Real Estate License for Investors — Broker Recommendations in MO

St. Louis, Missouri
General Real Estate Investing
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Real Estate License for Investors — Broker Recommendations in MO

Joy Gillespie
Investor · O'Fallon, MO · Member since 2025 · 2 posts · 2 votes

Hi everyone! My husband and I recently started our real estate investment business here in Missouri. He's planning to get his real estate license, not to become an agent for others, but mainly for direct MLS access and to save on commissions when buying/selling our own properties.

From what we understand, he’ll need to place his license under a broker in order to keep it active. But we’re concerned about the ongoing fees, since paying a few hundred dollars a month just to hang the license could cut into our rental cash flow.

For those of you who are investors and also licensed:

1) Where do you hang your license?

2) Any investor-friendly brokerages in Missouri with low fees you guys would recommend?

3) Has having your license been worth it for your investing goals?

Would really appreciate hearing about your experiences! Thanks in advance!

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Benjamin Louie
Property Manager · Erie & Millscreek PA | Maggie Valley & Haywood County NC · Member since 2024 · 264 posts · 119 votes
1y

@Joy Gillespie 

Hey, thanks for sharing your experience! That’s exactly the path I’m considering getting licensed, mainly to support my own investing. Good to know EXP has been flexible with how you’ve structured things. KW seems great for training, but I’ve heard similar feedback about them preferring traditional agent models.

Appreciate the insight on fees, too, super helpful. Glad to hear you’ve been able to grow it into working with other investors as well. That’s the dream!

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  • Jonathan Taylor SmithBusiness Member
    Rental Property Investor · Durham / Raleigh (Triangle), NC · Member since 2015 · 841 posts · 803 votes
    1y

    Hello @Joy Gillespie - I also primarily became licensed to aid myself at being an investor - MLS access and getting paid as my own buyer's agent. I started with Keller Williams, but they did not much like that (at the time) I was not seeking to perform as an agent for others. I later switched to EXP. I now have my own agency, but remain brokered by EXP. I believe the monthly fees total $85, plus whatever you'll pay in MO for MLS access. I have since started to perform as an agent largely for other investors, but (then and now) EXP has not bothered me about how I decided to structure my business.

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    • Joy Gillespie
      OP
      Investor · O'Fallon, MO · Member since 2025 · 2 posts · 2 votes
      1y
      Quote from @Jonathan Taylor Smith:

      Hello @Joy Gillespie - I also primarily became licensed to aid myself at being an investor - MLS access and getting paid as my own buyer's agent. I started with Keller Williams, but they did not much like that (at the time) I was not seeking to perform as an agent for others. I later switched to EXP. I now have my own agency, but remain brokered by EXP. I believe the monthly fees total $85, plus whatever you'll pay in MO for MLS access. I have since started to perform as an agent largely for other investors, but (then and now) EXP has not bothered me about how I decided to structure my business.


       Hey Jonathan! Thanks a lot for sharing your experience with me. It is very helpful! I'm glad I'm not the only one in this. I will definitely look into EXP! 

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  • Benjamin Louie
    Property Manager · Erie & Millscreek PA | Maggie Valley & Haywood County NC · Member since 2024 · 264 posts · 119 votes
    1y

    @Joy Gillespie 

    Hey, thanks for sharing your experience! That’s exactly the path I’m considering getting licensed, mainly to support my own investing. Good to know EXP has been flexible with how you’ve structured things. KW seems great for training, but I’ve heard similar feedback about them preferring traditional agent models.

    Appreciate the insight on fees, too, super helpful. Glad to hear you’ve been able to grow it into working with other investors as well. That’s the dream!

    1Reply
  • Delia Worley
    Realtor · Lake St. Louis, MO · Member since 2025 · 3 posts · 2 votes
    1y

    @Joy Gillespie

    I'm a licensed agent in Lake St. Louis and have the same goals in mind as you and your husband although I also plan on helping other investors/buyers/sellers as well. I had the same thought process regarding monthly fees which is why I started out with Real Broker, it's very similar to EXP model since it's also cloud-based. Only difference is Real Broker doesn't charge monthly instead you pay $250 initial fee then your first 3 transactions of the year you also pay $250 each. The net result is the same just one takes it monthly and the other at closings. 

    I left after 2 months due to lack of support. When it came time to submit offers I realized I had no clue what I was doing and no where to turn to get help. The broker for MO is overwhelmed and takes a while to get back to people. I switched to Keller Williams, while there is a monthly fee the training and support has been much better for me. 

    Many people don't tell you about the large investment it takes becoming a licensed realtor with annual association dues, quarterly MLS fees, monthly Supra fees, CE, brokerage fees, etc. unless you're doing a ton of deals I don't know that getting your license would actually save you much.

    Some say it actually hinders you on the investment side because now you have a whole set of laws, regulations and ethics to follow whereas an investor off the street doesn't. Best of luck to you and happy to answer any questions you have about the process. 

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