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The requirements for real estate licensure vary from state to state. In many jurisdictions, getting a real estate license is a lot easier than getting one to cut hair.
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33 Comments on Are the requirements for real estate licensure sufficient to protect the LICENSEE?
As mentioned in #5, I was very excited to hear that Illinois was requiring all agents to become brokers. To get the broker's license, after all, was difficult and required much additional training.
Nope, it was dumb-downed. Just a short morning class, a test, and voila, you are now a broker. In the end it was all about revenue raising, because all of this, while not requiring a lot of time or energy, was expensive. And the state reaped the benefits.
So,the good old days were not as good. There will always be a spectrum of ability and competence in all fields. Hopefullly, those who are more competent rise to the top. Passing a difficult test or training longer does not mean that someone has common sense or applies good judgement to any profession. Did you ever wonder how that agent who you think is not so able manages to close deals.
Here in California, getting a license as a broker or agent requires intense education before you can take the state exam. Once one has the license to perform as an agent or a broker, that is where the learning really starts. I agree with comment #1, I believe there would be less law suits if an agent had to apprentice before be launch into becoming a full blown agent that can sell. Yes, a good two years or so many hours would be a nice solution. I know that an appraiser needs to apprentice before --they are allowed to solo, here in California.
OMG do you get a feature with every post you make? LOL...seriously, good stuff as usual :-)
The real learning starts after the license is granted, and that is where the real differences between brokers shows up. There are those that just recruit warm bodies and others that have a strong training and mentoring structure. It's obvious which ones better serve their clients as well as their agents.
Wow! What a timely post. I just had someone comment to me about an hour ago that he is thinking about getting into real estate. "It's easy to get a license, isn't it?" He's been out of work for over 2 years (victim of the many layoffs we've seen recently) and has been having a heck of a time finding something else, likely due to his age. While I think this particular individual would be an asset to our business and market area, it is disheartening to know how easy it indeed is to get a real estate license.
I have always wondered why there is such disparity when it comes to real estate licensing laws. Although you do see slow moving changes in state regulated legislation from time to time -- it's usually after bad stuff happens. Illinois had a "time served" requirement for Broker -- then that requirement was repealed -- then REALLY bad stuff happened, and then the requirement was back. What was that about?
Richard...I tell all of the elected state officials that we need tougher licensing requirements to protect the consumer. 120 hours to get your license to sell and 9 months for a barbers license.
Makes no sense!
Hi Richard. I'm not sure the standards is the problem. Anyone achieving a license is not equipped to know their profession. Hands on training is how you learn. I agree with Gwen #1. Moving into an apprenticeship instead of left alone to learn would be a solution. I don't understand why some professions do it and some don't.
I remember back when I received my salesperson license. The material was very new to me and the "history" about land was sort of difficult to remember. The title portion was all about memorizing terms. I over studied and received my license. The material had really nothing to do with what selling real estate was all about. I believe the problem lies with education after the license. I believe that there needs to be a graduated selling process. Like a graduated drivers license. Ten transactions as an apprentice at the minimum.
I have felt for a long time that the bar should be raised. In California, the standards are very low - take a couple of classes (online, no less) and take a test to get your license. It truly is easier to get a real estate license than a hairdressers license.
A lot of agents want to be treated as professionals while at the same time not wanting the standards to be as high as other professions (CPA, lawyer, etc). We should raise the bar to get to those levels. I'd suggest:
Hi Richard, Passing the currant exam is really just the beginning of the real world education an agent needs. Surely some form of broker supervised training would benefit all concerned.
Richard,
I'm not sure about more education, but I'd like to see the subject matter of classes more in line with real world practice. Too much "politically correct" content now in CA. And issuing a broker's license without at least 2-full years of RE experience is problematic.
I am here in Texas and as Joni said, the requirements for the Broker's license has gone way up. Glad to see this.
I don't think that licensing itself is the problem. The class I took before taking the test was stricly designed to pass the test, not anything else. It takes years to figure this stuff out on your own.
Richard:
Yes, it would be nice if a new licensee is actually able to write a contract and do all the other things we do when we help a client buy property. I learned how to sell real estate from a colleague who was kind enough to mentor me.
I'm with Evelyn - I, like I'm sure most of us, learned real estate from another mentoring agent. My licensing exams and classes didn't prepare me. Thankfully my broker is also an attorney, so instead of learning how to make a pretty flyer, I'm fortunate to have a broker to discuss the language in our contracts.
Richard, I could not agree with you more. In Florida the required RE course is 62 hours and a nail tech course is 240 hours. Need to say more?
I agree that a new licensee should have to apprentice. Studying for the test has nothing to do with the practice of real estate. I was frustrated beyond belief when I first began studying for my license here in CA. I'm one of those people who needs to know the why and how. Not just the section of the rules that will get you through the test. For this reason I took a long time getting around to taking the test. I passed, then I immediately paid for training with my brokerage so I could learn the how's and why's. I still would prefer an apprenticeship program.
I have thought for years that it is way to easy to get the license. 10 months for a barber or Hair stylist for something that if you cut it wrong will be grown back in a few weeks or months.
Make a mistake on a home deal and it can cost a client thousands.