What is the best way to start in the business of real estate?

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Whether unemployed, underemployed or employed, real estate investment is a must if you want to have reliable source of primary and secondary income. If you are in business, real estate is always needed if you need capital to expand. If you are a professional, real estate is an excellent source of secondary income. And if you are unemployed or underemployed, real estate may be your best way to earn a decent living.

But real estate investment needs adequate knowledge of many fundamental concepts and principles. For one, there are a lot of legal terminologies which a beginner has to familiarize. You also need to know of surveying concepts, working knowledge of mathematics and even statistics and zoning regulations, among others. Your success in real estate needs sufficient foundation, and admittedly it will not be a walk in the park.

What is then the best foundation to embark on your journey to real estate success? As a real estate investor and practitioner in the last 15 years, I can say with confidence that the best preparation is to be a licensed real estate broker. How to start it is simple. You only need to go to your nearest Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) office and secure an application form to take licensure examinations for real estate brokers.

Passing the exams for real estate brokers is not an easy task, though. Even for a lawyer like me who passed a tough exam like the Bar Exams, exams for real estate brokers need focus and concentration as many lawyers, doctors and accountants have failed to pass the brokers' exams! But that should not deter you nevertheless, as many also pass the exams on account of adequate preparation.

And what is the best preparation? You have to enroll in a review course for licensed brokers handled by professional organizations accredited by the DTI, like those by the Philippine Association of Realtors Boards (PAREB) and the Real Estate Brokers Association of the Philippines (REBAP).