A haven of New England charm and picturesque beauty, Connecticut is an attractive destination for anyone looking to get their real estate license. The Constitution State is home to some of the most prestigious and sought-after houses and neighborhoods in the country, and its abundant real estate opportunities are sure to provide the building blocks for your success as a real estate professional.
But how can you take advantage of this vast market and break into exciting new territory? Well, that’s where we come in. Follow these four easy steps, and you’ll be launching your career in Connecticut real estate in no time.
How to Become a Real Estate Agent in Connecticut
Let’s dive into these steps in a little more detail. Before long, you’ll be helping clients buy and sell shingle-style homes in Hartford, Victorians in New Haven, and palatial estates in Darien.
How Much Does It Cost to Get a Real Estate License in Connecticut?
It costs approximately $790 to get your real estate license in Connecticut, including your prelicensing education. Some of the costs are fixed, such as the state’s licensing and exam fees, and others vary.
5 Best Online Real Estate Classes in Connecticut
While you don’t need a college degree to become a real estate agent in Connecticut, you must complete the state-specific licensing process. The price of the required 60-hour prelicensing course (and optional exam prep materials) will vary depending on the provider you choose.
Connecticut Real Estate License Costs
Prelicensing Course:
$229-$450
License Application:
$80
Exam Registration:
$59
Exam Retake:
$51
Annual License Fee:
$285
Guaranty Fund:
$20
Total Costs:
$673-$894
(CT real estate license costs as of January 2023)
How to Get a CT Real Estate Agent License in 4 Easy Steps
Connecticut requires those seeking a real estate sales associate designation to:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Be a United States citizen or lawful permanent resident
- Have a high school diploma or equivalent
- Clear a fingerprint-based background check
Multiple Paths to Getting Your CT Real Estate License
Becoming a real estate salesperson in Connecticut is a unique process, and there are several options for pursuing your Connecticut real estate license.
All applicants, regardless of prior experience or licensure, must submit their real estate licensing application no longer than six months after passing the exam.
Want to know more about how to pursue the traditional route to becoming a real estate agent in Connecticut? Here are the steps you’ll need to follow:
1. Complete a Connecticut Real Estate Prelicensing Course
Cost: $229-$450
Time commitment: 1-3 months online; 4 months if taking in-person classes
Prelicensing courses kick off your real estate career, and you’ll have your choice of completing them online or in person. Your choice of course format will depend on availability, your learning style, and what suits your schedule best.
5 Best Online Real Estate Classes in Connecticut
The amount of time you’ll need comes down to how much class time you allot per week. You can complete all 60 hours online through livestream. If you approach it like a 40-hour workweek, you’ll finish in just under two weeks.
Prelicensing courses will often include extra features like exam prep, instructor support, and career resources. Visit The Close’s article on real estate schools in Connecticut to find the prelicensing course that’s right for you.
As part of Connecticut’s 60 required hours of coursework, you’ll learn about:
- Property ownership
- Land use controls and regulations
- Valuation and market analysis
- Financing
- General principles of agency
- Property disclosures
- Contracts
- Leasing and property management
- Transfer of title
- The practice of real estate
- Real estate calculations
Whether you choose to pursue your license in Connecticut or in a nearby state, you’ll need the help of a highly rated real estate school to get through this weighty material. Most people choose a real estate school based on the cost and the educational format of the course. Here are the most popular options in terms of course design.
In-person Classes
Wherever you live in Connecticut, you should be able to find a real estate school that meets in person during regularly scheduled sessions.
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Livestream Classes
Classes that meet online at scheduled times are usually broadcast over Zoom (or another videoconferencing tool).
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If you’re interested in this format, we recommend New Haven Middlesex Realtors as the best option for livestream classes in CT. They’re on an open-enrollment system, which means you can jump into any class currently being taught. Later, you can catch up on any missing classes when they come up again at the end of the course loop.
