How to Study for and Pass Both the Real Estate Sales Associate Pre-Licensing Course and the State Licensing Exam.

OK… so you’ve decided you want to get into real estate and get a Sales Associate license in your respective state.  Three words:

FAN

TAS

TIC!!!

Before I get into how to study for the pre-licensing course (or what worked best for me), I’d like to add in order to be successful in real estate you do need to be somewhat of a self-starter.  Most brokerages will give you the tools, resources and training you need, but success will largely depend on your ability to continually learn, prospect regularly and have the ability to multi-task.  And if you’re an introvert, no worries you’re not the first and won’t be the last – you can have success!

Just so you can understand the BIG picture here’s a rough process of how to get a sales associate license (based on Florida) though it may be slightly different in your state:

1. Find a pre-licensing course that meets your needs.
2. Take the 63-hour pre-licensing course and pass the class exam… you’ve got this!
3. Get your fingerprints at a licensed and recognized facility. Some real estate schools provide this service (though not for free) and will have a vendor come to class.
4. Submit your application to the appropriate licensing department in your state where the fingerprint vendor will forward your finger prints to said department where they will be married together with your application.
5. Upon approval, schedule your state exam (likely with Pearson Vue)… and pass the exam!
6. And I’ll add a conditional step as it just made sense to me so I did it. Take your post-licensing or (GRI) equivalent soon after you pass the state exam as some material is similar to the pre-licensing, you’re already in “study-mode” and there is pertinent material in the 45-hour post-licensing that is helpful in starting your career in real estate as it pertains to business planning.

There is a reason 1 in 2 people do not pass the state licensing exam… it is difficult.  Many years ago I took the life and health insurance licensing exam and I thought that was hard.  This was infinitely more difficult mostly due to the sheer abundance of content required to perform the many services available as a licensed sales associate and REALTOR®.  I have to say that it took several weeks for my state licensing application to get approved and I studied every day so when it came down to “test day” I felt confident and the test was not as difficult as I was convinced it was going to be.

It doesn’t have to be hard as we all learn in different methods i.e. in-person learning, live streaming, reading, watching videos, writing content, flash cards, study buddy, repetition, etc.  It’s important to choose the method(s) that work best for you.  Here’s what worked best for me:

• I chose a real estate school that offered in-person learning with good reviews. Be sure they are recognized by your state’s department of licensing.  I learn better in an immersive live venue.
• Different schedules are offered over one week, two weeks, four weeks or at night over longer periods of time. I chose the two-week schedule as I felt one week would be entirely too fast and the others were too long for my timeframe.
• After seeing the class study schedule, I read the next day’s chapters the day before so that I could use the actual class session for clarification of anything that was unclear.
• Ask questions for clarification… there is NO SUCH THING AS A SILLY QUESTION. You’ll likely be asking a question that others are thinking, but too hesitant to ask.
• It is statistically proven that writing something down increases the likelihood of retaining information. Let’s just say my writing is similar to that of a doctor writing a prescription so I kept notes on my laptop and created a spreadsheet noting chapters as follows:
  • Green: easy chapter.
  • Yellow: requires review.
  • Red: Difficult and requires extensive review.
  • Percentage of the class and state exam noted.
  • Flagging chapters with math.
  • A study schedule.
• I also kept an Excel spreadsheet file with tabs for the following information:
  • My data dump of information I’d write down immediately upon taking an exam so I wouldn’t have to remember for use later.
  • Mathematical formulas.
  • Pertinent dates.
  • Pertinent laws.
• Additionally, I created and studied flash cards.

Some students in my class formed a study group.  I preferred to study by  myself as my study habits may not have aligned with others.

Also, there are countless videos online and you’ll get emails from coaches and schools, but I’d be weary of adding too much content to your study schedule.  A reputable pre-licensing course (be sure to check their reviews and ask them questions) is providing you everything you need to pass the state exam.  I’d only seek third party resources if you need clarification on something and are unable to find assistance through your school of choice.  Keep in mind your class instructor wants to be helpful and answer your questions as they are hoping that you will consider them for your brokerage of choice to hand your license when you pass your state exam.

You need to decide what works best for you…

The first few days will be a little intimidating as you will essentially be “drinking out of a fire hose” with a lot of information, terminology and math thrown at you in such a short amount of time.

Clear your schedule of any other activities, as much as you can, to free your time and commit to eating, breathing and living the pre-licensing course during the duration of the course.  Do continue to study when you pass your class exam until you take your state exam.  Some days I would study a few hours and others I would study all day and then some.  One thing that I learned in college; it is difficult to retain information when you are tired so you need to do one of two things when you get tired.  #1 take a 15–30-minute break and take a nap, take your dog for a walk i.e. anything to rest your brain.  #2 you may just need to call it a day and not study the rest of the day.

When it comes time to schedule your state exam here are some suggestions:

• Schedule the exam on a Monday so you can study and relax during the weekend.
• Select a time in the morning after you can wake up, get ready, have a nice breakfast and not be rushed to get to the exam.
• Prepare what I call a “dump sheet.” This is a few things that you have a hard time remembering like maybe a formula, piece of legislation or something important that you can write down as soon as the state exam starts so you don’t have to recall it later when perhaps you’re a little tired.
• Prepare for the exam by taking all required credentials and paperwork, which usually includes your driver’s license, original class certificate and appointment information.
• Consider taking an approved calculator to make easy work of the math questions.

Some people are not good test-takers and some are not.  The good news is you… can… do… this.  Here are some suggestions for actually taking the state exam:

• Do not rush… there is “plenty” of time to take the state exam.
• In your first exam review, answer all of the questions you are 100% correct.
• In your second review, answer all of the math questions that are 100% correct.
• In your third round, troubleshoot the other math questions. I always tried to do math earlier on in any exam as I wanted to be fresh and alert when problem solving.
• In your fourth round, answer all the remaining non-math questions.
• Feel free to take a five-minute break to stretch your legs… you have plenty of time.

Keep in mind the following when answering questions:

• Read the question several times to understand exactly what information the question is giving you and exactly what answer you’re being asked to find. Then write it down on a separate space, likely a conventional or digital dry erase board provided.
• It is very common for additional “unneeded” information to be given to confuse you.
• One word can change the entire context of what you will be asked to solve.
• Always choose the “best” answer as you will likely be given two correct answers in some circumstances.
• It is very common for you to find answers to an unsolved question in another question that you’ve already read in one of your exam reviews.
• If the wording is confusing turn each answer into a True/False question.
• If you have to guess… read each answer carefully, make it an educated guess and stick to it.

It is never too late for you to make a career change.  I know people that have done so well into their 60’s.  What you should do though is talk to as many of your friends that are realtors to understand what day-to-day life is like as a realtor to see if you may enjoy it. I will tell you that I know just as many people that do real estate part-time as those that do so full-time.  Whichever route you choose, I would encourage you to make a plan… plan for success!

In one of my future blogs, I’ll share with you the plan I created to do real estate part-time (though I actually decided to do it full-time).  And I’ll also write a blog on how I vetted and interviewed several dozen real estate brokers that lead me to my broker, Coldwell Banker in Southwest Orlando, of which I enjoy working so very much!

That about sums things up.  As is my hope in any blog I write, I hope you’re able to take at least one thing away from this blog and make it useful in your future endeavors.  If you’d like to contact me to discuss anything at all i.e. interest in getting into real estate, studying for the pre or post-licensing or even choosing a broker, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me I’m always happy to help.

Thanks for giving my blog a read and hope you have a  super day!!

Cover image provided by: https://www.picpedia.org/clipboard/real-estate.html