If you’re like many residents in Louisiana, your dream of becoming a real estate agent has been simmering like a bubbling pot of gumbo. The Bayou State is home to some of the most picturesque landscapes in all of America, 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 six easy steps, and you’ll be launching your career in Louisiana real estate in no time.
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How to Become a Real Estate Agent in Louisiana
Let’s dive into these steps in a little more detail. Before long, you’ll be helping clients buy and sell shotgun houses in New Orleans, French colonials in Baton Rouge, and Creole cottages across the state.
How Much Does It Cost to Get a Real Estate License in Louisiana?
It costs approximately $825 to get your real estate license in Louisiana, including your prelicensing education. Some of the costs are fixed, such as the state’s licensing and exam fees, and others vary.
While you don’t need a college degree to become a real estate agent in Louisiana, you must complete the state-specific licensing process. The price of the required 90-hour prelicensing courses (and optional exam prep materials) will vary depending on the provider you choose.
Prelicensing Course:
$100-$288
License Application:
$90
Exam Registration:
$78
Exam Retake:
$85+
Background Check/Fingerprinting:
$49
Errors & Omissions Insurance Premium:
$149
Post-licensing Course:
$115+
Total Costs:
$667-$961
(Louisiana real estate license costs as of January 2023)
How to Get a Louisiana Real Estate Agent License in 6 Easy Steps
Louisiana requires those seeking a real estate sales associate designation to:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Have a high school diploma or equivalent
Want to know more about how to become a real estate agent in Louisiana? Here are the steps you’ll need to follow:
1. Complete a Louisiana Real Estate Prelicensing Course
Cost: $100-$288
Exam fee: $78
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 your learning style and what suits your schedule best.
The amount of time you’ll need comes down to how much class time you allot per week. You can complete all 90 hours online; those who study at a faster pace will finish in a shorter amount of time. If you approach it like a 40-hour workweek, you’ll finish in just under three weeks.
Prelicensing courses will often include extra features like exam prep, instructor support, or career resources. Our top pick for best overall school goes to Colibri Real Estate because they’re affordable, offer well-designed courses, and their packages are full of these kinds of extras. Learn more about the best real estate schools in Louisiana in our review of the state’s educational options.
The state of Louisiana requires 90 hours of coursework before sitting for the licensing exam. You’ll learn:
- Real estate principles and practices
- Louisiana real estate license law
- Commission rules and regulations
- How agency law works
- How civil law applies to real estate
You’ll need the help of a highly rated Louisiana 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 Louisiana, you should be able to find a real estate school that meets in person during regularly scheduled sessions.
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Livestream Classes
Schools that offer live online classes usually broadcast them over Zoom (or another videoconferencing tool).
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Self-paced Online Classes
On-demand real estate classes are extremely popular for those wanting to become real estate agents in Louisiana quickly. The course material may be presented in a series of slides, videos, and interactive content.
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If completing online classes appeals to you, we recommend Colibri Real Estate. Colibri Real Estate is a powerhouse in the online real estate education space, offering prelicensing courses in 39 states and Washington, D.C. Their courses are affordable and expertly designed, presenting complicated material clearly and concisely.
2. Complete the Louisiana Exam Application
Cost: $90 for the salesperson license application; $78 for the exam fee
Once you have completed your prelicensing education, you’ll need to turn in your certificate of completion, the Salesperson License Application Part A form, and the required fee. You won’t need to pay for any errors and omissions insurance at this stage—you’ll take care of that later in the process.
The application fee is $90, and you’ll complete it in two parts. Part A is done before you take the real estate license exam, and you’ll complete Part B after you pass.
The exam itself is administered by Pearson VUE, a leading private administrator of state licensing exams. Registration is easiest to complete online. The exam fee is $78.
Salesperson applicants must:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Have obtained a high school diploma or equivalency certificate (GED)
- Show proof of successful completion of 90 hours of real estate education in courses approved by the Louisiana Real Estate Commission (LREC)
- Pass the real estate salesperson licensing examination
- Complete the background check through the MyLREC Portal
- Be supervised by a licensed real estate broker
- Provide proof of errors and omissions (E&O) insurance coverage
3. Pass the Louisiana State Real Estate Exam
Cost:
$78
Time to complete:
4 hours
Format:
Computer-based, 135 questions
Bring to the testing center:
One current government-issued photo ID that includes your signature
Passing grade:
70%
Testing sites for the Louisiana real estate exam are located in the following cities:
- Addis
- Alexandria
- Bossier City
- Baton Rouge (two locations)
- Lafayette (two locations)
- Lake Charles (two locations)
- Metairie
- Natchitoches
- New Orleans (three locations)
- Shreveport
When you complete the class, you should be given all of the materials you will need to apply for your license and for the exam. To register for the exam, you must first turn in your license application, license fee, and school certificate to the Louisiana Real Estate Commission in Baton Rouge. After you turn in your license application, you will receive an email allowing you to register for the exam with Pearson VUE.
