You might be one of many people in South Carolina who have been nurturing a dream for some time to become a licensed real estate agent. You imagine yourself making appointments with prospective buyers, showing homes and closing deals. Perhaps you started thinking about obtaining your sales license because you wanted to generate supplemental income. Or, maybe you’re hoping for an entire career change. Either way, the journey must begin with real estate school.
In this state, you’re required to obtain 90 hours of pre-license education before you’re eligible to sit for the real estate exam. Choosing a real estate school is an important decision. Whether you live in South Carolina or elsewhere, there are several things to keep in mind to help make your discernment process more effective.
What do others say about the school you’re considering for enrollment?
Before enrolling in a real estate school, it’s always best to seek reviews from former or current students. People tend to be very honest regarding their experiences, which may help you limit your choices to the schools with the best reviews in your area.
One way to seek reviews of a particular school is to visit its website online. There are bound to be testimonies published from former students, which may help you discern whether that school is a good fit for you.
How many students pass the final exam?
Information regarding student pass rates is available to the public. If you’re considering a specific real estate school, you’ll want to learn more about the student pass rate for that particular institution. If more students fail their final exam than pass, that should be a red flag signal that something is amiss in the curriculum or instruction process.
How adaptable is the school for scheduling, budgeting and learning style?
Finding a school that fits your immediate needs and long-term real estate goals can be challenging. For instance, you might have a day job that makes you available only in the evenings for classes. Whether a school has evening sessions or online classes that you can access at will may be a determining factor in your case.
There are also budget issues and learning style factors to consider when choosing a real estate school. Pay close attention the faculty, including whether there is an atmosphere of mentorship and whether or not tutoring is available for students who may be struggling with a specific concept. Generally speaking, you’ll want to choose a school that has a high rate of success with an instruction team that is willing to go the extra mile to prepare you to not only pass a real estate exam, but to become a profitable real estate agent in your state.