When it comes to getting a real estate license, each state has different requirements and standards for real estate courses. Why? Each state has the right to make some of its own rules and regulations. This means evert license holder will need to know the laws for their specific state.
If you’re looking to get your real estate license in Pennsylvania, you probably want to know what you’ll be learning about in the Pennsylvania real estate course so you can set yourself up for success. Let’s go through an overview of what you’ll get into.
To learn about eligibility requirements and the steps to getting a license, read more about how to become a real estate agent in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania Real Estate Basics
Getting your real estate license might seem like a daunting task, but Aceable’s Pennsylvania pre-licensing course starts with the basics. It sets you up for success by introducing concepts slowly and then building on those concepts throughout the course. You’ll learn about general property concepts, such as:
How property is owned
The difference between real and personal property
How land is legally described and measured
How land is controlled, both privately and publicly
Different types of real estate and their uses
Agency
One of the most important parts of real estate practice is building a network and maintaining relationships. All of these relationships will need to meet certain legal requirements in order to protect the client’s best interests.
Pass rates also show that the concept of agency is one of the most challenging parts of the exam. That’s why you’ll spend a significant amount of time discussing agency. You’ll learn about what duties you owe to:
Clients
Customers
Principals
Other agents
Your broker
You’ll also learn who all of these people are and what roles they will play in your transactions.
Fiduciary Duties
Fiduciary duties, which are the obligations an agent owes to a client that protect the client’s best interests, are an important part of the agency. You’ll learn:
What the fiduciary duties are
When fiduciary duties are owed
What fiduciary duties are owed to whom
Knowing your way around agency will help you be the best agent for your clients — and it will keep you out of legal trouble.
Brokers and Agents
Pennsylvania’s real estate education course will teach you all about brokers, agents, and how they relate to each other. This will be extremely important in your day-to-day as a license holder because you’ll be an agent and you’ll likely be working for a broker.
Read more about becoming a real estate broker in Pennsylvania and the differences between agents and brokers.
Financing
Very few people are able to pay for their home in one lump sum. That’s why financing is such an important part of real estate. The Pennsylvania pre-licensing course covers financing topics such as:
Determining property value
Comparative market analyses
Mortgages
The loan origination process
Ethics
Selling a lot of houses will only take you so far as an agent. You will also need to treat people with respect and dignity. The course won’t have a chapter on manners, but it will talk about fair housing rules and regulations.
Fair Housing and real estate ethics are rules put in place to ensure everyone is treated fairly. You’ll learn about important federal and state laws, as well as important concepts like protected classes.
And the Rest
Of course, this isn’t everything you’ll learn in the Pennsylvania real estate course. The course is 75 hours, so you’ll be covering a lot of information.
Because you’ll be spending a significant amount of time with the course material, it’s important you choose a course that fits you, your life, and your learning style. You can choose between:
Online course providers
In-person real estate schools
Correspondence courses
There are other hybrid options out there, as well. Read more to compare and contrast online real estate schools and correspondence courses. Find what works best for you and go for it.
But whatever avenue you choose to pursue, know that you can do it. Don’t let a time commitment, complex subject matter, or fear prevent you from reaching your goals or changing your career.