First, find out if a career in real estate is right for you! Click here to take our FREE assessment.

You have the opportunity to schedule an appointment to meet with one of our Branch Vice Presidents. They can help you identify the challenges and rewards of a real estate career and if it is in line with your personal ambitions.

A real estate career gives a candidate the ability to go into business for him/herself. It is essential to have the support of a strong brand that has the resources and expertise available to build successful businesses and careers.

To become a successful real estate agent, your first step is to complete the education requirements for the state in which you want to become licensed. Serving the Mid-Atlantic Region, the CBRB School offers the 60 hour pre-licensing course entitled "Principles and Practices of Real Estate" required for the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia.

This same course is offered in the 99-hour format to meet the requirements for the State of Delaware.

Applicants for the Virginia Real Estate Examinations must be at least 18 years of age and must meet these additional education requirements:

• Must be at least 18 years old
• Brokers must complete 180 hours of education, pass the State and National Portions of the broker examination, and submit verification of experience (actively engaged as a salesperson for 36 out of the 48 months preceding application for licensure).

Maryland broker qualification requirements

• To qualify for a real estate broker license, an applicant shall be an individual who meets the requirements of this section.
• An applicant shall be of good character and reputation.
• An applicant shall be at least 18 years old.
• (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, an applicant shall:
  • have completed successfully a course in real estate approved by the Commission for real estate brokers that includes a 3 clock hour course in real estate ethics approved by the Commission; and
  • have been a licensed real estate salesperson and have actively and lawfully provided real estate brokerage services for at least 3 years.
• (2) If an applicant is qualified to practice law in the State, the Commission shall waive the educational and experience requirements of paragraph (1) of this subsection for that applicant.
• An applicant shall pass an examination given by the Commission under § 17-306 of this subtitle.
• An applicant shall meet any other requirement that the Commission establishes to ensure that only individuals who are professionally competent and of good character and reputation are licensed.

District of Columbia broker qualification requirements

• Meet the licensure requirements for a salesperson in addition to
• Submit a copy of an original school certificate indicating completion of 135 hours of prelicense education
• plus 2 consecutive years’ experience as an active salesperson immediately preceding date of application

Earning an income is the primary concern. Coldwell Banker excels in supporting sales agents by helping you set realistic goals and formulate an action plan to meet your goals.

Depending on the fees the local Board of Realtors and multiple listing service charge, the amount will vary. The majority of brokers will charge for Errors and Omissions insurance and for their basic training courses.

No, according to the IRS a real estate agent is an independent contractor, thus unsalaried. Agents earn commissions when a sale closes or passes title. A real estate career gives a candidate the exciting opportunity to go into business for him/herself. It is essential to have the support of a strong brand that has the resources and expertise available to build successful businesses and careers.

Earning potential is unlimited and is highly variable depending on a variety of factors, including the pace of your learning, the support provided by the company you affiliate with and of course, your motivation. Continuously sitting down with your Branch Vice President to discuss your goals, and how to achieve them, will be instrumental in getting off to a productive and rewarding start to your real estate career.

Call the managers of your local real estate offices to schedule an informational meeting. Ask probing questions and be prepared to discuss your goals, expectations and concerns. Some good questions to ask during your meeting can include: Does the manager sell homes and therefore compete with the agents? What are the specifics of the basic training program? Is there formal ongoing education? What are the technology initiatives? What is the web presence? Where you start your career is crucial to your success and establishing your presence in your local community.

Find a Local Coldwell Banker Office.

It is exciting and challenging to build a business in real estate, but operating your own business includes overhead and investing in marketing, advertising and back office materials that are considered part of the cost of doing business. As part of the NRT family of companies, a subsidiary of Realogy Corporation and the nation’s largest real estate brokerage company, Coldwell Banker is in the unique opportunity to offer its sales force a high number of professional services and expertise at no cost. To ensure Coldwell Banker sales associates can focus on building and growing their businesses, top professional marketing, advertising, public relations, educational and administrative expertise and support is available. Coldwell Banker has invested millions in online advertising, enhanced text, images and banners, purchased thousands of search terms to capture buyers on Google or Yahoo and has implemented cutting edge technology like LeadRouter, which converts online inquiries to cell phone messages within minutes, and HomeBase, an exclusive online transaction management system. These resources, combined with ongoing training, education and the support of a strong team, helps set every sales associate at Coldwell Banker apart.

At Coldwell Banker, we offer our sales associates continuing education, offered in the training room, our state of the art computer labs, in-office and online via WebEx. To be successful in real estate, it is imperative sales associates are aware of the market conditions and how things are trending. An exciting, and challenging, aspect of a career in real estate is the constantly changing environment.

A real estate career can be incredibly rewarding for many different types of people. The opportunity to build your own business, and have an unlimited earning potential is a strong draw for motivated, self-starter personalities, and the constant interaction with a wide variety of clients out in the community is a strong draw for high-energy individuals who enjoy fostering client relationships. With a constantly changing environment and clients, the variety presented in a real estate career is a refreshing change of pace for individuals seeking new challenges.

Is a career in real estate right for you? Take our online assessment. Click here