How to become a real estate agent in Toronto?

How to become a real estate agent in Toronto?

A question received quite a few times. Many people have this quite random moment in their life where they come to me and go: “Alright, I’m going into real estate”. In a very vast number of cases, they have no idea what that means. They would just think it sounds cool or looks cool. But what does it really take to become a real estate agent in Toronto? This is no joke and no easy task. I mean, realistically anyone can do it. But this doesn’t mean that anyone can do it right and turn it into a profitable career.

In order to pursue this career, you need to do a lot of work. I mean a lot. It takes a lot of schooling, practice and learning (not to mention experience, but that comes down the path) in order to have this become a profitable career. Many people end up pursuing this career. And I understand why. It is appealing and it sounds interesting and challenging. And it is. But make no mistake, not everyone is cut out for this job. And this is also fair because if it was an easy job everyone could do – everyone would do it.

So, if you are searching for a job in Toronto, this might be just your cup of tea.

How difficult is it becoming a real estate agent in Toronto?

Alright, so after this discouraging introduction – moving on some encouraging facts. Getting a license to become a real estate agent in Toronto is not rocket science. You need a bit of brain and a bit of dedication and you will land it. But this is mostly the easy part.

If you really want to get into this business you need to have answers to questions why, how and for how long. Otherwise, you are pursuing it because it ‘sounds cool’. And this is not a good enough reason to switch to this career.

Most people who go into real estate are people who basically had no idea what to do with their life. A vast majority at least. This seemed like a good thing to make some bucks while you figure out where you want to go. Some, after this period, stayed in it forever and some moved on. It is most definitely not a job for everyone.

Meet and speak to someone in the industry

The best thing you could do as sort of a first step when becoming a real estate agent in Toronto would be to try to get an audience with someone who has been in the real estate industry for a while.

Many people make a mistake of skipping this first step and going straight to sign up. Before you are certain you wish to pursue this it would be best if you learn about it as much as possible. Otherwise, you might waste time trying to accomplish something you don’t even want to do in the first place.

Basically, try to get someone who has been in the business for a while and ask them to tell you what it is like. You will learn the good, the bad and the ugly. And based on these stories you might be closer to the answer to “Do I really want to become a real estate agent in Toronto?”.

What does it take?

Basically, it is expensive and time-consuming. That of course if you wish to do it right. And we are taking into consideration that you wish to pursue this career and not do it as a hobby.

Aside from this being very expensive, the other issue is that it is quite time-consuming. It takes you approximately 8 months to get through all the knowledge levels, and this is if you try to hasten it up as much as possible. To put it into perspective – 8 months is one of the fastest scenarios possible. Everything longer than that is more realistic. What is far more realistic is for you to look at a 12 month period of learning and preparing for this career. However, one of the things people fail to think about when they dive into this is what they are going to do during those 12 months.

What to do before you are ready?

There is one very clever trick you could do while you are learning and preparing to become a real estate agent in Toronto. You could find a job that will have you quite exposed in the area you wish to work in. It can be something from working in a local grocery store or a bank even. Anything that will have a lot of interaction with people from that particular neighborhood.

This way you will start establishing a connection and a relationship. It may not be a fun job but it’ll earn you some extra bucks and start building a foundation to the relationship with the market.

Of course, the number one thing you can do is become an apprentice of an already successful real estate agent. This way, not only will you meet relevant people in the business but also start learning from someone good – first hand.

Real estate is especially healthy if you consider doing it in Toronto. There are plenty of reasons for moving to Toronto, and this is definitely one of them.

Summation

Your expectations need to be realistic. If they are not you might get hurt. Field experience combined with actual work in the field will take 3 to 5 years before your phones start blowing up with clients. That is if you are good at the job itself. So this will require patience. This will require dedication. And this will reward you with everything you hoped for. As long as you live through it.

But before you become a real estate agent in Toronto, you need to move there and live there for a while. With living and networking we can’t help, but with providing you with cheap movers in Toronto we most certainly can! Good luck!