How to Choose a Pre License Course in California
California is home to thousands of real estate agents and brokers and the market continues to signal demand for skilled, licensed professionals.
The demand for residential, commercial and luxury real estate in California continues to grow rapidly and the Sunshine State continues to post strong sales numbers.
With a median home price of $800K, California is amongst the most valuable and popular real estate markets in the country.
A competitive market where homes sell quickly, California offers a diverse real estate landscape for agents.
While San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills are some of the most expensive zip codes in the country, California is also home to more affordable locations such as Ridgecrest, San Jose and Edwards among others.
Due to better lifestyle offerings, higher desirability and strong economic outlook, California continues to be amongst the top real estate markets in the country.
With rising home prices and strong demand for housing, working as a real estate agent in CA can be an incredibly rewarding and profitable career move.
Becoming a real estate professional is a worthwhile career if you want to achieve professional autonomy and work with people to help them achieve their goals.
To start your career and work with clients in California, you must first obtain a California salesperson license.
Having a real estate license is mandatory in the state of California to earn commissions to get a license, you must fulfill the various state and federal license requirements.
Whether you want to start a part-time income stream or embark on a journey to build a full-time career in CA real estate, it’s essential to obtain your license first.
One of the most important steps of getting licensed is completing a CA real estate course to meet the qualifying education requirements.
Starting a new career can be overwhelming, especially if you are a complete beginner who wants to ensure that you are completing all the required steps for getting a license.
The importance of pre license education
Pre license education is more than just a mandatory requirement to obtain your license, it is the foundation upon which a successful career is built.
Since real estate is a heavily regulated industry which is governed by state and federal laws and guidelines, it is important to learn about the industry guidelines and standards.
Many students often wonder about the need for pre license education, especially for working with clients.
The fact is that without completing your education, you will not be able to give your best effort, knowledge and skills to help your clients.
Like any other profession, real estate agents are also expected to be adept at the state and federal laws, industry standards and principles of their industry.
Pre license education is the gateway to becoming a thorough professional who is confident, knowledgeable and skilled to guide clients in buying and selling real estate.
There are many additional benefits of completing pre license education such as:
1. Regulatory Compliance:
If you want to obtain a California salesperson license, the California Department of Real Estate (DRE) requires that you must complete minimum qualifying education.
As per the state law, it is mandatory to complete 135 hours of qualifying education to be able to take the salesperson license exam.
To ensure compliance with the California law and federal regulations, it is important to complete your course credit from a DRE approved education provider.
Pre license education will give you an in-depth understanding of the various frameworks, standards and regulatory guidelines of the industry.
2. Industry Knowledge:
To help navigate your clients through the various stages of a real estate deal, you must be aware of the processes, practices and principles.
The duties and tasks performed by real estate agents are diverse and it requires knowledge and understanding of various topics and subjects.
Real estate is a dynamic, fast-moving industry and it is important to understand the various aspects of working in real estate such as - state and federal laws, practices of real estate, contracts, types of property, consumer rights, agency among others.
Pre license courses will provide you the foundational knowledge of how to work with clients, industry peers and complete your job responsibilities in a professional way.
3. Career Credibility:
One of the most important benefits of completing a real estate pre licensing course in California is the credibility you will gain as a professional.
Completing 135 hours of education is proof of your commitment to your career and it will reflect in your professional credibility.
Clients prefer to work with knowledgeable, skilled and professional agents and with education, you can become more trustworthy in their perception.
By demonstrating your commitment to your profession, you will be able to boost your credibility in the industry, amongst your peers and in your state real estate market.
4. Market Updates:
The world of real estate moves very fast and is ever-evolving to meet the changing needs, preferences and requirements of consumers.
Due to the dynamic nature of the industry, the laws, regulations, and industry standards continue to change, evolve and adapt with the time.
Pre license education will help you keep a pulse on the latest development and industry updates while ensuring you are adaptable.
Staying relevant with what’s new and current is crucial to growing as a professional and maintaining relevance in a competitive environment.
By now, you must have learned why pre license education is an integral part of your licensing journey and how it is advantageous for building a successful career path.
