It’s been nearly a month since I decided to become a Realtor, and Dad suggested that I blog a bit about the process and what I’ve learned about it thus far.
Hurry Up and Wait
After my time with Enquiro ended, I has some stuff to do, like finish the renovations on a house we’re now selling and do some consulting. Beyond that I had lots and lots of time and was prepared to devote myself to the Real Estate Associates Program (REAP) full time. I register for the short online Phase I course, and it takes a couple days for them to send me a login. You took my payment instantly, why does it take anything more than minutes to send me registration info?
At the conclusion of the Phase I course, which is a ‘pre-licensing’, learn about the industry, complete joke course, I’m supposed to write an exam according to everyone’s websites and the course material. I call AREA and the Testing Center, and finally discover that the test has been abolished. Good to know. Good to know that Realtor folks are up on the importance of the internet and having timely, accurate information on their websites.
Phase II – Real Realtor Info
Just to put everything into context, there are three phases in becoming a Realtor. The first one is a tiny online course which I really should have skipped. The next two are more substancial, and are broken into sections. Phase II has six phases and an online course, then an exam. Phase III covers the different area of practice, each with an exam, then an online course and finally the Provincial Qualifying Exam.
Here’s the flow chart of the progression:
As of today I’m on Phase II, Section III (and I’ve done the Environmental Issues online course)
Getting registered for Phase II was a gong show, and I’m seriously unimpressed with AREA. That’s a sentiment I gather is echoed throughout the industry. I’m still waiting on a refund they said would be coming through over 2 weeks ago, and an interesting conversation about a $150 administrative fee.
The content of Phase II isn’t bad. There will be more posts to come with tidbits of new/interesting things I have found in the content.
I’m working to approach this without thinking my experience has given me more than it has, and without any pre-conceived ideas, but really I’ve seen ~90% of this before. Oh, for the days when you could challenge the exam.
The Old Days
Speaking of challenging the exam, I had a good chat with Dad about when he did the exam. He was the last group who could challenge it, back in 1991 or so. Then the course was much shorter, didn’t include the extra modules and the Commercial/Residential/Rural areas at the end were optional instead of covering all three. It appears to be a much more comprehensive course now than it was before, and I have hope that when AREA is no longer the provider the courses will be even better.
Road Bumps?
So as I sit in the middle of Phase II, with little else to occupy my days (not actually, but I’d like to get through the course as fast as possible), I have one worry.
There’s at least four points to come where I have to register for a new phase, take an exam or wait for AREA/RECA to do something. If I have to wait for 3-5 business days between each step, this may take almost a month longer than I’d planned. And that, my friends, would suck.
In the mean time, I’m doing some freelance SEO/Social Media/Analytics consulting, renos, family and shopping for Brokerages. I’d like to get my designation sorted and start helping people out. If you’re planning to move or sell, and would like to chat once I’m licensed, give me a shout.
I’ll be easy to find. I’ll be the one behind a book in a Starbucks.
Photo Credit: Billselak on Flickr.
