Are you ready to launch your real estate career? Excellent! Now, one of your first steps is to choose a real estate school where you’ll take your pre-licensing course. If you’re wondering how to go about making an informed and confident decision about which school to pick, continue reading.
We would be delighted, of course, if you chose the Ben Farmer School of Real State as the place to fulfill your educational requirements. We are equally delighted though to share a list of questions we know our students considered when comparing real estate schools and making their selection.
We would be delighted, of course, if you chose the Ben Farmer School of Real State as the place to fulfill your educational requirements. We are equally delighted though to share a list of questions we know our students considered when comparing real estate schools and making their selection.
Remember that states license real estate agents. Therefore, the state must accept your coursework. If the school is not an approved provider, the courses don’t count toward the requirements for licensure. How can you confirm whether a school is approved? For Georgia, check the Approved Schools list on the Georgia Real Estate Commission website.
One of the things you’ll want to do your homework on is the history of the school. Check to see how many years it has been in business. Is it relatively new or well-established like the Ben Farmer School of Real Estate? We are Savannah’s oldest real estate school, and one with a solid track record of preparing students for success in the profession.
It’s to your benefit to pick a school where active agents or one-time active agents teach the courses. Not only do they know the material. They can also share real-life examples to provide context for that material. It’s a distinction that we take great pride in at our school. Our instructors HAVE SOLD real estate. As such, they can offer rich, insightful educational experiences.
When you are looking for a real estate school, note whether the core curriculum keeps pace with the ever-changing real estate industry. A top-quality curriculum is current and relevant. It also incorporates practice questions and exams that test your retention and understanding of the course material, helping you to better prepare for exam day.
Factor in your learning style, schedule, and lifestyle so that you can confirm the course format aligns with your needs. If you learn better in a traditional setting, weed out schools that only offer online courses. If flexibility is a must, so is an online option. Do the schools on your list offer only one type of course or both? As you compare, we invite you to check out our pre-licensing course, which is offered both in the classroom and online.
You can narrow your choices by focusing on schools that fit your budget. Here’s a caveat, though. Don’t just look at price alone. Also, look at the value you get for the price. For instance, check which schools offer a choice of packages that enable you to meet the educational requirements to sit for the exam – and help you prep for taking the test.
If you have coursework questions or technical issues, you’ll want to get them resolved as quickly and easily as possible. Do the schools that you’re looking at have a support team you can reach out to for personalized help? How easy is it to contact instructors or technical support staff? Is the school staffed full time like the Ben Farmer School of Real Estate and do they offer live support?
The school you choose should offer great content, of course. But, great content won’t do you much good if you don’t pass the exam. Check out the school’s exam pass rate (national and state-specific). Ask for data that backs up the school’s claim. Also, ask if their students typically pass the exam on the first try or after multiple attempts.
Even when you are just starting in the profession, you should consider whether the school can help you meet future educational needs. Do they offer continuing education courses that you need to maintain your license? Is the broker pre-license course offered? With access to these resources, you don’t have to repeat the search process when you’re ready for the next step.
At the Ben Farmer School of Real Estate, we know that a referral from someone in the business is one of the highest compliments a real estate school can get. We routinely receive referrals from many different real estate companies, and we strongly suggest that you ask agents for their recommendations. Check out school reviews and read student testimonials too.