Hello fellow veterans and aspiring RE agents,

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Tyler. I am a 23 year old, male aspiring real estate agent. I've worked at a pawn shop for 7 years, and it is now time for a change. I cannot be a pawn broker for the rest of my life! I mean, I'm going to have to help provide for my future wife and kids one of these days! Therefore, I am taking the plunge, and excited about starting a new career in the real estate business.

From what little research I have conducted over the past couple of weeks, I think I finally found, for the first time, what I want to do with my life. I am a salesman at heart, and I am addicted to a challenge. Real estate seems like a complex, active, and exciting business; and that is right up my alley!

I am thoroughly impressed with the amount of useful information I have uncovered so far in this forum. You guys (and gals!:-)) are incredibly smart and talented, and I already feel I have learned a ton of information from all of you already. However, I do have one question to ask:

What are your feelings on taking an online real estate course? I am having to work full time at the shop in order to maintain a decent, yet unwealthy, living. As a result, I am unable to attend a brick-and-mortar school for RE. If any of you have taken an online course I would be GREATLY appreciative if you could share your thoughts and feelings on your experience with the course. I would also like to know if you would recommend it to another fellow aspiring RE agent. I have been very interested in what Allied Business School has to offer online. They seem pretty prominent in the online RE industry. However, I LOVE to research, and regretfully am very undecided when it comes to items of this nature. I just can't wait any longer to get started! I'm too EXCITED about the whole ordeal!

Let me apologize for the long thread, and the unnecessary introduction at the beginning. I always like to give a brief introduction when I post for the first time on a new board. Thank you for your patience and for any information that you can give me on this subject. I look forward to conversing with you all in this wonderful world of realty. The respect you give each other on this forum is unprecedented compared to most forums these days! There I go babbling again! Let me stop while I'm ahead. Have a great day!

Sincerely,
Tyler

Hey tyler....I am in the tail end of finishing my online RE course with Allied...

It has been a good experience...like you I couldnt do the brick and mortar thing even though in some ways it is better..

it has been very challenging..but the people are very helpful

good luck

I just finished the Allied course and just passed my Tx exam yesterday. It is great if you don't have time to go to the actual school, it took me 8 months to complete though, but it all depends on how much time you have.At the end, they send you your certificates and you pay 20.00 to send them to TREC to "evaluate" , then they send you a paper telling you you can apply for test, then it is 79.00 to apply for all their little fees and then another 59.00 to take the test.The Allied prep course is really good. I took the prep mock exams over and over again and passed test first time.

Thank you, tony1911 and Skyeanjel, for your input so far on this topic.

tony911, I am glad and relieved to hear that the online experience has been a good one for you. That has helped ease my worries! Best of luck to you on finishing the course and passing your state exam!

Skyeanjel, Congratulations on passing your TX exam! I bet you are thrilled and eager to jump head first into the market! You stated that it "took me 8 months to complete though, but it all depends on how much time you have." I gather from that statement that this online course is a "work at your own pace" deal? If so, then that only excites me more! Like you, I'm sure I'll be taking the mock test over and over and over again. There's absolutely nothing wrong with being as prepared as possible for the real thing.

Thanks again guys for your responses. They have helped ease my worries and my mind.

Sincerely,
Tyler

Tyler according to there website allied does not offer pre-liscense training for GA.

In GA one of the biggest schools is http://www.barneyfletcher.com and you can take an online pre-liscense course through them.

The benefit to going to a school is you make future contacts with other possible agents for referrals and teaming up,you also get hints at what's on the state test.Amp constantly changes it but you can find out if they are focusing more on contract type questions etc. and spend more time on those.

The instructors will give you real world advise that will help you later on.The pre-liscense is easy,the state test is the BEAR.Some people have failed it 3 times.

The benefit of an online course is you can go at your own speed and it also FORCES you to complete every single chapter and go over everything.

I took the pre-liscense test about 4 years ago,now I am testing for the state brokers exam.

good luck

P.S. For a list of accredited r.e. schools in Ga go to the georgia real estate commissions website.If you google it will show up.

Nay, If you don't have time to sit the class you will not have time to actually be a Realtor, sit the class, make the commitment.

Hi there,

I just finished on online course at realestateexpress.com. I am in florida. I took the course and passed the Florida state exam on the first shot. The only draw back to taking the course on-line is that you have to be disciplined enough to study on your own.

Good Luck!!!

Yes! It took me 8 months online!

When I initially got my real estate license, we were living in Georgia and I took the course online. The online course also included a weekend cram course at the local school and guess what? When the instructor asked questions, guess who knew 100% of the answers? Yes, the person (uh, that would be me) who took the course online -- I didn't know what was most important, so I studied it all and learned it all.

Did I end up studying more than those who took the course in person? Very possibly, but that's my personality anyway. I flew through the state exam in 25 minutes with a score of 93.

As for networking with other agents, well, I have to respectfully disagree with Super on that one, which pains me because I have the highest possible regard for his knowledge and usually hang on his every word, but when you consider the large majority of potential agents you meet in real estate school are going to wash out, anyway, I don't attach a whole lot of importance to that. ;-)

Good luck and don't sweat how you take the course...as long as you take it seriously, study the materials and prepare yourself well, you'll be fine. Honestly,although it doesn't feel that way now, in retrospect, getting the license is such a miniscule part of the entire real estate "thing" -- it's certainly not a predictor of success.

