-A personal story by Brittany Kimble

This has been a long time coming, as this process was extremely unpredictable for me and did not go as planned. It’s sort of a long story so I will try to be as concise as possible.
The point of this passage is to share my rocky, yet successful experience, not to give information on how to take your exam. (Please go check out my first blog, “How I Got My Real Estate License in Georgia.”) My story goes all the way back to the year 2018. Let’s start there.
HOW IT ALL STARTED
Essentially, I have always had an entrepreneurial mindset. I won’t get into all of it now, but my work experience shows my need to create. Anyway, in 2018, I had previously been working as a Training Sales Manager in a new and growing department in the Philippines.
I worked with a great salary, however when I moved back to the United States, I wanted a career that was scalable and my own. I had always been in commission-based sales positions, but I needed one with high risk and even higher reward. Real Estate introduced itself to me for the first time in the form of wholesale.
At the time I was living in Alabama with family members. My time there was limited, and I knew I would not permanently reside there, so I had to make a choice. From what I had previously learned, Texas and Georgia had been thriving markets. Those two places were relatively close to Alabama, which meant I did not have to travel far. As you may have guessed, I chose Georgia.
TRANSITIONING
Admittedly, as I dove deeper into the wholesale world, I began to feel as if there was too much room for error. There are no true qualifications a wholesaler must lawfully meet, therefore, there’s no true credibility. I had too many questions with too little guidance.
That’s when I decided I needed legitimacy and needed to get licensed, in Georgia. Because I moved from out of the state, there were certain requirements I had to obtain before even registering for my courses.
First, I needed a primary Georgia residence and identification. I went to the DMV and got a new ID. I also needed a new social security card. (The next steps are more in regard to the licensing itself which I spoke about in my first blog, “How to Get Your Real Estate License in Georgia." )
Please see said blog for more details on what steps to take to obtain your license. Anyhow, I took my 75-hour course with Barney Fletcher and it took a span of about 3 months. Keep in mind, I was new to Atlanta and had recently started a new job.
In addition to this, I was also working remote as an assistant for about 4 hours each week. I managed to wake up as early as 5:00AM, make it to my new job by 7:00AM, leave around 4:30ish, AND drive to my courses which lasted from 6:00PM-10:00PM.
I have no idea how I managed to pass my 75-hour pre-licensing course on the first try except through The Most High. I had so much going on at that time, I really should have dropped one activity to be able to focus more with less stress. I do not recommend taking on this course with a crazy schedule.
THE MAIN EVENT(S)
Next, it was time for the state exam. As you may have already heard, the state exam is more detailed and more strict in how the test is designed. The test was designed to confuse potential agents, to ensure full understanding of such a delicate subject. The test is long and takes about four hours to complete.
Unlike most, I waited a few months after my pre-licensing course to take my state exam. (I would not recommend waiting either.) It’s best to take the test while the information is still fresh. I only waited because I was also onboarding at my new job, so I needed a small time-window.
On my first try, I failed my exam by 4 points. I was so heated! I can laugh now because I finally reached the threshold but at the time, I couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. I pretty much believed my life and career was over. I wanted to give up, but I was able to bounce back.
The second time I prepared for my exam, I overloaded myself with information, non-stop for 30 days straight. There was NO WAY I would fail twice! Keep in mind, I am not the type of person who is comfortable with failure, I usually succeed at most things I try the first time around.
So, I take the exam for a second time with confidence. This time, I counted the questions I knew for sure and marketed the ones I wasn’t too sure about. By the end of the test, I realized that I was not sure about enough of the questions. My exam results were in moments after submission.
I had failed again, this time by 1 measly point. I really wanted to quit this time. I was so mad, I am pretty sure I screamed in my car, then drove to Dave and Buster’s for relief. (I actually did scream in my car then drove to D&B for a drink.) I resolved my sadness through various competitive games until I couldn’t stand to be there anymore. I stayed there up until I decided to forgive myself for failing and decided to take the test again. PISSED.
COVID19
So, the third and final time I took the exam, I walked in with so much confidence. By this time, I had read the book three times from front to back, I had taken every crash course possible and paid for all of the extra study materials. I was definitely ready for this exam.
I scheduled my exam and had to wait about a month. Next thing you know, a pandemic changed the world in a matter of days. It affected the real estate world dramatically but more importantly, (in my case) it affected me!
Now, wasn’t able to take the exam that I had basically been training for, for six months now! I ended up having to wait an additional 30 days before I could take the exam due to COVID19. But alas, I finally got an opportunity to take the exam and boom! I passed!
I counted the questions that I knew and the ones I wasn’t sure about again, and I knew 90% percent of the information. I was so relieved to see “PASSED” at the top of my paper. I knew it was possible because every time I took the test, I was so close!
It hurt to be so close yet so far away, but that made it so much sweeter when I finally passed. I was embarrassed at my failure until I realized most people who take the test don’t pass on their first try.
Now, I am glad to be able to tell my story because now, I am a REALTOR® and I am on my way to being a broker someday! Just take it one day at a time and use my story as inspiration. If I can do it, you can do it too! Trust me.
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