Pre-licensure requirements vary from state to state. When I got in the business back when dinosaurs still roamed the Earth, I had to complete 30 hours of classroom training and write a two state exams and a federal test. I think the rules here have changed considerably: much more training is required prior to writing the exam. I have to complete continuing education credits each year (the number of which, again, varies from state to state). And real estate agents are not, in most instances, drawing a salary; I am a self-employed independent contractor. No salary; no draw against commissions. I pay twice as much into Social Security and Medicare as any "employee". I pay all my own overhead: rent, utilities, advertising, health insurance, errors and ommissions insurance, workers comp, local, state and national dues and license fees. If I don't make a sale this month, I don't get any income. I don't want to get into a discussion about whether I "help" sell a place, but I can assure you the real estate business is not the bed of roses you envision it to be.
