MLS question.

[akademikjeanius]

if i take the classes and the test to become a licensed agent, would i have instant access to the MLS or would i have to work as an actual Realtor?  Futhermore, would i still be allowed to practice all the different types of real estate investing including but not limited to wholesale and flipping?

[IWINUWIN]

If you get your real estate license, the license must be kept on file with your real estate broker of record. MLS is a service  and you have yo pay to belong to it. Some Brokers cover this cost and charge a desk fee to you for office space instead. I don't believe you can belong to MLS if you just have a license but it isn't held by a R.E. Broker.

You can do any real estate deals you want to do, but you must disclose that you are a licensed agent.

Check with your state regulations - it is somewhat different depending upon what state you practice in.

[Roger J]

If all you are wanting is access to the MLS, then I wouldn't bother with getting your agent's license.

You should be able become an affililate member of your local MLS just by paying the membership fee.  You don't have to be a licensed agent.  There may be some other requirements though.  You'll just have to check.

However, most agencies now are supplying the majority of the MLS listings through their websites via a program called IDX.  Check out a website of a local nationally known agency (like Century 21, for example), and see if they have this on their website.  It does have it's limits.  You won't get to see the owner's names or the address, but you'll need an agent anyway to get into the property so that is really no big deal.

If you are planning on wholesaling and flipping, then the MLS is NOT the best place to go looking for properties.  Yes, there are deals on there but they are few and far into between, especially if you have to buy them cheap enough to wholesale them back out.

On a side note, you can be a real estate agent without being a REALTOR.  REALTORs are a special organization of real estate agents and they are held to a higher standard than most.  They also don't like to be lumped together with the pack, so if you're planning on dealing with agents, you might want to learn this because you get some of them mad at you.

Good luck,


Roger

[wdrwhd]

I am new at investing. I never view an mls listing. Do the listing show an expiration date for each properties? What is the normal time frame for active properties on the mls.
How obtainable is expired listing compared to obtaining a new active listing.