledge necessary to pass your state’s licensing exam and to help you become a real estate agent.

While enrolled in the pre-licensing course, you’ll gain experience on:

• Real Estate Principles: Basics of real estate, property types, ownership rights, and legal aspects of buying and selling property
• Real Estate Law and Ethics: Legal and ethical considerations for real estate agents, including relevant statutes and regulations
• Marketing and Sales: Effective sales techniques, negotiation skills, and strategies for marketing properties
• Contracts and Regulations: Many courses include state-specific information on approved contracts and regulations
• Property Valuation and Appraisal: Methods used to appraise and value real estate properties
• Real Estate Finance: Information about mortgages, interest rates, and financial policies affecting the real estate market
• Agency Relationships: Navigating the real estate agency environment and the relationships between agents, buyers, and sellers

The specific topics and depth of coverage can be different from state to state. Some states require additional courses on topics such as property management, while others do not. Remember to check your state’s requirements before enrolling in a course.

While going through the pre-licensing course, we recommend you gather additional resources such as study guides, flashcards, or practice exams to help prepare for the licensing exam. These can be especially helpful if it has been some time since you’ve been in a classroom setting or taken an exam.

Preparing for the Licensing Exam

After completing your pre-licensing course, your final step to becoming a licensed real estate agent is passing the licensing exam.

The real estate licensing exam is designed to test your knowledge of real estate laws, principles, and practices specific to your state. You’ve already covered all this information in your pre-licensing course and now you need to prepare for taking the exam.  You’ve got this!

Here are some tips we recommend to help you prepare for the exam:

• Study: Set aside dedicated time to review all of the material covered in your pre-licensing course. Use study guides or practice exams provided by your course provider.
• Practice: Take as many practice exams as possible. This will help you become familiar with the types of questions that will be on the actual exam and identify areas where you may need to study more.
• Stay calm: On the day of the exam, try to remain calm and focused. Taking deep breaths and staying positive can help reduce test anxiety.
• Read carefully: Read each question carefully and thoroughly before answering. Don’t rush through the exam.

After You Get Your License

Activating Your License

To begin your career as a real estate agent, you’ll need to activate your license. You need to submit an application to your state’s real estate commission and pay a fee (usually between $200 and $400).

After approval, you’ll receive your license, and your name will appear in your state’s real estate licensee database.

You’re now a licensed real estate agent — congratulations!

Joining a Real Estate Brokerage

Joining a brokerage is not just a common practice but often a necessary step for new real estate agents to legally start their careers and gain the support, experience, and resources they need to succeed in the industry.

A brokerage provides:

• Training and Mentorship: Brokerages provide supervision, mentorship, and additional training for new agents as they start their careers.
• Access to Resources: Brokerages offer new agents access to the tools, technology, and support systems they need to conduct business effectively.
• Liability and Insurance: Brokerages typically carry errors and omissions insurance that covers their agents though you may want to look at additional insurance.
• Brand Association: Being associated with an established brokerage can lend credibility to new agents as they build their client base.
• Compliance Assurance: Brokerages help ensure that new agents comply with all relevant real estate laws and regulations.
• Marketing Support: Brokerages have the tools and resources to help you attract clients without needing to create these yourself.
• Business infrastructure: New agents can leverage the brokerage’s existing business structure rather than having to set everything up themselves.

When choosing a brokerage, you’ll want to think about commission splits. Starting out, most real estate agents are 50/50 split. Some brokerages work on different percentages or are based on a graduated split, hybrid models, or capped splits.

We recommend thinking about not just the commission split but also any additional fees, marketing support, training, and other benefits from the brokerage you’re considering.

Starting Your Real Estate Career

With your license in hand and real estate brokerage chosen, you are now ready to embark on your real estate career. Wahoo!! 🥳 With hard work, dedication, and continued learning, you can achieve success and make a meaningful impact in the lives of your clients.

Here are a few tips we recommend to set you up for continued success:

• Building Your Network: Begin building your professional network by connecting with other real estate agents, industry professionals, and potential clients.
• Marketing Yourself: Develop a marketing plan to promote your services. This could include creating a professional website, leveraging social media, and attending local community events.
• Setting Goals: Establish short-term and long-term career goals. Having a clear vision can help you stay motivated and focused as you navigate the real estate industry.
• Staying Informed: Keep up-to-date on industry trends, laws, and regulations that may impact your business. Attend seminars or conferences, join professional organizations, and network with other agents.

Continuing Education and Professional Development

Even though you’re now a licensed real estate agent, that doesn’t mean you’re done learning. You’ll want to continue educating yourself through post-licensing courses and staying up-to-date on industry news and changes. Your success as a real estate agent depends on your ongoing education and dedication to providing excellent service to your clients.

To help differentiate yourself from other real estate agents, you may want to pursue additional certifications like Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR) or Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) to develop expertise in specific areas. You may also benefit from taking courses in related fields such as business, marketing, or finance to expand your overall skill set.

Many real estate agents join professional organizations like the National Association of Realtors (NAR) for networking and professional development benefits. We love organizations like NAR as they offer valuable resources and opportunities to connect you with other professionals in the industry.

Addressing Common Concerns of New Real Estate Agents

Starting a new career can bring up several concerns, especially if you have no prior experience in that field.

Here are a few common concerns we’ve come across in our community of real estate agents:

• Lack of Experience: Starting any new career can be daunting, but remember the pre-licensing course and your brokerage will provide training, guidance, and support to help you succeed.
• Work-life Balance: The job often requires working evenings, weekends, and irregular hours to accommodate clients’ schedules. Proper time management and setting boundaries can help you maintain a healthy work-life balance.
• Income Uncertainty: Commission-based income means your earnings may fluctuate, especially in the beginning. Learn strategies for managing your finances during periods of inconsistent income, such as saving during high-earning months and diversifying income streams.
• Marketing and Networking Skills: Marketing and networking are essential skills for success in the real estate industry. If you feel lacking in these areas, seek out resources and training opportunities offered by your brokerage or professional organizations.
• High Competition: The real estate market can be highly competitive, with many established agents vying for clients. To stand out in the market, focus on developing your unique selling points and providing excellent service.
• Building a Client Base: As a new agent, you may not have an existing client base. Start by leveraging your network, marketing yourself, and offering exceptional service to attract clients.

Enjoying Your Career as a Real Estate Agent

Becoming a real estate agent with no experience is possible. As you grow in your career, remember to embrace lifelong learning and build meaningful relationships with your clients and colleagues. Celebrate your successes, no matter how small, and maintain a healthy work-life balance to avoid burnout.

Give back to your community to deepen your connections to the area you serve, and keep support and mentorship to guide you along the way.

By focusing on these aspects, you’ll find that becoming a real estate agent with no experience can lead to a fulfilling and enjoyable career.

Are you ready to embark on this exciting journey? Start by selecting a pre-licensing course that fits your state’s requirements and your learning style. This foundational step will equip you with the knowledge and skills needed to thrive in the real estate industry.