How to Become a Licensed Realtor in BC

In this current market of real estate, it is as if all the buzz is in the sales of residential real estate. The housing market in BC is booming and prices are on the rise.  Every year, more and more realtors complete the licensing course and successfully pursue a career in real estate and earn the right to call themselves ‘REALTOR®’. Real estate careers can be rewarding, but they come with a lot of challenges. To become a licensed real estate professional, one must fulfill several requirements.

Real Estate Agent sounds like a good career, but it comes with a lot of hard work and challenges. If you are a hard worker, problem solver, and good learner then this industry is for you, and you will get rewarding results. 

You will not be bored because unlike other typical fields you will learn every day. Depending on your personality, desires, needs, and challenges, you'll meet different people.

It's an ideal career for people who prefer flexible work schedules. You can make all your schedule by yourself according to your availability. I believe if you have a small kid, this job gives you the flexibility to spend time with them and to work according to your availability. 

Some of the Basic Requirements.

As a real estate professional, the onus and burden fall on the licensee to ensure they uphold professionalism and keep their clients’ interests always first at heart. For an application to be successfully approved by BCFSA (formerly known as RECBC), the applicant first must meet some basic requirements. 

They are: 

• Have a good reputation.
• Meet the eligibility age of 19.
• Meet and fulfill the educational requirements for the required licensing level, as well as the English Language Proficiency exam (CELPIP-General). 
• No license refusal, conviction, discipline, or other conduct by a professional body that demonstrates unfitness as a real estate professional/licensee.

For applicants to be eligible to work in Canada they must also meet one of the following employment criteria:

 

1. Citizenship in Canada
2. Permit for Permanent Residence
3. Having a valid work permit/visa
4. Are a landed immigrant

Some of the Mandatory Requirements… 

After these requirements, there is one more obstacle to Canadian English Language Proficiency (CELPIP- General). The person needs to get a minimum of level 7 in all sections i.e., Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening, OR person needs to get credentials for a bachelor’s degree or higher at a recognized institute or university, where English is the primary language, and the university is outside Canada.

Step 1: Now if you have passed your CELPIP exam you are already halfway. Now next step is to register for Real Estate Licensing Course. University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business is the most common place where people take admission. 

There are different options like Property Manager, Real Estate Trading Services, Mortgage Broker, or Strata. Real Estate Trading Services is the one that needs to be chosen for Real Estate Agent. After registering UBC will send you two books 

1. Real Estate Trading Services Licensing Course Manual and 

2. Real Estate Trading Services Licensing Course Examination Practice Questions. You have to self-study the books to prepare for the exam. UBC gives two years to complete the course. All the Assignments need to be submitted during the first year. 

Some students complete their course within 4-6 months. So, It depends on you. 70% marks are required to successfully pass the Examination. 

Step 2: Apply for the applied courses after passing your exam. Choose a residential or commercial applied course in whatever field you are interested in. This is important because that is the specialization field where you will be pursuing your career. 

Step 3: Now after completing at least two components of the applied course you can start looking for Real Estate Brokerage that suites for you. Where your values resonate with each other. When you find your broker then you can apply for a license.  

Step 4: Cheers! After this much hard work now you have a license in your hands. You are eligible to work real estate agent. Make sure to complete your applied course within the first year of your registration. 

Step 5: Make sure to renew your license after every two years. 

Now that we’ve got the basic introductions out of the way, we can move on to the real deal. As a first step, you will now need to register for the required licensing course. The most common institute students take the course is through the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business. This course is offered to anyone that has met the basic requirements. 

When registering, you will choose “Real Estate Trading Services Licensing Course”. The course is meant to be completed at your own pace, meeting the requirements of busy adult learners. UBC gives you up to two years to finish the course and you will have to complete the assignments within the first year. There are twenty assignments, none too long. Upon successful completion of the licensing course, with a passing mark of 70% or higher, you will now need to register yourself for the applied course. 

With the applied course, you will decide whether you will focus on residential real estate or commercial real estate. You should choose carefully because your focus in the beginning (or in general) will be what you learn in the applied course.

Overhead Cost

To jumpstart your career in real estate will take a hefty toll on your bank account. Aside from the licensing course which will cost you $1150, you will need to diligently save for the future expenses that you will incur after successful completion of the course. 

Namely, they are… 

 

1. BCFSA Licensing & Assessment Fees ($2000)
2. CELPIP-General ($300~)
3. Criminal Record Check ($90~)
4. Real Estate Board Fees ($1000~)
5. Advertising Costs (Free - $$$) 
6. Smartphone, computer, printer, website, internet access, car lease, car insurance, business clothing, etc. 

Brief Summary

To briefly overlook all the steps, let us briefly recap. After you have met the basic requirements you’ll need to work in steps before you can successfully become a REALTOR. 

Step 1: Register & Complete the Licensing Course & Exam 

The Real Estate Trading Services Licensing Course is offered by the UBC Sauder School of Business, Real Estate Division. 

Step 2: Begin talking to real estate brokerages that are a good fit for you to join when you have your license in hand. Make sure this brokerage is a member of your local real estate board. 

Step 3: Register for BCFSA’s “Applied Practice Course” for either residential or commercial trading services. Once you begin the course, submit your licensing application to BCFSA. Make sure all the relevant information is correctly understood as part of your application. (Including an original criminal record check and brokerage certification). 

Step 4: Congratulations! If your application is approved, you are now a real estate agent. But… not quite a realtor yet. Once you have received your license, you must complete all remaining components of the applied course within six months. 

Step 5: To officially become a Realtor, your next step is to join your local real estate board. Joining a board also makes you a member of the BC Real Estate Association (BCREA) & Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA).

