Finding a Real Estate School

[Craig Erickson]

Hey everyone. I've been looking at real estate schools in Chicago, IL to get my brokers license. But I'm unsure if I need to attend a school that is accredited or not. How does this work in the real estate realm? Is a license worthless if I receive it through a non-accredited school? Can I still be hired by a company or work for myself if my license was not received through an accredited school or program? 

Thanks!

[Bill Gulley]

I agree with you 

@Rick H.undefined

I've never met a successful real estate investor in my life, under 60 today, who had never taken a real estate agent's class and passed with the exception of two other professions, attorneys and CPAs or those that actually learned finance, law and general business. By success, I mean real millionaires and multi-millionaires, not TV or internet millionaires.  The old millionaires who began around WWII are dead and gone, the last bread of business people that had a high school education or even less and learned in the streets. 

The State of Missouri, like other states, has been pushing for new agents to have a 4 year college degree! The degree can be in anything, the major is not the point, it's the level of formal education they want in the profession. That has not come to pass here yet, but it will, brokers will have much leaner pickings in the population to turn folks into agents, let them sell to all they know and their family before they fail and move on. 

Degree requirements will cut out the young and hungry, no doubt, that could turn out to be great agents, fact is, most don't.  

Am I saying you need a college education to really make it in real estate today?  NO, not what I said.

Is there someone out there at 40 or 45 who has made real money in real estate who is uneducated or just as dumb as a box of rocks? I'm sure there is, especially in California where you could rock on your back porch and in a few years take a suite case of cash to the bank......I just never met them! For the rest of the country, the chances for such people to make it will be more in winning Lotto than dealing in real estate. 

There are many factors that play on an individual's success, the one constant factor that is always present is education and not the crap gurus dish out but formal training. Real estate schools can give that type of training, there are other sources too. A couple years in college business courses and specialized training in real estate could be enough for some people. If you really want to join the club, get an education!  :)