Visit New Haven Middlesex Realtors
Self-paced Online Classes
On-demand real estate classes are extremely popular for those wanting to become real estate agents in Connecticut quickly. Usually, schools present course material in a series of slides, videos, and interactive content.
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If you want to go this route, we recommend checking out The CE Shop. They offer an online, 40-hour Massachusetts prelicensing course that you can complete if you plan to pursue your Connecticut license through the reciprocity agreement that exists between the two states.
Course final exams must be passed with a minimum of 70%, though you can take them as many times as necessary.
2. Submit Your CT Real Estate License Application
Cost: $385 ($80 application fee + $285 initial license fee + $20 guaranty fund)
Time commitment: 1-2 weeks
Once you complete your prelicensing course, you need to submit an $80 application fee alongside your prelicensing course certificate and a notarized application to PSI, which administers the test, to declare your intent to take the exam. Visit the PSI Exams website for more information on scheduling your Connecticut real estate license test.
Application approval can take up to two weeks, so applying earlier can get you to the exam room sooner; consider applying online at the state’s website for faster processing. The initial license fee is $285, which you can pay online via credit or debit card. At this stage, you can submit your salesperson sponsoring broker form if you’ve chosen a brokerage where you’ll work, but you can submit this later as well.
Having a criminal record is not an automatic disqualification from receiving your Connecticut real estate license. However, you will be required to complete the Criminal Conviction Review Worksheet and include all documentation of your crime, rehabilitation, and time elapsed since your conviction and release. The DCP will review your record to determine if you are eligible to move forward.
The Real Estate Guaranty Fund, administered by the Department of Consumer Protection, exists to reimburse consumers who suffer financial losses in unscrupulous real estate transactions. A one-time $20 fee assessed on new real estate licensees generates income for the fund.
3. Schedule & Pass the Connecticut State Real Estate Exam
Cost:
$59
Time to Complete:
165 minutes
Format:
Computer-based, 110 questions
Bring to the Testing Center:
Two forms of identification, including one current government-issued photo ID that includes your signature
Passing Grade:
70%
Once you’ve received approval, you will have one year to schedule your licensing exam. Unlike other states, all candidates for the exam must first be approved by PSI before registering for the exam. The initial cost to take the exam is $59, with $51 per retake.
PSI conducts the Connecticut Real Estate License exam as an in-person, proctored test administered via computer. The exam consists of two parts that review your state and national real estate knowledge. There are 110 multiple-choice questions: 80 questions in the national portion and 30 in the state portion. You will have 165 minutes, or 2 hours and 45 minutes, to complete the entire exam. (You will also be asked to answer five to 10 experimental questions. They aren’t scored or counted against your exam time; instead, these are used to gauge how the test could be improved.)
Free Real Estate Practice Exam + 7 Hacks to Help You Ace Your Licensing Test
A passing score for the Connecticut Real Estate Salesperson Exam is 70%. The rate at which test-takers pass the Connecticut Real Estate Salesperson Exam is 60%, which is higher compared to some other states. There is no limit to the number of times you can retake the exam; you can retest as many times within the one-year window as needed.
You should arrive 30 minutes early at the testing site. Visit the PSI candidate handbook to review the types of government-issued identification they’ll accept. There’s also a lengthy list of items you’re prohibited from bringing to the exam room (including calculators, pens, and cell phones).
Testing sites for the Connecticut real estate exam are located in the following cities:
- Milford
- West Hartford
- Auburn, MA
- Boston, MA
- Charlestown, MA
- Fall River, MA
- Springfield, MA
As soon as you’re done with the multiple-choice exam, you’ll learn whether you passed or failed. If you don’t pass, you’ll be given a detailed score report that will help you prepare for the retake. Again, you can take the exam as many times as you’d like within one year following the date on which you sent in your original exam application, but you will have to pay $51 each time.
How to Study for the Real Estate Exam: Tips & Strategies
You can register to take your exam on the PSI Connecticut Real Estate page. On this page, you will find other helpful resources as well, including the Candidate Handbook and Content Outline.
