Thinking of becoming a real estate agent and wondering how to get a real estate license? Here’s the good news: you can get your real estate license in just five simple steps. In this article, you’ll get a step-by-step guide to getting your real estate license as well as the must-know information for your state.
We also include resources to help you successfully launch your new career. Let’s start with the steps involved, and move on to the costs and time commitment, helpful links, and FAQs.
How to Get Your Real Estate License in 5 Simple Steps
Getting a real estate license involves five simple steps, as follows:
Let’s explore these steps in more detail.
1. Determine Your State’s Education Requirements
Cost: Free
Time commitment: Five minutes
Helpful resource: The Close Look-up Tool
Each state has unique requirements, so your first step in getting a real estate license is to choose your state from the drop-down list below and find out how many hours of prelicensing education are required by your state.
Prelicensing Classes Required: 60 Hours
Prelicensing Classes Required: 40 Hours
Prelicensing Classes Required: 90 Hours
Prelicensing Classes Required: 60 Hours
Prelicensing Classes Required: 135 Hours
Prelicensing Classes Required: 168 Hours
Prelicensing Classes Required: 60 Hours
Prelicensing Classes Required: 99 Hours
Prelicensing Classes Required: 63 Hours
Prelicensing Classes Required: 75 Hours
Prelicensing Classes Required: 60 Hours
Prelicensing Classes Required: 90 Hours
Prelicensing Classes Required: 75 Hours
Prelicensing Classes Required: 90 Hours
Prelicensing Classes Required: 60 Hours
Prelicensing Classes Required: 60 Hours
Prelicensing Classes Required: 96 Hours
Prelicensing Classes Required: 90 Hours
Prelicensing Classes Required: 55 Hours
Prelicensing Classes Required: 60 Hours
Prelicensing Classes Required: 40 Hours
Prelicensing Classes Required: 40 Hours
Prelicensing Classes Required: 90 Hours
Prelicensing Classes Required: 60 Hours
Prelicensing Classes Required: 48 Hours
Prelicensing Classes Required: 60 Hours
Prelicensing Classes Required: 60 Hours
Prelicensing Classes Required: 90 Hours
Prelicensing Classes Required: 40 Hours
Prelicensing Classes Required: 75 Hours
Prelicensing Classes Required: 90 Hours
Prelicensing Classes Required: 75 Hours
Prelicensing Classes Required: 75 Hours
Prelicensing Classes Required: 45 Hours
Prelicensing Classes Required: 120 Hours
Prelicensing Classes Required: 90 Hours
Prelicensing Classes Required: 150 Hours
Prelicensing Classes Required: 90 Hours
Prelicensing Classes Required: 45 Hours
Prelicensing Classes Required: 60 Hours
Prelicensing Classes Required: 116 Hours
Prelicensing Classes Required: 90 Hours
Prelicensing Classes Required: 180 Hours
Prelicensing Classes Required: 120 Hours
Prelicensing Classes Required: 40 Hours
Prelicensing Classes Required: 60 Hours
Prelicensing Classes Required: 90 Hours
Prelicensing Classes Required: 180 Hours
Prelicensing Classes Required: 72 Hours
Prelicensing Classes Required: 54 Hours
Real estate licensing courses cover everything from business fundamentals to fair housing laws, and even the states with the most relaxed requirements still demand that students learn a lot in a short period of time.
2. Complete a Prelicensing Course
Cost: Between $99 and $1,100, depending on your state
Time commitment: Between 40 and 180 class hours, depending on your state
Helpful resource: Best Online Real Estate Schools
The next step is to complete the prelicensing education class hours required by your state. You can do so in a traditional classroom with other students or remotely through an online program. We recommend online courses because they’re typically less expensive and more convenient—allowing you to work at your own pace, according to your schedule.
Our favorite online provider is Real Estate Express. They offer prelicensing classes in just about every state, as well as packages that include exam prep and a Pass or Don’t Pay guarantee. If you have questions about getting started with prelicensing education, speak with one of their enrollment advisors.
3. Prepare for Your State Exam
Cost: Varies, usually about $99
Time commitment: One to two weeks
Helpful resource: 7 Free Real Estate Practice Exams + 7 Exam Hacks
Once you’ve completed your real estate prelicensing course, you’re free to take your state exam. Taking standardized tests can be difficult, especially if it’s been a year (or 10!) since you were last in school.
