If you have a real estate license & work for a company, do you get paid ANYTHING...or only when you sell?

Usually, you have to pay your own expenses and don't get a nickle until you sell. Paychecks are good when they happen, but these days, it's probably going to be a long time between commissions.

No pay until you sell a home and you pay for all your expences, schooling. Some broker charge you a desk fee also.

Real estate agents are only paid commissions on listings and/or sales after the property sale closes. Also, the agent pays for all their own business expenses - business cards, cell phone, car expenses, advertising, printing brochures and flyers, signage, balloons marking an open house, computer-printer-internet service, and more. You need to have enough savings and/or income to cover your personal living costs plus business expenses, along with your training program/classes, testing fees, license, etc, for a year before you can reasonably expect to start making enough to cover your costs. Usually, a new agent has a well-employed spouse before embarking on this.