felony conviction.. Will it keep me from obtaining a license?

[Martin Mclaughlin]

seriously considering becoming an agent to pursue my dream of someday investing in real estate. I was convicted at 19yo and I am now 27. I live in Massachusetts and am still in the system on probation, but have no other convictions. my probation ends in about a year. Real estate investing will be my end game regardless, but I feel like obtaining a license will help me learn the in's and out's while adding supplemental income.

thoughts, advise, concerns and questions are all greatly appreciated. thanks!

[Karen Margrave]

@Martin Mclaughlin Call your Department of Real Estate for your state. It will probably depend what the conviction was for. Though a real estate license does come in handy, allowing you access to become a member of MLS, and earn commissions that can be applied to your deals, there are also drawbacks. It makes it a little harder to get the "deals" because you are really obligated to tell sellers what their property is actually worth, whereas when you're just a buyer, that's not your place.

Having given opportunities on our construction jobs to people that were released from prison over the years, I know it can be very difficult to overcome the stigma. However; if you've turned your life around, and people see that, they'll give you a chance. Good luck.