What does the pre license course curriculum covers
The California DRE requires every student to complete 135 hours of course credits to meet the salesperson license requirements.
Generally, it takes most students anywhere between a month or two to complete the entire coursework. However, the specifics depend on your course provider and medium of learning.
The pre license curriculum is divided into three courses worth 45 hours each including:
- Principles of Real Estate
- Real Estate Practice
- General Elective
You can choose from a range of elective courses, some of them are listed below:
- Real Estate Finance,
- Real Estate Appraisal,
- Real Estate Economics,
- Property Management
- Legal Aspects of Real Estate
1. Principles of Real Estate
One of the mandatory courses to complete, this course provides an in-depth, comprehensive introduction to the world of real estate and its core principles.
It educates you about the basic principles of the real estate industry and its underlying frameworks, processes and policies.
During this course, you will also learn about the state and federal laws and other important regulations including - law of agency, appraising, contracts, land use, ownership, real property and taxation.
2. California Real Estate Practice
This covers the fundamental knowledge of real estate concepts and will focus on the day to day aspects of working in the real estate industry.
You will also get familiar with terms and concepts of property management, contracts, escrow, types of property, appraisal among others.
You will learn about topics such as - fair housing, types of deal, negotiations, licensee disclosure, ethics, trust funds, advertising among others.
3. Real Estate Finance
This course is formulated to give students an understanding of the fundamentals of financial aspects of real estate and how to make financial decisions.
As part of this course, you will learn about real estate finance, property valuation, importance of finance in real estate, analysis of real estate investment, debt, taxation among others.
You will also get familiar with concepts such as - cash flow, taxations, real estate brokerage, case studies and how to use financial tools and techniques to analyze scenarios.
4. Legal Aspects of Real Estate
The objective of this course is to give you an understanding of the legalities of your profession and its underlying laws and regulations.
You will learn about Califonria’s property and legal laws, jurisdiction, and other aspects related to property rights and ownership.
The course will also equip you with the legal knowledge of real estate contracts, transactions, deeds of trust, mortgage laws, escrow, fund management, property disputes and various other topics required to navigate legal matters.
5. Ethics and Professional Conduct
To be a successful real estate agent, you need to comply with the standards and regulations established by the California DRE.
Whether you choose to work independently or with a brokerage firm, you will be expected to withhold and preserve the highest standards of ethics and professional conduct
This course will walk you through the industry practices and regulatory standards for working with clients and participating in real estate deals.
During this course, you will learn about your professional duties and how to conduct them in a lawful, ethical manner.
You will also learn about consumer rights, interests, conflicts and the required course of action as a licensed professional.
In the next section, we will share some tips and advice on how to choose the best real estate online courses in California to supercharge your learning and kickstart your career.
Choosing a pre license course in California
The odds of you passing the California salesperson license exam depends on your level of preparation and knowledge.
This is why choosing the right pre license education provider is crucial to your success - with the right real estate course, you can significantly boost your chances of passing the test.
For most students, choosing a pre licensing course real estate in California is an overwhelming task, especially since there are so many options available.
Here are some important factors to keep in consideration before making a decision:
1. Check the course provider accreditation
The DRE in California requires you to complete your education from a state approved and accredited education provider.
Before finalizing a real estate school or course, it is important to check if they are approved by the DRE.
This step is crucial as you must learn from a certified education provider who is qualified to impart the knowledge and meet the education standards of the state.
2. Explore course formats
There are numerous course formats you can choose from - from joining a physical, classroom based real estate school to enrolling in an online, virtual course.
Further, many education providers offer the flexibility to choose between full-time and part-time education.
Your decision should be based on your preferred learning style and needs i.e. you should evaluate whether you want the rigor of going to a classroom at a fixed time or the convenience of completing your coursework online from anywhere.
3. Compare course costs
Pre license education is one of the major cost components of getting a license and starting your career as a real estate agent.
Luckily, there are courses available across budgets to help you manage your education costs easily.
From more affordable ones starting from $200 to expensive alternatives going up to $700-$800, you can pick a course which suits your budget the best.