Posted by Natalie-VA on August 06, 2008 at 05:55:41:
Our local MLS is also not owned by any of the Realtor associations. I consider myself lucky.
–Natalie
Real Estate Licence - Posted by bak
Posted by bak on August 04, 2008 at 17:36:11:
I am thinking about getting my RE license so I can search the MLS. Does anyone know the best way to do this in terms of online courses, which ones are best, and once completed, how can I then be able to do MLS searches?
Re: Real Estate Licence - Posted by Brian_Wa
Posted by Brian_Wa on August 04, 2008 at 18:39:28:
I just hooked up with an agent and got access from him that way. It worked out great. Now that the market goes down so much, he’s struggling quite a bit and comes to me to borrow a few hundred bucks here and there. I think the total amount he owes me is probably over $3k already but I’d never ask him to repay it. The access he provided made it possible for me to become who I am today. I believe I still owe him quite a bit.
Brian
Your agent is breaking MLS rules - Posted by blue206
Posted by blue206 on August 05, 2008 at 17:04:43:
If you mean your RE agent is giving you his password and access to NWMLS, he’s in breach of his contract with NWMLS and could not only get fined heavily but also lose his license.
I’d question his integrity in a number of ways if he’s so willing.
Re: Real Estate Licence - Posted by bak
Posted by bak on August 04, 2008 at 19:05:24:
Thanks…I was thinking about that too…but, am wondering if I pay the $200 bucks and get my license through an online course, how I would then get access…will any RE company allow me to access the MLS through them, or do I need to actually “join” a RE company and be forced to become part of a Sales team (?)
Re: Your agent is breaking MLS rules - Posted by Natalie-VA
Posted by Natalie-VA on August 06, 2008 at 05:59:20:
There’s a lot of that going around here too. The funny part is that the Brokers have to sign off on access for someone to be an assistant. They know that the people aren’t really assistants, and they sign off anyway. Now you know why so many agents are horrible…it’s because their leadership is horrible too.
–Natalie
Re: Real Estate Licence - Posted by Brad Crouch
Posted by Brad Crouch on August 05, 2008 at 19:57:23:
Bak,
There are generally higher costs involved than you are mentioning. There is the State exam fee, and the books and the additional “continuing education courses” that you must buy to get anything more than an 18 month “provisional” license, etc. In California it costs between $500 and $600 for the whole thing.
After you get your license, it really doesn’t do you any good unless you hang it in a broker’s office. Then you are essentially an employee of that broker, and that broker must accept you first . . . and they usually “qualify” you to some extent (criminal records check, ect.).
Most of the broker’s offices provide sales training for their employees (at no cost), but then the split of the proceeds are lower, too. The more experience and success you have, the higher the split of the proceeds and the higher the monthly fees are.
There are some brokerages that allow you to keep all 25% of the commission (unless you are the listing agent as well as the selling agent - in that case, you can get up to 50% of the sales commission), but then they charge you for “desk” or “office” space.
Not many of these brokers like investors much. Nor will many allow you to function as an investor. Of those few who might, you will have to include them as a “partner” on your deal.
Most of the brokers here in California are “Realtors” and have access to the MLS. As an employee of the broker, they allow you access the MLS under THEIR membership.
If you quit, your MLS access does too.
After having been an “active” salesperson for a period of two years, and go through a qualification process (additional State exams and fees), you can take your broker’s exam and if you pass . . . you can be a broker on your own. With your own MLS access available to you for a hefty annual fee.
That is the way it works in California. Your state may be different, but very possibly not by much. Check ALL of it out for yourself.
Hope this helps,
Brad
The MLS is usually for Realtors Only - Posted by Bank Negotiator
Posted by Bank Negotiator on August 04, 2008 at 20:26:12:
Most MLS systems are not run by the state and having a license does not grant you access to the MLS.
Instead the MLS systems are owned and operated by the local board of Realtors. Being licensed doesn’t make you a Realtor. Belonging to the National Association of Realtors does.
Realtors guard the MLS with a fierce passion. The MLS and it’s contents are the “Holy Grail” of real estate data. I truly don’t understand how people can live without it and use stuff like Zillow that gives you bad data. It’s like trying to measure length of a dust-mite with a yard stick…not the right tool for the job.
If you can’t measure what is going on in a neighborhood, how can you know if you are getting a good deal?
This being the case, you’ll probably need to join the local board of Realtors in order to get your own MLS access. Joining the board comes with a hefty yearly cost in order to belong to this little “club” of ours.
Instead of trying to go full-blown you might want to just try to get some type of “assistant” access. Before I moved back to Michigan I signed up under a friend’s license in Maryland in this way to get access and it worked very well. It might work for you too.
MLS & Realtors not synonymous - Posted by John Merchant
Posted by John Merchant on August 05, 2008 at 17:01:48:
Our WA State NWMLS is NOT run or controlled by Realtors Ass’n.
NWMLS is available only to licensed RE Agents and Brokers, many of whom are not members of Nat’l Ass’n of Realtors.
Realtor and RE Agents and Brokers are not synonymous here or anywhere I know of.
This is true. But… - Posted by Bank Negotiator
Posted by Bank Negotiator on August 06, 2008 at 05:24:42:
It’s true the you don’t have to be a Realtor to be a licensed real estate agent or a broker. Licensing is controlled by the state.
However, MOST MLS boards are in fact created and controlled by an association of “Realtors”. We have plenty of licensed agents in our state that are not Realtors. They also do not have access to the MLS.
If they are focused on commercial real estate, this is not such a big deal, because there are other central points of information like loopnet.
Again though, most MLS systems are controlled by a Realtor association. NWMLS is an exception to the rule.