Is it Hard to Get a Real Estate License in Houston ? Would it be Worth it ? (Galveston: sales, broker)

[truthislikepoetry]

I am considering moving into Houston in the near future and I am curious to know how hard it is to get a Real Estate License there. It took me four months to get my FL Lic. and I passed the state exam at the first attempt.

How much will I be likely to make in Houston as a RE agent ?

[Houston321]

To be honest, it is way too easy to get a real estate license here in Texas. You can breeze through it online or in "correspondence courses" at a real estate school, then they give you a state exam prep review, which if you study that well, you will ace it.

There are way too many agents in Houston, and a lot of bad ones. But on the positive side of that, the really good ones stand out. Check out agents listings. Do they have professional photos, professional videos for the client. Check out their reviews on Har.com, that tells you something. So the answer to your question, is it depends on how good you are.

Some of the agents can correct me on here, but I believe the average agent only does 6 transactions per year, and many flame out after their first year. But if you hustle, are professional, do what you say you will do, get with a good broker & mentor, then you might make it.

[cheryjohns]

Please don't.

How well do you know Houston? Do you know where the fault lines are, so as to steer people from them, to avoid foundation issues? Do you know what areas are appreciating and which are depreciating - now and in the trending future? Are you familiar with the school districts? Do you know the particular problems some subdivisions have had? Do you know which roads will likely be widened and why? Etc., Etc., Etc.

Houston321 is right: a good 20-25% of our agents, at any point in time, are brand new - and most won't be renewing licences for the next year. In the meantime, they will have helped people close on houses 2 or 3 or 4 times. A house usually constitutes the biggest investment that an average family ever makes - and those 2 - 4 people just gambled big time that their agent knew anything. Some will be aware of that fact, sooner or later, and that agent will have contributed to the view that realtors are useless, when the real problem was their particular agent.

If I were buying water-front property League City/Seabrook/Galveston area - I would get an agent familiar with that. It's not really all that far from me, and my license works state-wide - but I freely admit that I am clueless as to those properties. I have had calls through the years from past clients that wanted to buy property like that - and have always referred them to someone that works in that area. Because I don't know enough about them. Please don't come and not know enough. That is so wrong to do to people.

[truthislikepoetry]

Originally Posted by cheryjohns

Please don't.

How well do you know Houston? Do you know where the fault lines are, so as to steer people from them, to avoid foundation issues? Do you know what areas are appreciating and which are depreciating - now and in the trending future? Are you familiar with the school districts? Do you know the particular problems some subdivisions have had? Do you know which roads will likely be widened and why? Etc., Etc., Etc.

Houston321 is right: a good 20-25% of our agents, at any point in time, are brand new - and most won't be renewing licences for the next year. In the meantime, they will have helped people close on houses 2 or 3 or 4 times. A house usually constitutes the biggest investment that an average family ever makes - and those 2 - 4 people just gambled big time that their agent knew anything. Some will be aware of that fact, sooner or later, and that agent will have contributed to the view that realtors are useless, when the real problem was their particular agent.

If I were buying water-front property League City/Seabrook/Galveston area - I would get an agent familiar with that. It's not really all that far from me, and my license works state-wide - but I freely admit that I am clueless as to those properties. I have had calls through the years from past clients that wanted to buy property like that - and have always referred them to someone that works in that area. Because I don't know enough about them. Please don't come and not know enough. That is so wrong to do to people.

Thank you for such a discouraging comment ! Although, I have always been good at not listening to them...

[hendersj31]

So Cherry...where do new Agents come from when some retire, move or change careers? Surely the few rockstar Agents won't be around forever. The examples you listed are things that most Houstonians won't know much about. A good Agent will have to learn that stuff and keep up with the changes. A new agent will have to work harder to learn this.

Someone is going to have to do this job. Only those who put in the work and can afford the early struggles will make it.

