I am not certain exactly what gave me the idea to pursue a career in real estate in New York City, but there I was a couple of months ago, sitting in a class at a real estate school. In New York one must take 75 hours of classes in order to practice as a real estate agent (agent is a commonly used term, but, for the record, the official job title is Licensed Real Estate Salesperson). The 75 hour classes are followed by a class exam, which is followed by a state exam. I found the class to be very interesting (and dull at times, but overall very interesting) as it was a window into a specialized world, and it demystified certain ideas I had regarding finances and real estate. I passed the class exam relatively easily. I also passed the state exam on my first attempt. I've met more than a couple of agents who bragged about having to take the exam over three times before passing. To begin my career I passed on a relatively large, mostly Brooklyn based f...