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Sign of the times Followup... new licensing requirements?

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Real Estate Agent with RE/MAX Associates

AFter a long hiatus from blogging for personal reasons....  i look back and see that my sign of the times was correct...  last years lowered charity during toys 4 tots did in fact point to a deeper recession ahead. 

We've seen what this means in the real estate market but from what i have noticed for real estate professionals this is actually a good thing.  Agent numbers are much lower than they have been in the past fewer years and offices have closed down or "consolidated" or "merged" as a result.  The increase of agents leaving the business leaves the business better off for those that are still in.  Personally i think the exodus of agents is a good thing... and if anything we need to increase the standards of those entering.

In a world that has grown to be more consensus driven this sort of answer may not be what most are looking for.   However, for the greater good, we are better off with less agents that are better trained and more knowledgeable than having more agents that are anything but knowledgeable or trained. 

Some people are just not meant for this business and if that should be im sure they know it as well.  It does a great disservice for them to stay not only to the public but also to themselves. 

I wanted to put forth an ideal for new licensing and see what kind of criticisms would come of it. 

NY recently increased its licensing requirements to 75 hours for a salespersons license.  I motion to keep that in effect, however, for the broker's requirements i think that should be increased to 75 hours as well and in addition all brokers should have either a Bachelor's degree or at least 30 credits in business/real estate/law.   This may seem unprecedented but i believe it is in the public's best interest to implement these rules and regs. 

I know some critics may say that a Bachelors or 30 credits will not guarantee better agents..... but it will guarantee that they had the honesty to complete a course and pass (not just sit there and convert oxygen into carbon dioxide) .  It will also guarantee that at one point in time they had the knowledge.  Business courses would be preferred obviously because broker's are in a position to open their own firm or choose to work with another broker.  I have much more to say but to keep this brief i will end it at that.

What does everyone else think?

Comments(3)

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Brian Schulman
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, Lancaster PA - Lancaster, PA
Lancaster County PA RealEstate Expert 717-951-5552

Jorge, I have long maintained that real estate is too easy to get into, although hard to stay in.  Required continuing ed is a good start, but entrance requirements could certainly be increased.

Aug 01, 2009 11:21 AM
Lynda Eisenmann
Preferred Home Brokers - Brea, CA
Broker Associate ,CRS,GRI,SRES, Brea,CA, Orange Co

Hi Jorge,

I agree with "if anything we need to increase the standards of those entering". We've just had too many licensees in the business with too few transactions for years. NAR had some interesting stats on the issue in 2006, today it would be even more applicable.

Yet I'm not so sure the degree or 30 units is the guarantee you're looking for. For example in CA (my state) to be a broker you need to pass an additional exam, have the required courses and two years experience as an active agent. However, just because you have a 4 year degree (in anything) the two-year active r.e. experience is waived. Here they're called "degreed" brokers and I can tell you most of them are absolutely clueless, having never worked in the practice.

There has been talk of doing away the the degreed brokers, and it may happen soon. At least those were the last rumblings I've heard on the issue.

Aug 01, 2009 11:34 AM
Valerie Spaulding
Windermere Peninsula Properties~Allyn~Belfair~WA - Belfair, WA
Allyn-Belfair-Hood Canal-Local Expertise!

I think they need stricter requirements. ALthough I don't know how they would accomplish it completely... Possibly also adding that to be a "broker" they have had to CLOSED XXX amount of transactions successfully or something - I've seen brokers that are brokers that have no clue because they did not have the actual "deal" experience. Our state is implementing new licensing laws in 2010. All Associates will become Assoc brokers afer completion and the education requirements have increased. A lot of this was to place more liability on the agents as well.  Brokers education requirements will have increased as well. It's a start but I think there needs to be more accountability as far as the experence factor to become a broker and/or agent. Maybe they get to be a "temp" agent until they have worked so many transaction too or something....

Aug 01, 2009 11:56 AM