When you think of selling homes as a career, you no doubt imagine meeting with clients, touring homes and signing closings—all of which are some of the most exciting parts of the job! A successful real estate career involves a lot more than the actual “selling” aspect of the industry, however. For example, South Carolina has its own real estate laws, which might differ from another state’s regulations.

Selling homes is a licensed profession, meaning that you must possess a state-issued license to market yourself as a real estate agent. In this state, you must complete 90 hours of pre-license education to be eligible to sit for the South Carolina real estate exam. As you discern whether this career would be a good fit for you, you might wonder what real estate classes are like. This post provides a basic overview.

Learning the principles of real estate

Agents must acquire a vast amount of knowledge before they’re ready to start selling homes. When you enroll in real estate school, class time will include learning the fundamental principles of the industry, including the topics shown in the following list:

• Fair housing laws
• Contracts
• Time management
• Disclosure policies
• Listing agreements
• Legal descriptions

This list includes a sampling of many issues that you will learn about in real estate school. The state exam consists of questions regarding South Carolina laws and issues, as well as a portion of the test with nationally-based questions.

Valuing and listing a property

During your pre-license education in real estate school, you’ll also learn how to assess the value of a property and list it at a fair and competitive market price. This is an important concept to master. Homes that are priced too high tend to linger on the market or not sell at all. As an agent, you’d then have to convince your client to lower the price, which often makes potential buyers think there’s something wrong with the house or property.

Learning how to price homes is a key to success as a listing agent. You’ll spend a lot of time in class reviewing current and past listings and learning how to differentiate between the houses that were priced right from the start and the ones that were too high or too low.

Discussions with real estate instructors

One of the most valuable aspects of real estate school is that it provides you with an opportunity to discuss a variety of issues with your instructors. At Real Estate School for Success, the instructors are experienced (and, in many cases, active) sales agents who bring real-world experiences into the classroom.

Time well-spent in real estate school lays the groundwork for a successful and profitable career. Just make sure you choose a school that aligns with your budgeting and scheduling needs, as well as your learning style and ultimate goals in real estate.