Even if you feel confident, it’s a great idea to practice applying your knowledge a couple of times before sitting for the actual exam. Most of the providers on our top online real estate schools list offer some exam prep materials like flashcards and practice tests—use them!
Real Estate Express Review + Video Walk-through
4. Pass Your State’s Real Estate Exam
Cost: Varies by state, usually $30 to $80
Time commitment: Three hours
Helpful resource: The Close’s Secret Strategies to Ace Your Real Estate Exam video
Once you’ve completed your state’s prelicensing requirements and prepped with some practice tests and flashcards, it’s time to take your licensing exam.
The format of the exam varies, but most states now administer a computer-based exam that can be conducted online or in-person, depending on your state. All the information about your state’s exam, including your closest examination site, will be available on your state’s licensing and regulatory affairs website.
📌 Pro Tip
See our list of state-by-state guides for links to more info about all 50 states!
If you’re nervous about the test itself, don’t worry, you’re not alone. Standardized tests can be challenging, even if you know the material back to front. Prepare by taking our free practice exam and learn a few more tricks to acing your real estate exam.
5. Register Your Real Estate License With Your State
Cost: Varies by state, typically less than $150
Time commitment: 30 minutes to complete paperwork, one to two weeks for confirmation
Helpful resource: What’s the Best Real Estate Company to Work For?
After passing your state’s licensing exam, the final step necessary to becoming a full-fledged real estate professional is to register your status with your home state. This process generally requires a form and a registration fee to be mailed or electronically submitted to your state’s real estate licensing board.
Some states require you to be signed with a brokerage before they’ll actually issue you a license to practice real estate. If you’re in a state like this, you’ll need to have a brokerage lined up before you can complete this step. That’s the final step! Now you know how to become a real estate agent.
How long does it take to get a real estate license?
Getting a real estate license can take as little as six weeks, but your timeline will depend on your state’s licensing education requirements. Determine the number of prelicensing course hours required by your state using our state-specific guide above. Here are some sample timelines for Texas, California, and New York.
Sample Timeline: Texas, California, & New York
Texas: Texas requires 180 hours of prelicensing course hours. Most online applicants need about eight weeks to complete these hours online. Add to that another week for test prep, a week for finding a brokerage, and a week for application submission and approval, and the entire process takes about three months from start to finish.
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California: California requires 135 hours of prelicensing course hours. Most online applicants take about six weeks to complete these online. Add to that another week for exam prep, a week for finding a brokerage, and a week for application submission and approval, and the licensure process takes just shy of two months to complete. However, the entire process will take closer to six months in California due to mandatory educational waiting periods.
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New York: New York requires a 75-hour prelicensure class, which typically takes about four weeks to complete online. Add to that another week for test prep, a week for finding a brokerage, and a week for application submission and approval, and the entire process takes about seven weeks from start to finish.
How much does it cost to get a real estate license?
Most applicants will spend between $1,000 and $1,600 to cover all the costs, including their prelicensing course, exam prep materials, exam fee, background check, application fees, and dues. However, the costs vary by state, and MLS membership fees vary by county. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the costs involved, with sample pricing for Texas, California, and New York.
Sample Costs: Texas, California, & New York
| Prelicensing Course | Real Estate Express | Real Estate Express | Real Estate Express |
| Exam Prep | |||
| Exam Fee | |||
| Application | |||
| MLS Membership | |||
| NAR Membership | |||
| TOTAL |
How to Get a Real Estate License: State-by-State Guides
Now you know that you understand the fundamentals of how to get a real estate license, it’s time to dig a little deeper.
Since every state is different, we’ve put together a collection of personalized, state-specific guides for getting a real estate license in different states across the U.S. Find your state below to learn more about what it will take for you to get your real estate license.
How to Get a Real Estate License: FAQs
Getting your license, becoming a real estate agent, and launching a new career are big decisions, and these often come with big questions. Now that you are clear about how to get a real estate license, here are some of the most common questions we hear from those considering a career in real estate.
Are there legal requirements for getting a real estate license?
All applicants must fulfill some legal requirements which vary depending on your state. Be sure to double-check with your state’s licensing and regulatory affairs commission to make sure you understand every requirement.
Generally, the eligibility requirements for real estate licensure are as follows:
- Be 18 years of age or older
- Be legally allowed to work in the United States
- Have no pending criminal indictments against you
- Have no criminal convictions for violent or home invasion-related offenses
In addition to these legal requirements, determining eligible candidates often involves a character assessment and/or background check, ensuring that you’re a person who acts with integrity and owns your mistakes.
