Some people believe that having a college degree is the only way to have a career. And while there are professions that do require one, plenty of trades can be mastered without a college degree. One of those is real estate.
Cullman’s Rita Tucker has been in the real estate business since 1985, when she began working for Pioneer Real Estate. She is a full-time Real Estate Associate Broker and Licensee since 1996 as well as a member of the Cullman Association of Realtors and the Greater Alabama MLS.
In 2002 she co-owned a local agency, Alabama First Real Estate, also working there as a broker.
“I wanted to be my own boss,” she stated.
In 2005, she said, she acquired her Alabama Contractors License and built several homes around the Cullman area. She currently works as a real estate agent for D.R. Horton because of her love for helping families find their perfect homes.
With real estate you aren’t confined to just selling houses. The profession opens the doors to many opportunities. You can help finalize sales and close houses, invest in real estate, appraising, assist in leasing processes, become a real estate photographer or maybe even a broker eventually. Some even invest in properties to restore them and sell them. This is called “house flipping.” It became popular in the early 2000s and regained its popularity in 2020 as housing prices rapidly increased.
Tucker advises new agents, “Anyone starting out needs to focus on marketing. That will help a lot in the long run.”
There are many doors that open with this career path and the reins are in your hands. Of course different variations of this profession may require additional coursework and training. The requirements to become an agent are at least 60 hours of course work then passing practice exams before your final exam. Once that is completed you can choose a broker or agency to get started with.
If you are interested in taking real estate classes, Tucker recommends browsing courses available from My Real Estate School at www.alabamarealestateclass.com. It offers courses that are in person, online and some that are at the student’s pace.
To get exam ready Tucker suggests taking real estate crash courses and becoming familiar with real estate law. If you have additional questions, visit www.alabamarealestateclass.com/contact.
