DISCLAIMER: What follows is being written first-hand from one individual’s life experiences. In other words, this won’t be definitive but will try to be comprehensive.
It seems to me that if you want to have a recruitment site, you need to be willing to walk individuals through the process from the very beginning of a new venture. About a year ago, I was offered and accepted a job as an Administrative Assistant at CENTURY 21 Action Realty. It was a lot scary and yet thoroughly exciting. I have an aunt who is a realtor, and she always makes it seem so easy and wonderful.
The first thing I learned is that only a licensed agent can answer questions about real estate. When you call our office and ask about pricing or availability, it isn’t that the office staff doesn’t want to assist you. Legally, we can’t tell you anything about any listings. It is a felony to share any information as a non-agent. End of story.
So if you are service oriented and have a sincere desire to assist customers, there is really only one recourse- you look into becoming an agent. But where do you start? What’s the process? I’m lucky because I have access to licensed agents that can tell me how they became agents. Not everyone has such a resource. Disclaimer time: clearly if you are an agent and have been for some time, this isn’t really the post for you. Of course, if you are curious, you are always welcome to compare notes.
I confess that I am a researcher geek. I love to go onto the internet and google how to do just about anything. So the first thing I did was research how to become a realtor in Arkansas. I was directed to the Arkansas Real Estate Commission site. I think this is the best place to start. It will give you an idea of the requirements that you need to be licensed as a Salesperson; however this is just a starting point. I also recommend that if you know a licensed salesperson you talk to them. The more experience they have, the better they are at giving you a comprehensive view of the job.
So here is your assignment, if you choose to accept. No. 1- Go to the Arkansas Real Estate Commission site and familiarize yourself with the legal requirements to become an agent. No. 2- Create a list of questions that you have about the job that you would like to have answered by an agent. No. 3- Contact an agency or real estate agent and see if they will be willing to meet with you and answer your questions. Understand up front that time is money in the sales’ realm. Once you’ve done this, check back for my next post. Thanks for reading. Look forward to your comments.