Business

When you decide to become a real estate agent you make a first step towards a very lucrative career but one that is often misunderstood. The good news, according to specialist Brandon Wetzel Yardley, is that people can easily enter the real estate field from numerous careers and occupations, no matter at what stage in their lives they are. There are different background reasons why people start looking at real estate as a career option but regardless of them, everything needs to start with following some steps. Becoming a real estate agent is not as easy as some may think. Also, specifics tend to vary from state to state. However, the main steps are the following:

Comply With Real Estate Licensing Requirements

States have different licensing requirements. Because of this, you need to visit the website of the state’s real estate commission. Official pre-licensing requirements are listed there. See if you meet all the requirements before you start on your way to becoming a real estate agent since there might be some things you cannot meet, like age restrictions.

Real Estate Pre-Licensing Courses

Real estate pre-licensing education is necessary. Fortunately, you can do this in various ways. The most common option is the live classrooms offered by real estate schools, universities, technical schools and realty firms. There is even online education that is currently available. Make sure you choose the best option for you since you do want to enroll in a school that has a high reputation, is focused on the outcome of the student and offers quality instructors and content. Remember that real estate licensing education is going to be comprehensive and difficult.

Real Estate Salesperson Exams

Every single state has a specific application process so it is important that you follow procedure. Try to take the exam as quickly as possible after the licensing classes are finished. A fee will be needed and you have to check the regulatory authority of the state for all needed details. For instance, in some states you will need to go through a complete background check and fingerprints need to be submitted. Something like this can easily take weeks.

The problem with the real estate salesperson exam is that you need much more than just educational requirements. You do need to prepare. Many end up failing the first exam they take because in order to pass you will need to have more study time. A great idea is to enroll in exam preparation classes. Practice exams have to be taken so you can measure weaknesses and strengths.

Real Estate Brokers

The fact that you pass the real estate licensing exam will not mean you have the license you want. The real estate agent will be licensed through a real estate broker. You need to find the broker as early as possible during licensing process. After pre-licensing education requirements are completed and the exam is passed, the last step is completing the paperwork to make everything legal and to actually become a real estate agent.

The term “audit” is one that can pretty quickly strike fear in the heart of everyone in an organization, even though ultimately it can bring some significant business benefits. During an internal audit, there are opportunities for businesses to achieve a range of strategic objectives. Rather than trying to avoid internal audits, businesses are better off seeing the strategic objectives.

First and foremost, when it comes to the logistics of an internal audit, having the right tools, technology and software in place can simplify things quite a bit. For example, having the best expense management software is going to make an internal audit a more efficient, value-creating process.

The following are some of the benefits of an internal audit.

Legal Compliance

Businesses that are subjected to various regulatory and compliance requirements have to regularly conduct internal audits. To be noncompliant can cause problems for a business in terms of the law, financial implications, and it can be damaging for branding.

Noncompliance can be something that starts out small and maybe is just the result of an oversight. However, when that noncompliance isn’t spotted, it can grow and become something much more damaging to the entire organization.

With internal audits, small problems can be identified sooner and dealt with proactively.

Process and Procedure Alignment

It’s good business sense to be able to show a clear link and sense of alignment between processes and procedures in an organization. When internal audits are done, and there are quality checks in place, this is easier to adhere to.

It’s also possible to align processes and procedures with what’s really being put into practice. In some of these cases, a business might gain the insight to know that their current processes and procedures aren’t the best option and there are better ways to do things.

Identifying Opportunity

Rather than looking at an internal audit as a way only to spot problems, it can be better to reframe the purpose of an internal audit. It can be something used to identify opportunities.

For example, going back to the example of expense management software—by conducting an internal audit, a business could see there are opportunities to cut costs or improve efficiency. Internal audits are a good way to get a detailed view of what’s happening in any particular area of a business, and a lot of times that visibility can create opportunities and positive change.

There can be ways to optimize the business, reduce waste, and improve overall efficiency discovered in internal audits as well.

Spotting Fraud

Finally, fraud can be a huge expense for many businesses, especially large ones. Unfortunately, many businesses don’t even realize fraud is happening until it’s too late. Fraud can affect a company not only financially, but also regarding culture. A culture where fraud is pervasive can be toxic and lacking in transparency.

An internal audit is a good way to see potential fraud, and deal with it head on while also implementing practices to avoid similar situations in the future.

 

 

 

 

 

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