The last two qualifying criteria related to an applicant’s criminal background are determined in most states on a case-by-case basis. A conviction doesn’t necessarily disqualify an applicant but trying to hide something in the application process almost certainly would
Is it hard to get a real estate license?
No. Obtaining your real estate license is very straightforward. All you need to do is devote some time and effort to fulfilling your prelicensing education requirements, study for and pass the exam, and then register your license with your state.
Even for those who don’t have a business background, have limited sales experience, or struggle with standardized tests, getting a real estate license is easy.
Is getting a real estate license worth it?
Yes. The personal and financial upsides to real estate can be huge if you’re willing to put in the effort to build a business.
Apart from the financial opportunities, becoming a real estate professional gives you personal freedom and control over when you work, how much you work, and how you want to structure your leisure time.
As a real estate agent, you are your own boss, which means you can take as much or as little vacation time as you’d like. Real estate agents love this field for the independence and control over their success that it provides.
If you want to test drive a real estate career before quitting your day job, consider starting part-time first.
How much does a real estate agent make?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual income for real estate agents in 2021 was $48,770. However, that takes into account all 50 states. The top 10 states with the highest average real estate agent salaries in 2021, according to Forbes magazine’s analysis of the BLS data, were as follows:
- New York average real estate agent salary: $111,800
- Massachusetts average real estate agent salary: $84,180
- Connecticut average real estate agent salary: $79,780
- Alaska average real estate agent salary: $79,360
- Colorado average real estate agent salary: $76,850
- Utah average real estate agent salary: $75,170
- California average real estate agent salary: $74,140
- Texas average real estate agent salary: $72,830
- Wyoming average real estate agent salary: $71,460
- Hawaii average real estate agent salary: $71,140
The 10 states with the lowest real estate agent average earnings in 2021 were:
- Illinois average real estate agent salary: $42,130
- Minnesota average real estate agent salary: $46,130
- Idaho average real estate agent salary: $47,350
- Ohio average real estate agent salary: $47,420
- Indiana average real estate agent salary: $47,670
- South Carolina average real estate agent salary: $48,560
- Delaware average real estate agent salary: $49,410
- Nebraska average real estate agent salary: $49,860
- New Hampshire average real estate agent salary: $49,970
- North Carolina average real estate agent salary: $50,160
Remember, these are just averages; how much you will make depends on your market, and frankly, your willingness to work hard and invest in your business.
What’s the difference between a broker & an agent?
A real estate agent has met their state requirements and been awarded a license to conduct real estate business, which means facilitating the buying and selling of real property.
A broker is a real estate agent who has completed additional training, education, and licensing requirements. A broker can operate independently or hire agents to form a brokerage.
A Realtor is a card-carrying member of the National Association of Realtors (NAR). They have paid their annual dues and adhere to the NAR’s strict code of conduct and ethics. There are over 1.5 million NAR members.
[Related article: Real Estate Broker vs Agent: A Head-to-Head Analysis]
What is real estate reciprocity & how do I get it?
Reciprocity is an agreement between states that allows real estate agents to bypass some or all of the prelicensing education requirements when seeking a real estate license in that state. For example, South Carolina and Georgia have full reciprocity, so an agent licensed in Georgia can get a license in Georgia simply by passing the South Carolina exam.
However, real estate reciprocity isn’t universally available. Some states don’t offer any reciprocity agreements at all, while some only do with select states.
[Related article: Real Estate License Reciprocity & Portability: A State-by-State Guide]
How do I select a real estate brokerage?
When selecting a brokerage as a new real estate agent, you’ll need to consider company culture, commission structure, what fees are covered, marketing policies, and training and mentoring.
Each brokerage has its own strengths and weaknesses, so be sure to do your research and interview the brokerage as much as they interview you. Ask plenty of questions, reach out to other agents, and see if you can picture yourself as part of that team.
For help selecting the best real estate brokerage for you, check out our article called What’s the Best Real Estate Company to Work for in 2022? and make sure to take our quiz to find your perfect brokerage match.
How to Become a Real Estate Agent: More Resources
Getting a real estate license is your first step to a new and fulfilling career. Real estate professionals wear a lot of hats: we are marketers, property experts, contract and negotiation experts, and even community advocates. But it all starts with that first question: how to get a real estate license. We’re here to support and celebrate your success every step of the way!
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