Again, you must pass both portions of the examination within one year of eligibility. Within two years of passing the exam, you must activate your license.
4. Select a Sponsoring Broker
Cost: Free
Time commitment: 2-4 weeks
Connecticut requires that you work under a broker after passing the real estate salesperson exam. A broker has received additional training, worked in the industry for at least two years, and passed the broker’s license exam.
Real Estate Broker vs. Agent: A Head-to-Head Analysis
Finding a broker to work under will feel like applying for a job. Once you’ve landed some broker interviews, you’ll want to ask each broker about the split (or how you and the brokerage will divide sales commissions). You’ll find that some brokerages will ask for a 50-50 split on commissions. Usually, brokerages that offer an even split will not charge monthly desk fees.
As you evaluate your options, remember that as a commissioned salesperson, your income entirely depends on your abilities and effort. Some brokerages may offer you 70% of your commissions, a ratio that may rise to 100% after you’ve met a specific sales goal (or cap) for the year.
It’s important to be realistic about your earning potential in the first few months. It takes time to launch your new business. Some new agents choose to work part time so they can still bring in additional revenue as they’re learning the ropes. And if your brokerage does charge fees, you’ll have to pay them regardless of whether you’re closing deals or not.
Here are some questions to consider during your broker search:
- What is their reputation, both locally and nationally (if they’re with a larger company or franchise)?
- What kind of real estate agents are they looking for?
- Are they technologically advanced and up to date with the latest systems?
- How do they support their agents with education and training?
- What kind of commission structure do they offer?
- Do they offer benefits?
- Do they provide agents with leads and marketing materials?
- Is there room to grow with the brokerage?
Now that you have an affiliated license, you can officially start your real estate career.
How to Become a Real Estate Agent in Connecticut: FAQs
Still not sure about the path forward? Get answers to common questions about how to become a real estate agent in Connecticut below.
Is the Connecticut real estate exam hard?
The passing rate for the Connecticut Real Estate Salesperson Exam is 60%, which is higher compared to other states. Be sure to pay attention during your prelicensing course and take studying seriously. If you put in the proper effort, you should pass on your first attempt. Otherwise, you’ll need to pay $51 to take the test again.
What if I have a real estate license from another state?
Connecticut offers full reciprocity with 13 states, most notably Massachusetts and Rhode Island. To earn the right to work in Connecticut, agents who are licensed in other states must be actively licensed in good standing in the reciprocal state, receive a passing score on a written exam in that state, provide evidence from the reciprocal state that shows you took an exam, provide an official license history from all states where you’ve been licensed, and find a sponsoring broker with an active license in Connecticut.
You are required to take the state-specific portion of the licensing exam if you are from Florida, Ohio, Illinois, or Indiana. You also need to take the state portion of the exam if you did not take a written exam to obtain your license in one of the other reciprocal states. After the commission reviews and approves your application, you’ll get an Exam Eligibility Postcard from PSI Services with instructions on registering for the test.
How long does it take to become a real estate agent in Connecticut?
The average amount of time that people take from start to finish is generally three to six months. The two steps that take the most time when getting your license are prelicensing classes and test preparation. We estimate that it takes one to four months to complete classes, though self-paced learners could be done in as few as two weeks. After that, administrative tasks will likely take another few weeks.
Can I get my Connecticut real estate license online?
Unfortunately, you’ll need to go to one of the exam testing sites to take your Connecticut real estate salesperson exam.
Do real estate agents make good money in Connecticut?
According to ZipRecruiter, real estate agents make an average of $81,818 in Connecticut.
Pay ranges vary widely depending on the area and many other important factors, including education, certifications, additional skills, and the number of years you’ve spent in the profession.
Other significant details you should consider are brokerage fees and commissions. Usually, commissions are a fixed percentage between you and your brokerage. Commission is shared between you and your broker based on a negotiated ratio that will be fully outlined in your contract. While this may differ based on several factors, a common commission split is 70% to the agent and 30% to the broker.
What are the pros & cons of becoming a real estate agent in Connecticut?
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