Then, you've decided to get a real manor agent? Congratulations! It's time to go to piece of work. At that place were more than one.46 1000000 realtors in the U.Due south. as of 2020, and that number is only increasing with the housing market frenzy in 2021. Selling real estate is an attractive career for many people because of the flexibility, autonomy, and of course — pay. Realtors, on boilerplate, earn a bacon close to the U.s.a. average of a little more than $80k. Nonetheless, there is virtually no limit to the corporeality of money a realtor can make. One time a real manor agent completes the licensing requirements in their state, the heaven is truly the limit.

The process, qualifications, cost, and timeline for becoming an agent differ from state to state, and so it's of import to understand exactly what it takes to begin this heady career. In this article, we'll walk you through everything you should expect along the manner. Let's get ready to get-go selling real estate.

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Existent Manor License FAQ

1. How much do real estate agents make?

According to the U.S. Agency of Labor Statistics, Real Estate Agents earned an average of $83,886.

2. How long does it take to become a licensed real estate agent?

Depending on your country's real estate licensing requirements, which typically include forty - 150+ hours of formal educational activity and studying and sitting for a licensing exam, it can have anywhere from three to half-dozen months to earn a real estate license.

3. How much does a real manor license cost?

The price of a existent manor license can vary depending on where y'all accept your required instruction course, which can cost anywhere from $300 to $1,000. Additionally, your real manor license application, fingerprinting, and background check, and state licensing exam fees will usually run you between $100-$200, then you should budget for $500-$one,200 full.

4. Can I get a existent estate license online?

Yes, some states have online courses for completing your prerequisites. However, virtually states crave the exam to exist completed in person through a third-party examination provider.

5. Where practice I take the real estate license examination?

Depending on your state, there will be designated cities and testing centers where you can have the real estate license exam. Once you apply to accept the exam, your local real estate commission will provide you with those details.

half dozen. What's the difference between a real estate agent and a realtor?

A existent estate agent is a licensed real estate sales professional person who is recognized by the state in which they piece of work. AREALTOR® is a trademarked term used to draw a licensed real manor amanuensis who has been accustomed into the National Association of Realtors. Only those who are members of the NAR can be considered realtors.

How To Get a Real Manor License

1. Enquiry your land's licensing and education requirements.

First, get your bearings. The requirements for pre-licensing courses and licensing applications are dissimilar in every country. Check with your real estate commission to understand what'south required to obtain your license.

Most states require:

  • College-level education on real manor basics including titles, deeds, contracts, and belongings ownership
  • Permanent residency in the state of the license application
  • Minimum age of 18 years or older
  • Criminal groundwork check

Classes are available in person and online, simply your courses and school must be approved by your country'southward existent estate licensing authority. Earlier you pay for a real estate schoolhouse, brand sure information technology'south accredited and acknowledged past your state.

Real Estate License Reciprocity

If y'all're already a licensed real estate agent who's moving across state lines, run across if your new state has a reciprocity agreement with the state where your license was issued. If a reciprocity agreement exists, you may already run into the pre-licensing requirements. This doesn't mean you don't demand a license in your new country — simply you might be able to skip a stride or two in the licensing process.

For example, Idaho has reciprocity agreements with Wyoming, Oregon, and Montana. If yous have an Idaho real estate license, you lot're non required to accept real estate pre-licensing courses if yous're applying for a license in one of the other 3 states. You are, even so, required to take country-specific portions of the exam in Wyoming, Oregon, and Montana.

Other parts of the land accept reciprocity agreements in place every bit well — read this guide to learn more about these agreements if yous're interested in taking your real estate license across state lines.

Your pre-licensing requirements might also be less if yous have a degree in existent estate or if you're a licensed attorney.

2. Consummate the education requirements.

Condign a real estate agent requires time and financial investment. That means yous'll want to understand what resource you'll demand to upkeep before you brainstorm.

For case, some pre-licensing schools meet for a set up number of classes over several weeks, while others allow yous to move through courses at your own stride. Know what your options are, and cull the one that's right for your lifestyle and schedule. Likewise, the cost of pre-licensing courses vary per schoolhouse and land, just you can expect to pay between $200 and $m for your courses. Here'southward a quick guide to the number of hours each state requires for prerequisite pedagogy for a real manor license:

State

hours

Alabama

60

Alaska

40

Arizona

90

Arkansas

sixty

California

135

Colorado

168

Connecticut

60

Delaware

99

District of Columbia

60

Florida

63

Georgia

75

Hawaii

threescore

Idaho

xc

Illinois

fifteen

Indiana

90

Iowa

60

Kansas

30

Kentucky

96

Louisiana

xc

Maine

55

Maryland

sixty

Massachusetts

xl

Michigan

ninety

Minnesota

xc

Mississippi

lx

Missouri

48

Montana

70

Nebraska

sixty

Nevada

64

New Hampshire

forty

New Jersey

75

New United mexican states

xc

New York

75

N Carolina

75

N Dakota

45

Ohio

120

Oklahoma

ninety

Oregon

150

Pennsylvania

75

Rhode Island

45

South Carolina

60

South Dakota

116

Tennessee

lx

Texas

180

Utah

120

Vermont

xl

Virginia

60

Washington

90

West Virginia

90

Wisconsin

72

Wyoming

54

3. Apply for the real estate licensing test in your country.

Once you feel comfy with the information you've learned in your existent estate courses, it's time to apply to take the examination. This footstep usually requires the payment of an application fee and registering for the examination through a third party, like PSI Exams.

Many states do not crave you to have completed all your required education hours before applying for the exam. This tin speed up the time information technology takes you to earn your license because you lot tin can consummate your credit hours while waiting for your examination application to be approved.

