Hi guys! I am interested in completing courses for my Real Estate License in South Carolina. I wanted to know the pros and cons of taking the courses and how to get started in this field. I have little prior knowledge about the field but I am ready to learn! Also, what are the best ways to network and get my foot in the door? 

What are your goals? Do you want to be a traditional agent? Or investor?

I took my class at Real Estate School of South Carolina at Charleston. Cain Denny was my instructor. I felt very prepared for the licensing test.

@Lakevia Ingram I also took my first course with Real Estate School of Charleston. It was good. I learned a lot and had no problems passing my salesman tests. The pros are having access to the MLS, saving the commission or making the commission, being licensed to broker sales, building a career with brokering, etc. The cons would be the fees, compliance, working for a brokerage, etc. As @Parker Stiles asked, it will depend on your goals. Plenty of investors are able to build impressive real estate businesses without being licensed. You don't need a license to invest, but you will need to pay a broker or work with a broker in many situations. 

You have to get your provisional license and find a company to hire you for a year before you can upgrade your license to a permanent salesman license. 

@Parker Stiles I am interested in the traditional agent side now, but eventually I would like to invest into properties on my own. I was thinking that the traditional agent side would create that foundational knowledge that I need to know to be able to invest later. What are you suggestions?

IMO, getting your license in order to invest is the slow way. Some will tell you they have nothing to do with each other. If you are trying to get started investing fast, I would skip the license. 

When you say "investing" what do you mean? Buying houses to rehab and flip them? Wholesaling contracts? Just buying long term as rentals? 

@Caleb Coblentz Okay that's great to hear!  I was highly considering that school, I love their flexible schedules! Any advice on the completing the courses and taking the exam? 

@Parker Stiles For investing, I want to be able to buy and flip properties as well as join real estate investments groups later on down the line. Obtaining the license first is what I have been told might get my foot in the door. I like the aspect of the traditional route because I get to learn more about the process and interact more with clients (as far as helping find homes). I just want to make sure I am knowledgable enough to not make a wrong move investing. If I wanted to get good background knowledge about the ins and outs of investing what sources/courses would you suggest?

@Troy Gandee Thank you for the pros and cons, it is very valuable! I just want to make sure I am not making a haste or wrong decision when it comes to learning about how the flow of the system work. I was under the impression that getting a license could possibly help me have that background knowledge. How much different would the provisional license differ from your full license? 

If you want to become a realtor take the test and become one. I do not believe you need one to become an investor. 

If you just do investments you might want a good realtor. I have lots of clients that use me as a realtor and they just do investments. 

@Lakevia Ingram It will definitely teach you all of the legalities and protocols for SC. At least enough to pass the exams. I know loads of stuff about compliance, practices and real estate law that I'll likely rarely if ever need. The provisional license is basically a probationary license for 1 year to make sure that you comply to all of the necessary rules and laws that come along with brokering RE. After that year, you upgrade your license to a more permanent license called a Salesman license. If you don't update your license, it will default and you won't be able to sale real estate any longer.

@Lakevia Ingram get it if you have the time. The license affords you the ability to drive around when you want and look at what you want. Everyone has friends that want houses at some point or another. Some of them will want to look at thousands of houses before they buy one. Not always fun, but you learn and get a great idea of everything that's out there. And nobody mentioned the best part, it's great getting a 10K check or more when you buy your own. Then you just use that (and some more) to go buy another.