How Long Do You Have to Be a Real Estate Agent Before Becoming a Broker?
If you are a real estate agent and want to become a broker, you must know that you need several years of experience and strong communication skills. You need to take some training and pass some exams. In this article, I will discuss how many years of experience an agent should have to become a broker, what training/exams he/she will need, and what characteristics one must have to be a successful broker.
How Many Years of Experience Should the Agent Have to Become a Broker?
To become a broker, you should have several years of experience as a real estate agent. The number of years depends on the state, as all of them have different regulations regarding the real estate industry. For example, in Florida, you need to be at least 18 years old, have a valid social security number, and 2 years of experience as a real estate agent.
How to Become a Real Estate Broker?
While the experience required differs by state, the general procedure to become a real estate broker is the same for all the states. Here are the steps you need to cover before you become a real estate broker:
Take a state-approved real estate sales course and after that, pass your state’s real estate agent licensing program.
Work as a real estate agent for 2 to 5 years (depending on the requirements of the state) and get your real estate certifications.
Take a state-approved real estate broker course.
Pass the real estate broker exam.
Congratulations!
What Is the Difference Between Real Estate Agents and Brokers?
Before we talk about the characteristics of a real estate broker, let me define the difference between a real estate agent and a broker and their responsibilities. This will help you to better understand the personality traits of a successful real estate broker.
Real Estate Agent
The real estate professionals who attended all necessary courses and passed all licensing exams that were required by the state in which they work are considered to be real estate agents. They can be buyers’ real estate agents or sellers’ real estate agents or both.
A sellers’ agent represents a property on the market, while buyers’ agents try to find a property for their clients. Both work with a broker and get paid based on their commission.
Real Estate Broker
For many real estate agents, this is the next step to their career. Unlike a real estate agent, a real estate broker can work independently or have his/her own company. If a broker chooses to work under another broker, he/she is called an associate broker and may receive a higher commission than a real estate agent.
A real estate broker’s responsibility is to assist buyers in the process of choosing a property, negotiating, working on offers, and they also help the clients close a deal on time.
As you see, the main difference between a real estate agent and a broker is that a broker can work independently. Therefore, a broker should have some personal traits to be successful. Here you will see the benefits of becoming a real estate broker: Benefits of Becoming a Real Estate Broker
What Characteristics Must a Successful Broker Have?
Since real estate brokers can work independently, have their own businesses, and hire other real estate agents in their work, they must also have some personal characteristics that will help them in their work. Below you will see some of the traits that a successful real estate broker should have:
Effective communication skills
If you are a broker, have employees, work with sellers and buyers, and don’t have effective communication skills, the chances that you will be successful are very low. This is why brokers should be working on the development of communication skills.
Strong negotiation skills
As it was already mentioned, a broker has to close the deal on time. Without strong negotiation skills, it is hard to do this on time and successfully. That’s why, if you want to have strong deals for your clients, you should be strengthening your negotiation skills.
Excellent organizational strategies
As a broker is not only working with the clients but also with other agents, he/she should have excellent organizational strategies to not miss any chances. Brokers should be detail-oriented in order to catch any issue related to the industry and work on its development.
Should be loyal and fair
Loyalty and fairness are key factors in any aspect of our lives. The real estate industry is not an exception. This trait is what people see and appreciate. Sometimes you may have no communicational, negotiational, or organizational skills but if you are loyal and fair, people trust you. This does not necessarily mean that you don’t need the characteristics that I mentioned above.
Should have knowledge of the market
You most probably agree that if brokers want to be successful, they should be familiar with the market where they work. When you have the knowledge of the market, know the requirements of the clients, know the prices, traits, etc., you are equipped with the knowledge, and we know that knowledge is power. You know exactly what the market needs and you are always in the right place at the right time.
Technical skills
In the 21st century, as everything has moved online and most things continue existing in the virtual world, a broker who wants to be successful must have some technical skills, such as knowledge of computer programs, basics of digital marketing, or social media skills.
Last Several Words
As you see, to become a real estate broker you need some experience as a real estate agent from 2 to 5 years, depending on the state where you work. In addition, you need some procedures to cover what was written above. Moreover, this is not enough to be a successful real estate broker since there are many characteristics that separate successful brokers from unsuccessful ones.
If you decide to join a brokerage, don’t forget to see this article: Which Real Estate Brokerage Should I Join?
Good luck in the adventure of the real estate industry.
If you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact us!
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