by : Gabriel Adams

Becoming a real estate agent is an exciting process that can lead to a prosperous and satisfying career; your first step toward becoming a Realtor is to enroll in an accredited real estate license school to prepare you for your state's real estate licensure exam.

There is certainly no shortage of real estate license schools in the US -- every state has dozens of real estate license programs, and there are specialized online schools as well. The goal of these schools is to prepare you to be a licensed Realtor; however, the schools themselves do not license you for your occupation. Only your state can do that. Therefore, it is the goal of the school to educate you on real estate law and practices in your state so that you will be able to pass a state real estate licensure exam.

In order to enroll in a real estate license school, most states require that you have a high school diploma or equivalency degree (GED). The school you choose must also be recognized in your state as a legitimate real estate license school. This is an important consideration if you're thinking about enrolling in an online real estate license school -- be sure the program is recognized in your specific state, as every state has different real estate licensure requirements.

These days, more and more real estate license applicants are choosing online education over the traditional classroom. Advances in computer technology and the Internet have made online real estate license schools highly competitive and cost efficient. Even many "traditional" classroom-based schools are offering a percentage of their coursework online, for the convenience of working professionals enrolled in the course.

The real advantage of an online real estate license school is the flexibility it offers students. For full-time working moms and dads, the ability to study for their real estate exam at home, and at their own pace, can be a Godsend. After all, it may not always be easy to make it to class on time when you have a full-time job and a full-time family; but your home computer is always available, and nearly anyone can make time in their busy schedule for online study.

So how do you choose the best real estate license school for you? First, check out the different options in your area. You also want to consider your own personal study habits. For example, are you a self starter who can study at your own pace with an online program? Or do you require the stimulation and peer pressure of sitting in a traditional classroom to motivate you to do well? There is no right or wrong answer here; different people have different motivational styles, and you'll simply have to do an honest assessment to determine what works best for you.

If you find that you are a self starter, and are capable of independent study, you will usually find that online real estate license schools are somewhat cheaper, and offer the convenience of studying at your own pace over time. Of course, this kind of independent study is not for everyone; but if flexibility and fitting study times into your existing schedule is a primary concern, you'll definitely want to consider an online real estate license school.