What is the ideal route to take to get RE license in CA?

Question

I am interested in getting my real estate license once I move back to Thousand Oaks, CA upon leaving the military.

I would like to know the fastest and cheapest route to take to get licensed and the best way to hang your license with a broker? I would assume calling around and building relationships right now is the best way to do the latter.

I have about 11 months left before I finish military.

Ivy Wang · Answer

You can take your pre-requisite classes online now and should be able to finish them in as little as 2 months. Since you're in the military, I would think 4-5 months is more realistic. It took me a year because I was (f)unemployed, traveling, and procrastinated. Once you pass your 3 courses, you are eligible to take the in-person license exam whenever you please.

Before you take the license exam, you can interview brokers and get hired (on the condition you pass your exam). You should streamline your interview questions based on what you're looking for in a broker, as there are several different types ranging in brokerage atmosphere and broker personalities. Unless you plan on becoming licensed before you come back to CA, there's no reason to interview brokers now.

Jonathan Jaime Velarde · Answer

@Nick G.

Thank you I will consider that going forward.

@Jo-Ann Lapin thank you!

Jo-Ann Lapin · Answer

Look into Duane gomer and real estate trainers.

Nick G. · Answer

@Jonathan Jaime Velarde Hey buddy. As you know, I have my license here, so here's my opinion specifically for our state and our area.

Getting your licence is easy and cheap across the board, it's everything else that's expensive - MLS access, membership dues, electronic key fees, E&O insurance, etc. will generally cost you a few thousand each year.

As far as brokers go, this is a tough one. In my opinion, the best broker is a super smart one to mentor you and keep you and your clients, should you have any, educated and out of trouble - not a broker who can only attract agents with a "better" commission split, or a super hyped-up/exciting office atmosphere.

So, since that's my opinion, I find that some of the smartest agents/brokers often gravitate towards leadership roles in their local association, and they understand both the small and big picture of the local market. That has been my experience.

So if I were in your shoes, I'd be calling the local association staff and asking them for the contact info of some of the smartest people on the association board of directors they know, including the contact info for the current association present/president-elect. They may be hesitant to say at first, but in my experience, there's always a few who are particularly smart, and generally, everybody knows who they are.

Understand that the industry is chock-full of ego and finder fees, so often times agents/brokers will be biased towards recommending their own office because they'll get a bonus if you go with their company. Every single office/broker around has a reputation - you should try to find out what it is.

Final tangentially-related note, understand that having a real estate license means you are now looked at as a real estate professional. That means that your broker, the BRE, and most likely CAR and NAR, are holding you accountable for your conduct. This will have an impact on you as an investor, since you must do everything precisely by the book, dot your i's, and cross your t's - if you screw up, you risk far more severe penalties than an unlicensed person who makes the same goof. In California, because this state is so unbelievably sue-happy, I am in the camp of investors not having a real estate license unless you actually plan on having a business as an agent. It's just not worth the liability.