You should arrive 30 minutes early at the testing site. Check out this Pearson VUE guide to review the types of government-issued identification they will accept. There’s also a lengthy list of items you’re prohibited from bringing to the exam room (including common items like calculators, pens, and cell phones).
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. You can take the exam as many times as you’d like within two years following the date on which you sent in your original exam application.
Once you pass the required exam, you must go back and complete the application process with the state. Candidates will receive a document stating that they have taken their exam that will include instructions for how to obtain their official score reports through their profile on Pearson VUE.
4. Find a Sponsoring Broker to Hire You
Cost: Free
Time commitment: 2-4 weeks
Louisiana requires that you work under a broker after passing the real estate salesperson exam. A broker has received additional training, worked successfully in the industry for a minimum period of time, and passed the broker’s license exam.
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 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.
Here are some questions to consider during your broker search:
- What is their reputation, both locally and nationally?
- 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 material?
- Is there room to grow with the brokerage?
What Brokers Want: 7 In-demand Real Estate Agents Skills
5. Obtain Errors & Omissions Insurance
Cost: $17 to $136
Time commitment: 1-2 weeks
All active licensees in Louisiana are mandated to carry errors and omissions insurance. You can purchase it through the LREC group policy via the Real Estate License Application Part B form.
You can also choose to purchase errors and omissions insurance on the private market. If you go with this option, you will need to complete the Independent Errors and Omissions Insurance form and turn it in to LREC along with a $7 processing fee. You will also need to receive a declaration page from your insurer.
If you decide to go with the LREC policy, the most you’ll pay is $136 in January. From there, the premium goes down by $11 each month, making it only $17 by December.
Once you’ve passed and completed everything on the above checklist, you will only need to wait for your license to be issued. In most cases, this process should take between five and 10 business days. You may check if your license is available via LREC’s Verify License Search. If you have any questions at this point, you should contact LREC at 225-925-1923 or info@lrec.gov.
6. Complete the Licensing Process
Cost: $115+
Time commitment: 45 hours
Once you’ve received your license, you have to enroll in 45 hours of post-licensing coursework. New agents are given 180 days from the date their initial license was issued to complete this course. The cost for this single course is around $115 and it can be taken from many of the same approved schools that offer prelicensing classes.
4 Best Louisiana Real Estate Schools for 2023
How to Become a Real Estate Agent in Louisiana: FAQs
Still not sure about the path forward? Get answers to common questions about how to become a real estate agent in Louisiana below.
Is the Louisiana real estate exam hard?
The passing rate for the Louisiana Real Estate Salesperson Exam is 70%. 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.
To retake the examination, you only need to sit for the portion you failed. For example, if you fail the state section, you will only need to retake that part. It’s the same case if you fail the national portion only. You must reapply for examination eligibility from LREC and pay a $15 re-eligibility fee before you can reschedule the examination.
What if I have a real estate license from another state?
Louisiana offers reciprocity for current legal residents and license holders in these states:
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Colorado
- Georgia
- Iowa
- Mississippi
- New Mexico
- Oklahoma
- Pennsylvania
You can only receive the same license type that you currently hold in your state. Also, you will need to complete a certified license history and another background check. Learn more about license portability in our state-by-state guide to license reciprocity.
How long does it take to become a real estate agent in Louisiana?
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.
Can I get my Louisiana real estate license online?
We highly recommend Colibri Real Estate. They are our choice for the best overall real estate school in Louisiana. They are a powerhouse in the real estate education space and offer self-paced online or livestreaming courses that meet state requirements in Louisiana.
Do real estate agents make good money in Louisiana?
According to ZipRecruiter, real estate agents make an average of $65,504 in Louisiana.
Salary ranges can vary widely depending on the area and many other important factors, including education, certifications, additional skills, and the number of years you have spent in your profession.
Other significant details you should consider are brokerage fees and commissions. Your broker may require you to pay desk fees for office space or charge you for marketing services. Meanwhile, commissions are often a fixed percentage of the sales price, split between you and your brokerage. This is based on a negotiated ratio that will be 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 Louisiana?
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