What degree should a real estate agent get?

K-9: What degree should a real estate agent get?
If you wan’t to be a super successful real estate agent/broker what should you study in college? (besides real estate) Business? Marketing? Sorry, I am fairly new to the real estate world. Also, if you chose the degree “real estate” do you get your license in college?

Answers and Views:

Answer by Bill
Get your degree in business as you don’t need a formal education to get your real estate license Once you have been working in the field for a couple of years you can study and get your brokers license and eventually open your own real estate firm.

Answer by Jaclyn M
Agree with Bill… “Get your degree in business as you don’t need a formal education to get your real estate license Once you have been working in the field for a couple of years you can study and get your brokers license and eventually open your own real estate firm.” Great answer!

Answer by Terrym Griffith
You must be at least 18 years of age to take the exam for license. Taking up business management is a good start. .

Answer by Mickie James
real estate license is required for real estate business.

Answer by curious
Most states do not require a college degree to get a real estate license. You just do a class and then take a state exam. In my home state, the initial class in a 75 classroom hour program, which will get you a provisional broker’s license (assuming you pass the state exam). After that, you take three 30 hr courses to graduate to a full broker’s license.

As far as what to study, anything business is good. I particularly think finance is excellent, because you learn about investments, assets, the banking system, and a lot of other things that are very related to the real estate business. I would steer clear of marketing. Marketing is very relevant to being a real estate broker but college marketing courses are all theoretical. You’ll learn much more about marketing from books on amazon.com written by real marketers who have actually made millions from their skills. Jay Abraham is probably the best marketer ever, and anything he puts out is worth it’s weight in diamonds (check out his website). Also pick up anything by Harry Beckwith, as well as Dan Kennedy’s books. Everything Gary Keller has written is also unbelievable for real estate agents.

Here is my advice- take a business major and give it your absolute 110% best effort. Make it your goal to make a 100 on every paper you write, and on every oral presentation you give. Developing your written and oral communication skills is the best thing college has to offer for someone looking to sell real estate. You’ll miss the mark almost all of the time, but put some real sweat into it and you’ll thank me later.

Also be aware that real estate is a brutal business. You don’t get paid unless you sell something ,and there are some costs involved in getting started. I pay over $ 1000 a year just to have a license and a Realtor’s membership. Then you get to buy signs for your car, a computer, professional looking clothes, paper to do mail-outs, postage stamps, you get the point. This is why more than half of all people who get a real estate license and go into practice quit within 1 year. It is also a wonderful profession if you can stick it out, so best of luck!