Shadowing a real estate agent is one of the best things you can do to begin your career in real estate. While coaching and training might be helpful, nothing compares to shadowing a successful agent who has years of experience and is willing to help you grow.
How to Shadow a Real Estate Agent
There are many great ways to shadow a real estate agent.
Choose the Right Agency
All real estate agents are different in their own ways. To find the best agent to meet your needs, you must first find a good agency. The agency should consist of productive and professional real estate agents willing to help you learn more about becoming a real estate agent. Real estate shadowing can be difficult if you are not connected to the right agency.
Find a Top and Experienced Agent
Look for a real estate agent who is experienced and is top-earning in their agency. When you find an agent you feel you can connect with, you can build a solid relationship with the agent. Spending one-on-one time with an agent will allow you to ask any questions you have about pursuing a real estate career, and you can ask if they would be willing to let you shadow them.
Shadowing an experienced real estate agent is a great way to make connections in the world of real estate. The more connections you make, the more opportunities you will have once you begin your real estate career.
Schedule Everything
It is essential to have an open line of communication when shadowing a real estate agent. This will allow you to have a game plan and not just have random shadowing sessions.
Be sure to talk with the real estate agent you are shadowing and know what days you can tag along to their listing appointments. Have specific things in mind for these appointments, like listening to a price reduction conversation.
Find out if the agent is hosting any open houses in the coming weeks and pay attention to how the conversation goes. Once you know what you specifically are looking for in your shadowing sessions, schedule times for you to shadow based on what is happening and when it will take place.
Ask Questions
While you shouldn’t ask questions in the middle of shadowing a real estate agent, it is good to ask questions at the end of the shadowing. It is a good idea to take notes while shadowing so you remember all the questions you have to ask.
It is easy to forget your questions if you do not take notes. Taking notes and writing your questions down will help you build your skills for when you begin your real estate career.
Be Respectful and Courteous of Their Time
If you are worried you are taking up too much of your agent’s time by asking questions, consider emailing them a list of questions you have or set an appointment time for you to discuss the questions with them.
Most top-earning real estate agents have a busy schedule and might not have enough time in their day to set aside time to answer your questions. However, discuss with the agent you are shadowing a day and time that works best for them to address the questions you might have.
Don’t Stop There
Now that you know how to shadow a real estate agent, it is essential to understand what to do to become a real estate agent. It is relatively simple to become a licensed real estate agent in Pennsylvania. There aren’t many strict educational requirements, and it does not cost a lot of money to get started.
Step 1
To begin your real estate education, you need to possess three primary prerequisites.
You need to be at least 18 years old
High School Diploma or GED
You will need to pass a criminal background check
If you have these three things, you are ready to continue to step 2.
Step 2
You will need to complete 75 hours of pre-licensing classes to begin your path to becoming a successful real estate agent. Choosing a school for real estate is easy because they all offer the same education. There are a few options to choose from in Pennsylvania. You can choose from real estate schools in York, Wyoming, Old Forge, Warminster, Stroudsburg, and Lancaster.
These real estate schools offer good quality real estate education, and some even provide virtual classes to suit your schedule better. You will need to take 30 hours of real estate fundamentals, and you will need to have 45 hours of practice.
Once you complete these requirements, you need to pass a final exam with a score of at least 75 percent. After passing this exam, you will need to prepare to take the Pennsylvania real estate salesperson exam.
Step 3
Luckily, the Pennsylvania real estate salesperson exam testing is not that difficult. However, you still need to be prepared and study for the exam. There are two portions of the test: the national and state requirements.
The PSI administers it, and you will have 120 minutes to complete the national requirements portion of the test and 60 minutes to complete the state requirements portion of the test. Once you pass this exam, you must choose a Pennsylvania broker.
You will have up to 5 years to pass this exam and get your license after completing your education. If you wait longer than five years, you will need to complete any educational requirements again.
Step 4
You will need to decide on the best broker to choose to meet your needs. You will need to choose a broker before you begin to sell real estate. Your broker will be your primary supporter and mentor in this industry. Choose a broker who has a good reputation, offers room for growth, and offers support or training.
Step 5
Now that you have decided on a broker, you will need to apply for your license. You will have up to 3 years from the date you passed your test to receive your license.
Final Thoughts
If you’re serious about a career in real estate but you want to learn more about the daily life of a real estate agent, consider reaching out to us. At Christian Saunders Real Estate, we believe it’s important that we pull back the curtain and allow people to see more of our business. I’d be happy to discuss opportunities with you. Click here to learn more about our agency.