Step 6: Maintain your real estate license and Realtor designation by completing BCFSA’s mandatory licensing courses, like Legal Update, and 18 hours of professional development through BCREA and/or your member board every subsequent two years after first-time licensing. 

If you’re looking to become a Licensed Realtor in BC but don’t know where to begin, I’d be more than happy to give you advice about what you need to become a successful licensed realtor agent in BC. I can also give you advice on "The Most CommonMistakes People Make When Selling Without an Agent"

If you’re looking for a dedicated agent to handle the sale of your home or help you purchase your next one, look no further. My former clients can attest to how hard I’ll work on your behalf. Contact me today to find out how much your home is worth, and I’ll send you a free copy of my book that shows home sellers how to get top dollar for their homes in the shortest amount of time!

By FSBC.ca 

With contributions of Pushpinder Kaur Chana and Hammad Gondal (Rental Property Managers)

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Architecture in British Columbia, Canada

British Columbia, also commonly referred to by its initials BC, is a province located on the west coast of Canada. British Columbia is also a component of the Pacific Northwest and the Cascadia bioregion, along with the US states of Idaho, Oregon, Washington and Alaska. The province’s name was chosen in 1858 by members of the Hudson’s Bay Company. In 1871, it became the sixth province of Canada.

The capital of British Columbia is Victoria, the fifteenth-largest metropolitan region in Canada, named for the Queen who created the Colony of British Columbia. The largest city is Vancouver, the third-largest metropolitan area in Canada, the largest in Western Canada, and the second-largest in the Pacific Northwest.
British Columbia evolved from British possessions that were established in what is now British Columbia by 1871. First Nations, the original inhabitants of the land, have a history of at least 10,000 years in the area.
Concerning the architecture of British Columbia, let’s start with Victoria, Western Canada’s oldest city, that was founded in 1843 as a Hudson’s Bay Company trading post.
Victoria’s roots have been carefully preserved and can be seen in its lovingly maintained historic and heritage sites.
One of the oldest and most famous buildings in Victoria is The Fairmont Empress (most commonly known as The Empress). Located on Government Street facing the Inner Harbour, the Empress has become an iconic symbol for the city itself. It has been designated a National Historic Site of Canada due to its national significance.

Built-in 1908 for Canadian Pacific, the Fairmont Empress Hotel is one of Victoria’s best-loved landmarks. Architect Francis M. Rattenbury designed the Empress, and entering the vast lobby of this luxurious hotel is like journeying back in time to before the First World War.  This luxury hotel showcases the spirit and energy of Vancouver Island in grand style. With its turn-of-the-century beauty, The Fairmont Empress resort captures the grandeur and elegance of a bygone era, while its facilities and services meet the needs of today’s traveller.

Dominating the south side of the Inner Harbour is the imposing seat of British Columbia’s provincial government, the Parliament Buildings. Designed by Yorkshire architect Francis M. Rattenbury and erected in 1897, the imposing stone buildings have neat, orderly gardens and are very attractive in appearance – especially in the evening when lit by festoons of lights.

Perched high above the massive dome is a gilded statue of Captain George Vancouver (1757-98), who accomplished the first circumnavigation of Vancouver Island. Figures of famous personalities from the province embellish the façade. A large statue of Queen Victoria surveys the Inner Harbour from the terrace. Tours of the town centre by horse-drawn carriage leave from nearby.

The next famous architectural landmark in Victoria is the Royal British Columbia Museum.

The museum was founded in 1886 in response to a petition signed by 30 prominent citizens. It was housed in a single room adjoining the Provincial Secretary’s office in the Capital Buildings – nicknamed “the Bird Cages”.

Over the next 12 years, the Museum was relocated twice, first to the former Supreme Court building, and then in 1898, to the East Wing of the newly constructed Legislative Buildings. The Museum grew by leaps and bounds. On April 1, 2003, through the proclamation of a new Museum Act, the BC Archives, Helmcken House, the Netherlands Carillon, Thunderbird Park, St Ann’s Schoolhouse and the Royal BC Museum came together as the Royal BC Museum Corporation, creating a unique cultural precinct in the heart of British Columbia’s capital city.

The largest metropolitan area in Western Canada is slightly different from the capital. We talking about Vancouver one of the biggest cities in Canada. This megapolis is huge and continue growing, Unlike Victoria’s colonial-style old charmer buildings Vancouver’s known for its transparent glass aesthetic, for much of the city’s downtown, leading to its 21st moniker as the “City of Glass” and “See Through City”.
But in spite of that, you can find here old Art Deco buildings such as the Marine Building on West Hastings.

Back when this tower was built, it enjoyed almost a decade of being the tallest building in the British Empire. It may no longer be the tallest but it is definitely the most impressive example of Art Deco architecture in the city and maybe even the country. From the interior fixtures to the carved stone, all of the details of the building showcase marine symbols. I strongly recommend lingering in front of the impressive brass doors of the main entry and admiring the illustrative carvings in the surrounding stonework.

Another interesting architectural Sight in British Columbia is Richmond. This city contains the most unusual architectural creations. Richmond attracts visitors with its multicultural shopping and dining opportunities, and its unique historic and heritage sites.

Sixty per cent of Richmond’s population is of Asian descent, which gives the city its rich multicultural vibe. Shopping and dining in the Golden Village area are among the most authentic experiences outside of Asia.

For example the International Buddhist Temple in Richmond, B.C., one of the largest Buddhist temples in the Northwest. The temple, built on 3.5 acres, is modelled after the Forbidden City in Beijing, China.
This large, classical Chinese temple was founded in 1979, after two devout Buddhists, who had emigrated from Hong Kong to Canada, donated $300,000 (Canadian) and one acre of land to establish a genuine Chinese temple in Richmond.

So that we can make sure, that architecture in British Columbia as different and unique as its citizens.