Real Estate -- General FAQs
Q: What can I do with my real estate training?
A: The career opportunities are many and varied. The most common path is to become a real estate salesperson or broker for residential real estate. Other careers include property management, real estate investor, commercial property sales or leasing, real estate appraiser for residential or commercial property, title company officer, escrow officer, and property acquisition specialist for a large corporation or institution.
Q: How many courses do I have to take to get started in my career in real estate sales?
A: Three courses. Once you have completed the following:
RE 110 – RE Principles, RE 130 – Real Estate Practice and one other real estate elective
with a grade of C or better, you will be eligible to take the Department of Real Estate (DRE) salesperson license exam. A grade of 70 percent or more on the 150-question DRE exam is a passing score. When you receive notification from the DRE that you have passed the salesperson exam you can submit your application for the real estate salesperson license.
Q: Who can I talk with about the real estate program?
A: Leslie Beau, is a full-time faculty member in real estate, in the Business Division at Orange Coast College. Leslie can be reached at 714-432-0202 x25911, via e-mail at lbeau@occ.cccd.edu. In addition, any of the business division office staff will be happy to answer your questions or will be able to refer you to the person who can answer your questions.
Q: What Certification Programs are offered?
A: Currently, OCC offers a Sales Certificate of Completion and a Broker Certificate of Achievement. The courses required for each of these will meet the DRE licensing requirements as well.
Q: How do I find out about what is happening with the real estate program?
A: Visit the web site for additional information, check the course catalog for new course availability both on campus and online. Notices of Real Estate Club meetings are posted around campus, and emailed to members. Guest speaker announcements are also posted and announced in the real estate classes.
Q: Which class should I take first?
A: Real Estate Principles (RE 110). This course is a prerequisite for virtually all of the other courses offered in the real estate program which includes legal aspects of real estate. This course is important because in this course you will learn the basic vocabulary of real estate that is needed for the advanced courses and you will learn about the various documents, laws, and regulations that apply to real estate.
The DRE exam focuses on the information in this course. Once you have completed your classes, it is a good idea to take a review course for the DRE exam. You can do a weekend “crash” course, purchase a CD or book with practice exams. The question and answer practice will get you over the goal line to pass the DRE exam.
Multiple sections of Real Estate Principles are offered during the fall and spring semesters and during at least one of the two summer sessions. Classes are offered in an 8-week accelerated course format, both on campus and online.
Additional real estate courses are being offered online for our students. Please check the Schedule of Classes for scheduling.
Q: What skills or characteristics are important for a successful career in real estate?
A: Be a self-starter. Be goal oriented. Be genuinely interested in helping people and willing to work hard.
Q: Do I need to know anything about computers?
A: YES. The field of real estate, like practically every other profession, is becoming increasingly dependent on the ability to use a computer and the Internet. Some of the necessary computer skills can be learned in the real estate classes and in the field. If you are taking an online class, you want to feel comfortable navigating the online classroom.
Q: How much money can I make in real estate?
A: The answer to this really depends on you and which area of real estate you choose. Typically, those who work in sales have the potential for making the most money. Some real estate agents/brokers make more than $1 million per year; however, the average income is much, much lower because some agents work part-time, some are just starting their careers, and some either do not work or do not work efficiently. Salaried positions in escrow, loan processing, title or work as a real estate assistant and similar types of support activities tend to have lower, but much more stable incomes. There are also corporation positions for real estate in property management and site location for retail operations that have good salaries.