[cheryjohns]

Originally Posted by hendersj31

So Cherry...where do new Agents come from when some retire, move or change careers? Surely the few rockstar Agents won't be around forever. The examples you listed are things that most Houstonians won't know much about. A good Agent will have to learn that stuff and keep up with the changes. A new agent will have to work harder to learn this.

Someone is going to have to do this job. Only those who put in the work and can afford the early struggles will make it.

Then he/she needs to come into town and learn about Houston first, before being instrumental in tying people to a home. I am not discouraging new agents. If they had posted that they have lived in Houston for some time, knew it well, and have always been curious about why some parts of town grow and others trend downwards - I would have said to go for it. I just think that home ownership is too important for Realtors to be winging it.

If I moved to San Francisco or New Orleans or Atlanta, etc. - it would be at least a full year or more before I would be comfortable dealing with selling homes. I would want to know the town well.

The part I bolded above - yes, a lot of people would not know those things - that's why it is important that their realtor does know it.

[HTownNearNative]

I'm with cheryjohns on this. In recent years l've noticed quite a few acquaintances have suddenly chosen to become real estate agents, most due to recent job losses. In the eyes of some, it's an easy way to make a buck. Almost all the ones I know are trying to make their mark in Katy, both north and south of I-10. Of the Katy ones, each has been living in Katy a very long time. Hope they do what is right for their customers.

[escanlan]

Originally Posted by truthislikepoetry

Thank you for such a discouraging comment ! Although, I have always been good at not listening to them...

For your original question you can obtain answers on the TREC WEB site here https://www.trec.texas.gov/become-licensed/sales-agent.

While you are there also check out the monthly reports page here https://www.trec.texas.gov/required-agency-reports . As of April this year there are approximately 174,000 Brokers and Agents licensed in Texas. Obviously the vast majority of those are located in/near major metro areas. Not all are working the residential market but I would expect most are. If you look hrad enough TREC also provides spreadsheet lists of Agents you can sort by county to see how many are in the Houston area. Using the TAMU RE Center here https://www.recenter.tamu.edu/ you can obtain information on sales number history and see how many were sold in the Houston area.

There is a lot of competition out there today and cheryjohns was only offering some truthful assistance.

[hendersj31]

Ok I agree. Thank you for clarifying.

Originally Posted by cheryjohns

The part I bolded above - yes, a lot of people would not know those things - that's why it is important that their realtor does know it.

[marksmu]

Originally Posted by truthislikepoetry

I am considering moving into Houston in the near future and I am curious to know how hard it is to get a Real Estate License there. It took me four months to get my FL Lic. and I passed the state exam at the first attempt.

How much will I be likely to make in Houston as a RE agent ?

The license is simple to obtain. If you goto TREC website, you will find ALL the information. If you can not figure it out from there, then do not get a license you are not smart enough to sell houses.

Take the test. If you fail the test on the first try - do not sell real estate you are not smart enough.

If you pass, great - find a broker. Find a real one that does training, preferably a team - one where your name is not on the sale, but your managing team member is. Work under someone until you know Houston.

Houston is a big city, and the various areas are VERY different. I've lived in Houston my whole life, I've lived in Friendswood, Pearland, Midtown, Heights, and Memorial, and each area has lots of little known odd facets to know... and there are areas of town I know little about because I don't go there.

Cherry is right - there are WAY too many agents in Houston. However, there are too many agents, because 1) the cost to enter is too low. 2) the pay for the amount of work involved is substantially too high. Here is where most agents chime in and say but but but, we do lots of work for free and we dont get paid unless a deal closes...I get it - its still too much in many cases (not all)...especially too high on high end real estate.

Did you know that an attorney is not allowed to take a real estate commission because it is considered an exorbitant fee? Let that sink in a second....an attorney who is also a realtor, can not be both an attorney and a real estate agent in the same transaction because if he takes the real estate commission and has done the legal work, the fee is considered exorbitant.

I've been an agent for 4.5 years, an attorney who deals in real estate frequently (though it is not my primary focus) for 11 years. I meet only a few competent agents every year. Most are so incompetent that it hurts my head dealing with them.