How to Become an Apartment Locator in Texas – A Complete Guide

Thinking of starting a career in real estate? Perhaps being an apartment locator in Texas is the right fit for you. Being an apartment locator saves you the expense of having to join the pricey boards required to be a realtor. Beginning as an apartment locator is the best and easiest way to start a real estate profession and generate income. 

Texas is the best place for anyone who wants to start a career in real estate. Home values in Dallas are projected to rise. Being an apartment locator in this area gives you the opportunity to take advantage of the increased average rent. 

What is an Apartment Locator?

All this sounds interesting, so now you might be thinking ‘what is an apartment locator?’ Well, an apartment locator is a licensed real estate agent who specializes in looking for apartments, short-term rentals, and rental homes. The services offered by an apartment locator is free to renters since they get their commission from the apartment, short-term rental, or rental home that the renter signs a lease and moves into. 

Do you need a Real Estate License to be an apartment locator?

Yes. Getting an active real estate license requires 180 hours of real estate courses, some of which are available online. After completion, you must pass the national real estate licensee exam. The last requirement is a background check and fingerprinting. Pay for the application fee, then you would have to wait for 2-6 weeks for your inactive license. Lastly, you would need a broker to sponsor your license to make it active.

To be an apartment locator, you will need to find a brokerage company that primarily focuses on apartment locating. You should not join just any brokerage company. Also, the brokerage company you join determines whether or not you would have to join the local real estate board.

How to become an Apartment Locator in Texas

To be an apartment locator in Texas, the state requires an active real estate license. The steps in having an active real estate license are pretty much the same, except for two key differences. Texas requires you to pass both the state and national licensee exams. Also, the Texas Real Estate Commission receives the payment for your application fee and would release your inactive license. The next step would be to find a brokerage company that does and allows apartment locating to sponsor your license.

Top Skills For an Apartment Locator

Like any job, there are some essential skills for an apartment locator. It is important to establish rapport with clients. Also, being dependable goes a long way in developing professionalism, so does honesty. Having a continued interest in learning and improving means the difference in how you advance your real estate career.

• Be friendly. Developing a good relationship with your clients will prove useful when they look to buy homes soon. It is important to be ready to answer their queries, even for something seemingly unrelated like where they could hire a moving truck. Clients will expect you to know all there is to know about apartments and moving in and out. Once they start to consider buying a new home, who better to call than the agent who helped them find their dream apartment?
• Know how to establish a network. Your reputation is key to your success. A satisfied customer would tell others about you so be mindful of how you treat your clients. Also, it is beneficial to bring business cards with you wherever you go. You might encounter potential customers in the least expected places, like in a grocery. Update your social networks with your job position too especially since everyone uses the platform. 
• Be knowledgeable. Take advantage of training and mentorship that may be offered to you by your brokerage. Yearly, you would have to renew your license. When you do, try to enroll in classes that will help expand your knowledge about your position. Also, constant feedback is important in improving your skills and it helps both you and your brokerage, so meet with your mentor as often as possible.
• Be dependable Make promises that you can deliver and be punctual in set appointments. Don’t give your client false hope by making them think that you can help them when you actually can’t. The client would appreciate how you know the balance between realism and doing what you can. 
• Be honest. Tell your client upfront if you would be able to get them approved or not based on the information they tell you. Not every client who walks in would qualify for what they want. You would save both your and the client’s time by being honest with them. 

Choosing to be an apartment locator in Texas could be your next successful career. Remember to keep these steps in mind and to make sure that you continue to hone your knowledge in real estate and skill in establishing connections. You might be the apartment locator that we need here in Uptown Locators.