How did I get here?
Having had literally no interest ever in real estate, it can seem somewhat surprising. Previously, when people would tell me they were in the real estate business, it would fade into the background, as they were just involved in buildings, which held no intellectual interest to me.
The idea of getting a real estate license first occurred to me as a tongue-in-cheek idea amidst a meeting in August in my previous position as the recruiter for Cincinnati's Modern Orthodox community. If my job was to help people move to Cincinnati and find appropriate lodging and even purchase housing, wouldn't it make sense to understand how that works? Having known nothing about real estate, studying real estate and earning my license would not only be a useful professional skill, but it would also grant me access to real estate listings and help people find houses.
However, at that time, it was not a fully serious idea, but something to keep in mind, especially as I was still early on in that position and had a lot more to learn, do, and people with whom to meet.
As the fall progressed, it popped into my head that it could be worth it to at least get a referral cut of commissions from bringing people to Cincinnati. The idea began to grow in my head (although I was very busy with the job, so I wasn't considering beginning the courses just yet).
Finally, February rolled around and I decided to order the course materials and begin studying a little bit on the side. However, shortly thereafter, the job dried up, so I decided it was time to go ahead and knock out the coursework and begin my real estate studies.
It was my first time ever doing online courses, which, while it lacks the in-person interactions and also leaves a lot of reading/understanding of the material up to the student, nevertheless was convenient, as it permitted to me to go at my own pace in apprehending the materials.
The material was very fascinating and most of the material was entirely new information to me. There was a lot to learn and to integrate into my brain, but it also made me a lot more aware about land, buildings, and more that was around us.
I then set up a date to take the exams (state and national), and was quite anxious about knowing the materials, facts, information, formulae, and more. Then, last week, I took the exams and, to my delight, I passed them!
The license was issued the other day and here I am: a licensed real estate agent :)
Now to begin from square one: there is a lot to learn about being a real estate agent in practice….