Annotation: Don't confuse this stride with applying for your license — yous'll practise that subsequently you laissez passer the real estate licensing exam.

4. Pass your land licensing test.

Sounds easy enough, right? In that location's a reason each state requires education earlier you can sit for the real estate license exam. By ensuring that y'all're fairly prepared for the examination, your chances of passing are much higher than if you guessed your way through the exam.

The test will include approximately 100 multiple selection questions and cover national and country principles and laws. While the minimum score for passing differs per land, many require a minimum of a 70% score to earn your license. The licensing exam will accept between 1.5 and 3.5 hours to complete. Be prepared to pay an test fee between $15 and $100.

Make sure yous obtain an official real estate transcript or certification of completion from your school and a copy of your exam score to include in your real estate license awarding — which brings us to our next step...

five. Apply for your real manor license.

Once yous've successfully passed the exam, you'll need to submit your test results, license awarding, and awarding fees. License application fees volition price between $50 and $250, and you might exist required to undergo a groundwork check which will price between $40 and $100.

Check your land's real estate commission to find out whether yous need to take Errors and Omissions (E&O) insurance earlier you utilise. East&O insurance protects real manor agents from financial losses and lawsuits filed equally a result of their real manor work. Sometimes, your brokerage will sell y'all E&O insurance. If not, y'all might be required to obtain it before you submit your application.

In every state, you must be at least 18 years old and have either a GED or high school diploma to apply for a real estate license. As well, you should be authorized to work in the United States, and many states require you lot to exist an in-state resident.

One time you've submitted your application, your license will take betwixt 1 week and two months to process.

6. Observe a real estate brokerage.

You take your license. Slap-up! Simply that might not mean you tin start selling houses right away. About states require y'all to work with a existent estate banker who sponsors your commencement ii to three years as an agent.

A real estate brokerage is only an agency or function where real estate agents work. Considering you'll likely need a brokerage to generate income, it'southward a practiced idea to find a banker before graduating from your training course. Hither are a few things to consider when choosing a brokerage:

The Three Types of Brokerages

The brokerage you work for determines the blazon and volume of work you exercise, the preparation and mentorship you receive, and the visitor culture you're a office of every 24-hour interval. Here are three common types of brokerages:

1. National Franchises

National franchises like Keller Williams Realty, RE/MAX LLC, and Coldwell Banker provide structured training, instant name recognition, and more than resource for new agents.

2. Boutique-Style Brokerages

Smaller or local brokerages may provide personalized training and more room for growth and advocacy.

3. Virtual Brokerages

SaaS — or Software equally a Service — has ushered in a new type of real manor brokerage that'southward entirely online. Benefits of working with a virtual brokerage include higher commission splits (more on that below), lower desk fees (desk-bound rent you pay to your brokerage), and better engineering.

Visitor Culture

You need to like where and with whom you piece of work, so here are a few questions to ask:

  • Does the brokerage require additional courses or grooming?
  • Do they offer a mentorship programme for new agents?
  • Practice they crave hours of "floor time" or work for other agents?
  • How are leads distributed?
  • Volition you be required to do all your own marketing?

Three Common Types of Commission Structures

Before accepting an offering from a brokerage, make sure yous sympathize their committee structure. Here are three common structures:

ane. Traditional Split Plans

You go l% of the committee and your brokerage gets the other half. These plans are usually accompanied by low or no desk fees.

2. High-Divide Plans

Yous get a higher percentage of the committee — anywhere from 70% to 100% — just these committee plans are usually accompanied by high monthly desk fees.

three. Hybrid Plans

These plans combine attributes of the 2 plans listed to a higher place. Hybrid plans usually offer agents a seventy% split at the beginning of the yr and increase that rate to 100% when agents come across certain monetary goals.

Additionally, some larger franchises charge "franchise fees" ranging from 5% to eight%. Ask potential employers whether additional fees are taken out of your commission, so you sympathize exactly what you're signing up for.

7. Join the National Clan of Realtors (NAR).

You've earned your license and found a sponsoring brokerage, so you're a realtor, right? Still (kind of) wrong. While non legally necessary, you must join the National Association of Realtors (NAR) to call yourself a REALTOR®.

This designation is also required if you wish to participate in virtually Multiple List Services — likewise known as MLS — which allow you to see other realtor'due south listings.

If you aren't a member of NAR, you merits the championship of real estate agent and are legally able to piece of work in the field, merely your earning potential is express without access to the MLS.

8. Renew your license regularly.

Getting your real manor license is a lot of work, so don't forget to renew it. Check your country's requirements to see when your license volition elapse. This is normally every two or four years.

Many states crave agents to consummate a set number of form hours to be eligible for renewal — betwixt 8 and 90 course hours every few years. These additional courses ensure you're up to engagement on the evolving national and state markets and regulations.

Check with your land'due south licensing office to learn their renewal requirements so you lot're not scrambling to fit ninety hours of coursework into the four days before your license expires.

Your Real Manor License Is At Your Fingertips

Becoming a real manor agent is a large decision requiring time, attention, and dedication. But the event is about unlimited earning potential and the possibility of someday existence your ain dominate — two things that make many salespeople tick. Realtor Alicia Turner offers this communication to new agents, "Success doesn't happen overnight, so stay committed and consequent — it'll definitely pay off!" Sound like something you're interested in? Become started today.

This article does non institute legal communication. The steps required to obtain a real estate license may differ from country to state, then you should seek your own legal communication to ensure you follow the correct process.

Editor's notation: This mail was originally published in December 2018 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

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Originally published Sep 13, 2021 four:45:00 PM, updated September xiii 2021