How Do I Become an Associate Broker?

The qualifications needed to become an associate broker may vary depending on the location, but most firms will require that you have at least a high school diploma, experience, and certification. Although a higher education may not be required, obtaining a college degree will increase your chances of advancing in this profession. Real estate agencies are the most common type of company that offer associate broker positions, and this is a field that you may want to focus on in training and education. In addition to training and experience, you will need a variety of personality traits to successfully become an associate broker.

Training programs and certification courses are designed to prepare you for local examinations needed to become an associate broker. Some locations may not require you to have a license to work as an associate broker, but you will need to research all local guidelines before applying for this position. Most locations that require you to take an examination also offer preparation courses, which may include up to 60 hours of coursework. The main purpose of these programs is to teach you the legal procedures and guidelines in your particular jurisdiction. There are also similar online courses, and you should perform a location based search to determine which program will fulfill local requirements.

An alternative route to become an associate broker is to find an accredited real estate associate's degree program. This program generally takes two years, and coursework may include brokerage administration, real estate transactions, financing, property management, and contracts and conveyances. Once you have completed all necessary coursework and received an associate's degree in real estate or a related field, you may still need to take a licensing examination. Licenses generally need to be renewed after several years, and you may benefit from taking continuing education courses throughout your career. Some of these courses could include risk management, consumer service, core law, ethics, and various brokerage related electives.

Aside from education and licensing procedures, you will need to have excellent communication skills because you will be required to interact with clients and business professionals. In order to become an associate broker, you will also need to be organized and able to perform data entry tasks. There is room for career advancement in this profession but to broaden your options, you may want to work on a bachelor's degree in finance, business management, or a real estate oriented field.