Once you've made it through prelicensing school and passed your state test, will you know how to be a real estate agent? For most new agents, the answer is no. Nothing you've learned so far has prepared you for the actual craft of being an agent, but not to worry. There are plenty of ways to continue your real estate education and training. Using a combination of methods will put you on the path to success.

Required Continuing Education

When it comes to learning about the real estate business, going to real estate school and passing the exam is just the beginning. Some of the learning will come as on-the-job training and some of it will be in the form of continuing education.

Licensed real estate agents are required to take continuing-education classes that keep them up to date on changes to state real estate laws. The number of hours required by each state varies, and so does the timing of the classes. In some states, agents have a two-year period in which to take the total number of required class hours. Other states demand that you take at least a portion of the classes each year. Check your state's requirements for continuing education when you are looking into the initial requirements for obtaining a license. Your first year in real estate will pass quickly. don't risk waiting until the last minute to schedule classes. Try to take a class or two every month and collect the hours slowly. This will allow you to absorb more from each class and it will keep you from scrambling to find available classes when it is time to renew your license.

Your continuing-education hours might be broken into two parts: a required update that informs you of changes to real estate laws, and additional hours for an elective class that covers a topic of your choice. Extra hours spent in elective classes — over and above what is required — can often be carried over and used to satisfy education requirements for the next reporting period.

Your state might allow new licensees to skip the first year of continuing education, because they've already spent a great deal of time in class and learned current laws in preparation for the licensing exam. Other states require additional education for first-year agents, even more than is required for experienced agents.

Your state real estate commission must approve all continuing education schools, teachers, and classes. There is a good chance that your prelicensing school also offers continuing education. If you felt the teachers were good, start there when looking for classes. Your local Board of Realtors® will offer information about local continuing-education classes, and so will your state real estate commission.

Should You Become a Realtor®?

It is common for members of the public to call all real estate agents “Realtor®,” but not every agent has the right to use that title. A Realtor® is a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of Realtors®, a trade organization that is called the NAR, for short. There are more than 1 million Realtors® in nearly sixty countries worldwide.

The broker or owner of a real estate office generally makes a decision whether or not to join the National Association of Realtors®. If he does, his entire office would need to be members as well. All agents in the office would be required to adhere to the higher code of ethics, their listings would be available in the Realtor® MLS and on www.realtor.com, and they would enjoy all the other benefits of membership in NAR. If the office does not choose to affiliate with NAR, all the agents in the office would be nonmembers. This is often the case with developers selling their own subdivisions only, who have no need to access MLS or other National Association of Realtor® services.