First you have to take a course.
There are many different companies that you can take the course from.
They all are pretty good at teaching you the information that you need to know.
Most can be found online.
The course can be taken either in a six week format that is typically two nights a week or two days a week This format allows you to learn the material each time between your classes and also allows you to still do your day job if need be.
The format is set up so that you can learn the principal, practices and law in different sections.
The other option for taking the course is what they call the cram course where the course is completed basically in a week but it is eight hours a day and includes two week ends.
This is the way I chose to do it.
I tend to be one of those people who always want to make things happen as quickly as possible and I was unwilling to take a whole six weeks to get this class over with.
Instead I simply lived, breathed and dreamed about Real Estate for that week and it was over before I new it.
Of course the last option was not even available when I took the course.
That is the option to take it online.
What a world! I would have loved to have been able to do it at home on my own time.
Do not think for a minute that this makes it easier though.
You still have to put in the full 45 hours required to complete the course In either scenario you must take an exam at the end of the course and you must accomplish a passing grade.
The material that you cover includes first the laws which can be of course long and boring but need less to say you must know this portion to stay out of trouble.
The second sections cover the practical side of real estate and that is the understanding of many different types of mortgages, Insurance issues, property tax issues, contracts, homeowner's disclosures, inspections and the many other details that go into a transaction.
The last portion of the class is all of the math.
There are so many different calculations involved in a real estate transaction.
You need to know how to calculate mortgage payment, interest payments, taxes and insurance payments in addition to calculating an estimated closing cost document which includes the different types of doc stamps, on the deed, on the mortgage, intangible tax, surveys, termite inspections, prepaid interest, title insurance costs, recording fees, tax service fees, etc.
I found that all of this material was of practical use and fairly easy to grasp and comprehend.
Of course what they do not teach you in the real estate classes is how to go out and actually sell a piece of property.
How to deal with the tire kickers verses the real buyers.
The psychology involved in dealing with husband and wife dynamics in buying a home, family members that want to put their two cents in the transaction and how many deals fall apart before they ever make it to the closing table.
If they included all of this as well I think you would be much more prepared for what you were up against.