Days 1–14
Systems and the contract
The platform end to end, the MREC forms you will actually use, the purchase agreement clause by clause, and your first practice CMA on a real address. You will sit in on live calls.
Newly licensed
The first year is expensive and slow. Then it is not.
Most new agents leave the business inside two years, and almost always because nobody told them what year one actually looks like. Here it is, in numbers you can plan against.
The path
Getting licensed in Mississippi
- 1. Sixty hours of pre-licence education from an MREC-approved provider. Online or classroom; both count.
- 2. Pass the exam — a national portion and a Mississippi portion. Take the state law section seriously; it is where most retakes come from.
- 3. Background check and fingerprints, as required by the Commission.
- 4. Broker sponsorship. A salesperson licence is issued under a broker. This is where Bedford comes in, and it is worth choosing carefully — your first broker shapes how you learn to do this job.
- 5. Post-licence and continuing education. Mississippi requires post-licence education for new salespersons and continuing education thereafter. We track your deadlines so you do not lose a licence to a diary error.
Requirements, hours and fees are set by the Mississippi Real Estate Commission and do change. Verify the current rules with MREC directly before you enrol in anything — including anything on this page.
Ninety days
What we actually do with you
Days 15–45
Shadow, then lead
Attend showings, inspections, a listing appointment and a closing with an experienced agent. Then run a showing yourself with someone in the room, and debrief it honestly afterwards.
Days 46–90
Your own pipeline
Company leads start routing to you as capacity allows, alongside a written plan for your own sphere. Weekly one-to-one with the broker, and a deal review where your live files get picked apart in front of everyone.
Straight talk
Five things nobody tells new agents
- You are self-employed. No salary, no withholding, no paid leave. Set aside for taxes from your first commission cheque, and talk to a CPA in your first month, not your first April.
- Your first closing is months away. Three to six is typical. Have savings or a partner’s income covering that window before you start.
- Leads do not fix a weak sphere. Company leads help enormously, and they are not a substitute for telling every person you know what you now do for a living.
- The paperwork is the job. Deadlines in a contract are real, and missing one costs your client money and can cost you a licence. Learn the forms properly in month one.
- You will lose deals. Everyone does. The agents who last are the ones who go back through what happened rather than blaming the market.
Start the conversation
You do not need a licence to talk to us
If you are still deciding whether to enrol, that is a good time to call. We will tell you what the first year looks like financially, what we expect of new agents, and whether this is the right move — including when the answer is no.
Pre-licence and new agents
Leave the licence box unticked if you are not licensed yet. It changes nothing about how we read this.
FAQ
Getting started in Mississippi
What does Mississippi require to get licensed?
The Mississippi Real Estate Commission requires you to be at least 18, complete 60 hours of approved pre-licence education, pass the state and national exam, and be sponsored by a licensed broker before your salesperson licence is issued. There is also a background check and a fingerprint requirement. Confirm the current requirements and fees directly with MREC — they set them and they change them, not us.
How long does it take?
Most people finish the 60 hours in four to ten weeks depending on whether they study full time, then sit the exam within a few weeks of that. Plan on two to four months from starting the coursework to holding a licence.
What will the first year cost me?
Budget realistically: pre-licence course, exam fee, licence application, association and MLS dues, E&O contribution, lockbox or supra access, business cards and basic marketing, plus a car that does a lot of miles. It commonly totals a few thousand dollars before your first closing. Anyone who tells you it is free is selling you a course.
When will I make money?
Your first closing typically lands three to six months after you start, and you are paid at closing, not at contract. That means the honest planning assumption is six months of costs with little or no income. We would rather you hear that now than discover it in month four.
Do I need to quit my job?
Not immediately, but part-time real estate is genuinely hard: buyers tour in the evenings and at weekends, which helps, but listing appointments, inspections and closings happen during the working day. Several good agents started part-time. Almost none stayed part-time.
Does Bedford pay for my licence?
We do not pay for pre-licence coursework — an agent who has invested in their own licence behaves differently from one who has not. What we do provide is sponsorship once you pass, the full platform from day one, and a structured ninety days rather than a desk and a phone book.
What if I fail the exam?
You retake it. Plenty of good agents did not pass first time. Tell us where you are in the process and we will keep the conversation open rather than close the file.