Is a college background necessary for a Realtor career and later to become a Broker?

Congratulations on completing your real estate licensing coursework! I wish you much success on the exam!

Your first few years in real estate are the most difficult. There's so much to learn that is not taught in the pre-licensing courses. Pre-licensing courses are predominately theory and vocabulary. After you earn your license, there will be courses in customer service, listing strategies and marketing, buyer strategies and negotiating that you will need in order to learn the basics of serving your clients.
So, after you pass the exam you will need to plan for continuing your education further in real estate with more courses geared toward specifics of serving buyers and sellers. The first two years in real estate are lean years for many new licensees. In this industry it is advised to have at least 6 months of operating expenses saved up and available. It might be that long before you receive your first paycheck as a new Realtor.

If you have a college degree that will help you throughout your entire life! If you can't earn enough during your first year or into your second as a Realtor a college degree will be very valuable in opening the doors to other opportunities. Without it, doors of opportunities outside of real estate will be closed to you.
With a college degree, your value proposition as a Realtor is elevated slightly. Many of your future clients will also have a degree and they obviously value higher education, and it naturally will be a point of connection between you and a potential client.
If you are successful during your first few years you can apply for your broker's license by the end of your 4th year of real estate, at that time you will also need to show evidence of transaction experience, and another 630 classroom hours. A degree will be acceptable for these 630 hours. Otherwise, you will need to have taken 630 hours of real estate related courses; which is difficult to do in just 4 years.

Getting your degree will not only provide you with a safety net, should your real estate business not work out as you planned, it will also be tremendously beneficial after the end of your 4th year in real estate by providing you with the qualifying education at that time for your broker's license.

Hope this helps you.
If you would like to discuss this further please contact me.
I'd be happy to talk to you about what it takes to be a success in real estate.

Hello Andrea,

The answer to your question is no. I know many successful Realtors who never stepped into a college classroom. HOWEVER, speaking as a person many years your senior and a daughter in college, I would advise you to stay in school and get your associate degree. I have experienced Realtors come and go with the market. AD is something that you can carry for the rest of your life. There will be plenty of transactions to be had after you graduate. Good luck!