Posted by: Kaplan Real Estate Education
Published: May 14, 2020
If you want all the perks of being your own boss, pursuing a career in real estate in Minnesota is a great option. Unlimited earning potential and a flexible schedule are just some of the reasons prospective real estate agents decide to get licensed. After you’ve made the decision to become a licensed real estate agent in Minnesota, you can start planning out the next steps. A big part of earning real estate licensure is completing the educational requirements.
In order to complete Minnesota’s real estate prelicensing education requirements, you’ll need to find a real estate school that offers them. Choosing the best school without knowing what to look for can be a difficult task. This article will help you identify what you should be looking for when researching schools that offer real estate prelicensing education.
The first thing you should look for in a potential real estate school is that its courses are approved by the Minnesota Commerce Department and will count toward your prelicensing education requirements. Good real estate schools will be up-to-date with the latest information on Minnesota real estate licensure and should be able to provide you with state-approved education.
If multiple class formats are available, you can choose the one that best suits your lifestyle. As a prospective real estate student, there are a few different format options available to you, including in-person courses, live online courses, and OnDemand courses.
Busy parents and professionals may prefer the convenience and time-savings an online course provides. But if you thrive in a classroom setting, an in-person course might be a better fit. Considering which course format is more suitable to your lifestyle will help make completing your requirements easier and less stressful.
When you don’t have access to a comprehensive student support team, technical and logistical issues can become even more limiting. When something unexpected happens, you want to make sure that your school offers the timely support you need. By checking beforehand to see if this support is provided, you’ll save yourself time and energy in the future.
Licensed real estate agents and brokers have actually lived what they are teaching, providing priceless advice and insight for their students. Contextual examples can make all the difference when trying to understand new concepts and topics. Look for licensed real estate instructors who are doing more than just reading aloud from the curriculum.
Friends and family can be great sources of information and connections. See if someone you know has a contact in the real estate industry who could offer you advice. Choosing the best real estate school for you is easier if you have insight from someone else who has gone through the same thing. Even if you don’t have a connection in real estate, you could still reach out to local brokerages to see if anyone would be willing to share their experiences.
Even though the curriculum for your prelicensing courses is set by your state’s real estate commission, the way the school implements this curriculum can make a big difference in how much you learn. See what study practices and teaching styles the school utilizes. Look for a school that implements the latest practices of learning science, so you can make sure you’re receiving the best possible education.
Learning more about the history and background of a real estate school can help you determine its legitimateness and whether or not it has a past record of proven student successes. Search for evidence of time-tested teaching techniques, qualified instructors, and satisfied students. Reviews from a third-party company will provide you with honest information and tell you a lot about the school’s ability to serve you.
Practice questions provide you with an opportunity to test your skills and help you retain information. Look for opportunities to test your knowledge through tools like online quiz banks and practice exams. Testing yourself will give you the confidence you need to not only pass your exam but also to implement what you’ve learned when you’re on the job as a real estate agent.
Knowing the volume of students the real estate school serves can tell you its popularity among your peers, in addition to its capabilities. The more students the school has, the more information they are receiving on what’s working and what could be improved. Try to avoid being a test subject for a less experienced school.
Since you already know you’ll need to complete continuing education (CE) requirements down the road, why not look for a school that is a one-stop-shop for all your real estate education needs? If your goal is to one day earn your real estate brokers license as well, check to make sure that the school you choose offers education for your broker license. Choosing a school that offers additional real estate education options can save you time in the long run.
Wouldn’t it be great if you could sit down with a room full of successful real estate professionals and ask them for career advice? We asked several accomplished real estate professionals what they wish they knew before they earned their license and started their career, and what they thought all aspiring real estate professionals should know. We put all of their advice into a value-packed eBook.
