This is a continuance from “How I Got My Real Estate License – Pt. 2”
I had learned the curriculum and passed the certificate test. Next up was the state exam. If I could do it over again, I would have timed things a bit differently, such that I would not have had to wait 4 weeks to take my state exam after having finished the course online. In a perfect world, I would have taken the exam that same week I did the online study so that it would have remained fresh on my brain. Given that was not the case, I had to make sure that I stayed up to par on all of my vocabulary and pertinent facts, which I did via the flash cards and high lighted sections of my text books. This was a huge help, as these tools were just reminders at this point. I was really starting to know this material, as I recited the answers to self proposed questions sarcastically and exuding confidence gained through repetition.
In preparation for the exam I had to fill out a relatively lengthy application and get a back ground check via Live Scan. Live Scan pulls its information and data from the FBI database, among others. This background check is national in scope and very conclusive. In order to obtain the back ground check I had to submit digital finger prints and pay a small fee (if my memory serves me it was around $27). The results were mailed to me within a week or so and I would then include this file with my application and course completion certificate, and again, a small fee, for filing I suppose.
I bundled this all up in a crisp brown folder and waited patiently for my exam date. The night before I made sure to take care of myself. I felt as though I had a game the next day. I stayed off of my feet. I ate plenty of carbs and fruit and vegetables. I drank loads of water. I watched a light hearted funny movie to laugh a bit and to take my mind off the pending test. I set out my materials for the day ahead…Comfortable clothes. Fresh bottle of water. Pencils. Map to test site. Crisp brown folder with all my goodies. I set my alarm for the morning to wake a few hours before I needed to to ensure I had time to eat breakfast at my favorite spot and still make it to the testing center with time to spare. I went to bed early.
Everything I had expected and planned went along to the note. I arrived fed, early, and with enough time to make friends with the proctor. I found a seat that wasn’t under an air vent and got down to business from the moment the clock started ticking. I finished relatively early and thought it would be a good idea to read the exam again to insure each of my answers was in fact my best answer and I ended up changing only 2. I turned in my completed exam, packet, and pencils and thanked the gentleman for his time. Just before I left I quietly asked, “So when do you think we’ll be able to get results?” I was disgusted by his answer, although I had assumed such. “Not real sure. It can vary from a couple weeks to a couple months. You can call the department to track the process.”, he explained in monotone. This is a multiple choice test, for heavens sake. The internet has boomed, burst, and on the way up again. One can send a fax with a cell phone. I can have a Russian automatically translated into English within my email. Frustrated, I asked myself in my mind, “Why can’t I know right now if I at least passed the test or not?” I let it go and left.
The coming weeks were patiently passed by my morning ritual of checking the DRE website and then getting on with my day.
Finally, after 5 weeks, the status of my profile within the department website changed. I had passed. I was licensed in the State of California to sell real estate.
All in all, the process took about 3 months, cost around $300, and I learned a ton of useful information, no matter if I ever sold a single home or not.
Now I had to learn how to get clients and that is a story for another day..
Onward and upward!