Real estate careers
Now that you have begun to consider a real estate career, it is important to determine a course of study that will prepare you to excel at your chosen profession. Unlike many other career choices, there are very few formal education or experience requirements for individuals entering the real estate field. Although all states and the District of Columbia do require real estate agents to pass a proficiency examination before working in the profession, many states do not require very extensive study before taking the test. However, this does not mean that it is not advisable to select and follow a course of study to prepare for a career in the real estate field.
All states require prospective real estate salespeople to hold a high school diploma as a requirement for licensure. Today this is considered the minimum education necessary to engage in the real estate careers field.
Students interested in a real state career can begin working toward this goal in high school. Since the real estate field requires both business and mathematical skills and the ability to communicate effectively, a student is advised to take a balanced course of study featuring both English and math.
If the student intends to go on to college, he or she should include one to two years of science and one to two years of a foreign language. Other courses that would be beneficial to those considering a real estate career include: public speaking, debate, accounting or bookkeeping, and typing. Needless to say, if your school offers a course in real estate principles, take it. However, few such courses are found at the high school level. Do consider any courses that relate to real estate or finance. For example, many schools offer consumer information courses on home buying, which will provide background on buying and owning a home.
Even high school is not too early to begin working on another important element in the real estate field public contact. Become active in school and community groups that interest you. Contacts and public visibility are extremely important to success in the real estate field.
Unlike many business fields, real estate does not require a college degree for entrance. However, as we have seen, the trend in real estate is toward a college educated sales force. A selling ability is still the important factor in real estate; todays salesperson must be able to deal with complex financial and legal problems. For this reason many firms prefer to hire college graduates who they believe are better able to deal with these new complexities.
Degree programs in real estate are still a relatively new academic discipline. In the past most real estate courses either have been directed toward urban planners or have been designed primarily to satisfy requirements for licensure. Today more and more schools have expanded and developed real estate departments and professorships. As many real estate departments are located at state-supported schools, real estate instruction is readily available and very affordable to most students. The trend of the future is toward college and graduate level real estate education, and those considering real estate careers in the future will need to be better educated than ever to succeed.
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