Hello Susan,

Another way of looking at it is during pre-liscense the people that didn't make it send you business or use you themselves.

For a potential new agent they need to work every angle possible in the beginning.People that go on to become agents you bounce refferals back and forth to each other.People that I met in pre-liscense have gone on to open there own companies and it's good to maintain that network.You never know when you will run into them while working on a deal.

Thamm just try to get through the test first.

See, I should have known better than to disagree with Super! He knows ALL! ;-) As always, he makes excellent points...although if someone cannot attend classes in person, I don't think it matters that much in the grand scheme of things. Is it better to go to class in person? Sure. But is it a necessity? No. ;-)

You guys are excellent!

Thank you all for your opinions and advice on this matter. While Super does bring up an excellent point, I am going to have to agree with Susan in that it is not a necessity to attend the actual school. Therefore, as of this moment, I have decided to take the classes online. As of this moment in my financial life, I feel it will benefit me more to take the RE course online, therefore I will still be able to support myself by working full time while I complete the course.

Super. . .Thank you for the helpful advice on http://www.barneyfletcher.com. That will be the school I'm going to take the course through. I owe you one!

SummitNJ. . .I have to respectfully disagree with the statement you made about if you don't have time to sit the class, then you won't have time to be a realtor. After taking the test (hopefully I'll pass on the first try!) I plan on quitting my current job, and focusing full time on realty. I am taking this VERY seriously, but given my situation, I need all the hours of work I can get right now in order to be able to support myself as I get situated in the RE business. I can definitely see how your statement can ring true with many people, but I assure you that that is not the case with me.

Thank you again for all your wonderful posts on this subject. I hope more will be posted in the future! Have a great day!

Sincerely,
Tyler

Best of luck to you, Tyler and be sure to stay in touch. This board offers a ton of excellent information and advice; it won't all apply to you and every approach may not work for you, but it will give you lots of options and a lot to think about as you decide how you are going to work.

I think you're smart to keep working so you'll have the financial resources to go full time into the business when you are ready.

Where IS Albany, GA, by the way? I was thinking Athens, but then realized you said Albany. We lived up in Cherokee County, north of Atlanta. Loved our time there, but Virginia is home.

Thank you Susan for your kind-hearted support! I couldn't ask for more.

You definitely do not have to worry about me staying in touch with this board. After only a week of browsing through the forums, I have already ran across tons of useful information!

Albany is located in the south-eastern part of Georgia. It's about 3 hours south of Atlanta. It's a decent size town that's growing more and more each day. I believe there's a lot of potential for residential sales here, although I plan to eventually find myself going even farther south down towards Valdosta. Valdosta is growing like a weed! Everyday there's something new sprouting up. So Virginia's home, eh? I guess that old saying's true, "Home is where the heart is!" Talk to you soon, Susan.

Sincerely,
Tyler

I started my online course last may and will finish in august.

summit NJ has a point...to a certain degree....but online offered my the flexibility to take a month off to live at my job for a month or so....

but the impression I get from my research is that the initial time of this business is prospecting....which doesnt take much time on a daily basis unlike several hours at a shot for classes

Hi Tyler!

Looks like you got a lot of information! That's what I love about this forum!

Here's just my 2 cents:

I got my license about 10 years ago and completed the courses sitting in class. The commute, the even more hectic schedule, as well as the time away from my job at the time, was a lot of stress. Although I did pass the class and the re exam right away, so the instruction must have been good. But it was easy to lose my focus on the instruction.

I then got out of the business for awhile and let my re license lapse - silly me. Then, of course, the real estate field called me back and I had to complete the 60 hour course all over again. This time I went through an online company, America's Best. I LOVED IT! There are quizzes at the end of each section, as well as questions throughout the sections, not counting the final exam. I got through it in WAY less time than I did sitting through the classes. I also liked that in order to go onto the next section you had to take a quiz to show that you learned the info. LONG STORY SHORT, I again passed the re exam with no problems. In fact, I honestly believe I understood more and better through the online course than through the classroom one.

Again, just my opinion, but thought I'd share it with you.

Good luck!

shanon

I am going to sign up for the online class this week in Albany, GA at the Board of Realtors. I hope I am making the right decision for doing the online version.

Hi Bonnie!

What company are you going through for your classes?

Keep us updated on how you're doing and what you think of the course.

Good luck!

sunshine shanon

I took my class online and finished in 1 week. That was doing it some evenings after working my full time job. Depends on how motivated you are.

shaun,

I know what you mean! I loved online courses. I was lucky and could do some of my classes at work and the rest I did early in the a.m. when the family was still asleep and at work during lunch.

I wouldn't go sit in a classroom for anything now. From here on out, I'm an online gal!

You are so right about the motivation too!

Have a great day!

sunshine shanon

I believe with any online course for any subject, you will want to find an accredited school and have the discipline to study and follow through with your commitment. I have found online courses very beneficial since I am a wife, mother and full-time employee. I am committed to continuing my education and achieving my goals and I therefore I get everything I can out of my online courses.