The most difficult part of taking an exam like this is knowing what material you should be reviewing, how much time you need to study, and how to organize your studying. While it may seem easy going into the test with nothing but a lot of books, that can quickly get tricky.
Most people start organizing their studies by looking at the textbook very closely, then moving onto YouTube videos, followed by self-study resources such as Oodle or Udemy. Some people even begin buying new materials while others just dive in and try to learn as much as they can before the test.
All of these are good approaches, but there’s one major problem with them — none of them work if you don’t put in the effort needed to pass the test!
If you want to succeed during the real estate certification exams, you have to invest some time in the process. This will not only help you feel more prepared, but it will also give you the chance to strengthen your fundamentals and skills.
Don’t worry about being too hard on yourself – no one else will! If you know everything from the book, watch all the YouTube lessons, and have access to the free online courses, then why wouldn’t you attempt the test?
That’s totally okay because it’s normal to make mistakes when you practice.
Practice with a tutor
Having a good exam practice session is very important as it gives you a chance to test out your knowledge and skills, and yourself as a person studying this material. There are many ways to do this, one of which is by practicing via tutors or online courses.
There are several great resources available that can help you hone your real estate exam skills. Some of these include YouTube videos, interactive learning tools, and software programs. By using these, you will be able to get more in-depth information than just from a book!
Tutoring is also a better option than buying a expensive study pack because some of those products may not be updated yearly, if ever at all. With tutors, every year there is a new revision cycle so you will always have the most up to date info. This way, you won’t need to buy too much extra material since you already have access to the same thing over and over again.
Create a practice exam
After you have gathered all of your resources, it is time to create a practice test. There are many ways to do this, but one of the best methods is using an online testing service or creating your own mock test.
Some sites offer free tests that can be used for practicing for the real exam, which is great because you don’t need to spend money to familiarize yourself with the material!
By creating your own test, you get full control over the content and order in which questions appear. This allows you to better organize the materials and focus only on what really matters for the exam.
Practice makes perfect, so why not make sure your chances are as high as possible? By doing this properly, you will know just how well you are performing state-specifically, area-specificly, and overall.
Re-read the test
The most important thing is to re-prepare by reading through all of the material at least twice. Make sure you have enough time to study, as these exams are three hours long!
Test day will be very stressful for anyone, but especially for those that are preparing for the exam. You should try to relax and focus on what you have learned before your test, not what you need to know for the test.
Any source material can be used to prepare for the test. Test books and old tests are helpful resources to use. There are many websites with practice materials as well.
Give yourself a test
It is important to prepare for your real estate exam by creating a testing environment that feels comfortable for you. If you’re not confident in your study routine, make changes to create an adequate framework for yourself.
Many people start studying for exams at the end of the semester when classes are already underway. This can be helpful if you are already teaching students but may not feel like teaching until later in the school year.
Alternatively, some people begin preparing right after graduation or shortly after being licensed, which also works well because you have time to find a routine that fits into your schedule.
Either way, remember that education should be a process that continues throughout your career as a professional Realtor.
Review your notes
After you have completed all of the above, it is time to review! While some people feel that once you take an exam you can just look through the book or use a quick test prep program, this does not work in reality.
You will need to actually go back over the material several times before testing to remember what you learned. This way, you are sure to know the material well enough for the test.
Some students also organize their studying by area of the field, which makes sense but only if you organized the field when preparing. Re-organizing how fields relate to each other can help you focus more clearly on one subject matter at a time.
And lastly, do not spend too much time studying alone! Get outside feedback by asking friends or family to watch you study and offer suggestions.
Practice selling
After you have done some pre-test practice, it is time to move onto the more important part of your preparation: practicing sales. This means going into a different type of setting, talking with different people, and keeping it fun!
Practice selling by yourself or with friends via video or chat apps like Facebook Messenger or Slack. Or perhaps you are already in a place that offers this service, such as a broker’s office or a university.
Some places offer free trial periods so you can see how they run their business and get comfortable with the way things are run before paying money for a membership.
By having a casual conversation about anything really, you will find there is a lot of topics that people bring up when buying or selling a house. These include questions about what kind of properties they want to buy or sell, if they are looking to relocate, and why they need to purchase or rent a certain property.
This gives you the opportunity to test your skills and determine whether you talk too much or not enough depending on the situation.
Practice marketing
A lot of people try to gain certification by practicing past exams, but this is not the best way to prepare for the real exam. This can be done through several different methods.
Practicing test questions that have no relation to the actual content you are studying will only confuse you. Taking practice tests with a copy of the book is also poor strategy as you will just focus on how to use the books’ resources.
The most effective way to practice is by doing. Do something related to your field that requires advertising or marketing. Create a schedule that includes both teaching yourself about a concept and then actually putting that knowledge into action.
This way, you will connect what you learn with something you already know and will help you determine if you have understood the material.
Practice customer service
Even if you’ve got your license, you will probably be sitting in a room with a lot of people trying hard to sell you or convince you about their real estate agency.
These agents may make promises that seem too good to be true, like ‘we can have our pick of any house we want!’ or ‘I have access to the best listing tools out there so I know how to market my agent to give us the best chance at finding our dream home.’
The truth is, most agents don’t have these resources and even those that do aren’t allowed to use them unless they are licensed as an Agent. So why would anyone hire someone without a license?
Your potential client might wonder what kind of business person you are if you can’t keep commitments to take part in one of the biggest investments they’ll ever make. They might also question whether you are really looking out for their interest, or if you are just in it for yourself.
If this doesn’t put you over the edge, then maybe we need to talk about what kinds of services the average Realtor offers.
Heck, some won’t even show clients all the properties in the area! If you’re going to represent other people, you should definitely be able to demonstrate that you care about others more than you care about your own paychecks.
