There were no surprises for me, I had been working on the sidelines for so long that most of what we learned in the classes, tests, and afterwards was old news.

There were no surprises for me. My only regret is I didn't get into it sooner.  

No second thoughts for me.  Real estate was a good choice for me. 

Nope! The only way out is through. I wasn't ready for a lot of stuff but I catch on quick and I had the common sense and good fortune to pick an amazing first broker.

no, there was nothing that would have made me change my mind.... I needed a full time job...teaching had too many vacations....made me crazy!!! 

It was so long ago, we memorized useless information that they tested on! I just wanted the license and knew what we were being taught was useless!

Law school and a real estate commission manual were my preparations before taking the broker exam in 1960 while I was still in school. I had no licensing classes.

The only thing that I regret never being told or not doing in the beginning would be hiring a coach. I didn't know what I didn't know about organization and processes (among other things)!

A great coach from the beginning would have been a great investment!

Never had second thoughts.

There’s really too much to list and I was fortunate enough to find Buffini & Company within five months of getting my license so I’ve been properly trained for virtually all my career.

I believe the thing that severely lacking in the barrier of entry to getting a real estate license though is basic business skills: people treat this like a job when it is a business.

I didn't have many surprises, outside of realizing how much more patience I needed to develop (not naturally a very patient person). In NYC, where I began my career, we were told up-front not to expect to see a commission check for 6-9 months and to have financial reserves. My first commission check was paid on my sixth month anniversary in the business.

The main thing I wish I'd been more "trained for" early on was a working by referral system.

The only thing they taught was how to pass the test, they didn't teach us a dang thing about selling real estate.

I wish I had started 20 years ago...but no regrets!

I wish someone had warned me how emotional people get when buying and selling homes. Knowing real estate laws, rules, regulations, processes etc are all important, but building and maintaining rapport with clients is also.

No one tells you in the school how to lead generate and how to convert those leads. Also no one tells you that it can be 70-80 hour job.... so much for time flexibility. 

When I got my license it was in the days that no education was required. I have no regrets and dug in and got the enducaiton I needed. I think agents today need to do the same things.

  Maybe things like how to fill out a contract.  How to walk a Buyer into the lender's office.  Other real-world stuff.

 No second thoughts!

To call people more than one time when letting them know you changed professions.

Like Candice A. Donofrio said "The way out is the way through!"

Expel the naysayers from your life.

Paul S. Henderson, REALTOR®,CRS, - nothing special I can think of after so many years!

I did not experience any 2nd thoughts, but wish I would have gotten in much earlier in my life! 

What they teach you at real estate school has nothing to do with what you will be doing in the real world as a real estate agent.

Not thought of it

No surprises here, I grew up in the field so I was very aware going in.  The only downside was that the way the book wanted you to answer questions was sometimes in conflict with how things were done in reality.

Paul S. Henderson, REALTOR®,CRS, I knew what to expect. My wife already had her license a few years when I got licensed.

Teach anything that is actually helpful working in the trenches of real estate. It's shameful what we need to learn to pass the exam has little to do with the real (no pun intended) world. 

What I have seen as most  useful and that is lacking is interpersonal skills

I am big on self-education so I entered the profession with eyes wide open. Most agents don't understand the costs, the sporadic income, or how much work is actually involved in starting out.

That the worst part of the job is the things we can not control, appraisers, inspectors and under writers. But we can limit the odds by doing certain things

'What should they have taught me when I was getting my license????"

That was sooooo long ago. Maybe a suggestion instructions would not be carved in stone eventually.

Today, the new agent should be taught their real career is MARKETING. 

The amount of work required to be successful.

Wayne Martin nailed this one!

They should have taught prospecting, how much of it would be required, how much time it would take, and all the various methods of doing that.

They should have covered lead management tools and options, such as CRM systems and what they can help us do.

They should have mentioned actual dealing with buyers and sellers. Not just the legal aspects of disclosures, but the types of issues we might run into.

They should have discussed the commission process; that any commission is split at least four ways, and why.

They should have talked about realtor safety.

There should have been some information provided on how to select the right broker.

All of those real-life items would have helped whittle the number of agents applying for their license. Not me though. I'm stubborn as all get out and once I decide to do something, I'm IN.