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How to Get a Real Estate License in 5 Simple Steps

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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. We’re here to guide you through each task related to getting your real estate license, plus gather all of the must-know information for your state

We even include resources that will help you successfully launch your new career. Let’s start with the steps involved and move on to the costs, time commitment, helpful links to our state-specific guides and best school articles, tips on passing the exam, and FAQs—in other words, everything you need to get your real estate license.

How to Get Your Real Estate License in 5 Simple Steps

Let’s get started! Though the process might vary slightly from state to state, here’s a basic outline of what you’ll need to do.

1. Determine Your State’s Education Requirements

  • Cost: Free
  • Time: Five minutes
  • Helpful resource: The Close Look-up Tool (below)

Each state has unique requirements for getting your real estate license, so your first step is to choose your state from the map below to find out how many hours of prelicensing education are required by your state and get a link to our state-specific guides where available.

State real estate prelicensing look up tool
WA OR ID MT WY ND MN IA MO AR LA MS AL GA FL SC NC TN KY VA WV OH IN IL WI MI NY PA CT MA NH ME SD NE KS OK TX NM AZ UT NV CA AK HI CO MD NJ VT RI DE DC

Prelicensing Education Requirements

60 Hours

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Prelicensing Education Requirements

40 Hours

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Prelicensing Education Requirements

90 Hours

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60 Hours

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Prelicensing Education Requirements

135 Hours

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168 Hours

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60 Hours

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99 Hours

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63 Hours

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75 Hours

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60 Hours

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90 Hours

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Prelicensing Education Requirements

75 Hours

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90 Hours

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96 Hours

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60 Hours

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Prelicensing Education Requirements

96 Hours

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90 Hours

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55 Hours

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60 Hours

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40 Hours

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40 Hours

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90 Hours

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Prelicensing Education Requirements

60 Hours

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72 Hours

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70 Hours

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Prelicensing Education Requirements

66 Hours

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120 Hours

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Prelicensing Education Requirements

40 Hours

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75 Hours

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90 Hours

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Prelicensing Education Requirements

77 Hours

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Prelicensing Education Requirements

75 Hours

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Prelicensing Education Requirements

90 Hours

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Prelicensing Education Requirements

120 Hours

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Prelicensing Education Requirements

90 Hours

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Prelicensing Education Requirements

150 Hours

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75 Hours

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Prelicensing Education Requirements

45 Hours

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90 Hours

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Prelicensing Education Requirements

116 Hours

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90 Hours

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Prelicensing Education Requirements

180 Hours

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Prelicensing Education Requirements

120 Hours

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Prelicensing Education Requirements

40 Hours

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Prelicensing Education Requirements

60 Hours

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Prelicensing Education Requirements

90 Hours

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Prelicensing Education Requirements

90 Hours

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Prelicensing Education Requirements

72 Hours

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Prelicensing Education Requirements

54 Hours

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Generally, states also require that applicants for a real estate license meet the following requirements:

  • 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

These specifics depend on each state (Alaska, for example, requires applicants to be 19 years old), so be sure you’re checking our state guides.

You’ll notice that the number of hours of education varies quite a bit, too. 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: 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. However, there are a few states that mandate classes be taken in an in-person or live online environment, meaning you can’t actually complete your required hours at your own pace.

What You’ll Learn in Real Estate School

Not everything you learn in real estate school is interesting, but a lot of it is. Generally, you’ll learn plenty of terms and definitions, maybe even ones you hear often but aren’t exactly sure what they mean.

You’ll also get a crash course on important legislation, legal theories, and usually even a little history and sociology. At the end of your prelicensing courses, you will have a solid understanding of the laws and regulations that govern real estate both at a federal and state level.

How to Choose a Real Estate School

Choosing the right real estate school for you is an important step in the process, and there are several considerations you need to take into account:

  • Cost: Is the course package of your choice within your budget?
  • Accreditation: Is your chosen school recognized by the state you want to work in?
  • Class format: Are you looking for a traditional classroom setting where you can easily approach your instructors and peers during classes? Or an online, livestream class with flexibility and access to instructor support? Or purely online classes where you need to be a bit more self-directed?
  • Refund policy: Some schools provide a refund option for students within a certain time frame, or they have a guarantee that you’ll pass the exam if you meet certain criteria. Make sure you’re aware of the refund policy—if there is one. Also note that courses often have an expiration date, so you might only have access to the material for six months.

Our favorite online provider is Colibri Real Estate (formerly 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 advisers.

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Related Article

Colibri Real Estate Review + Video Walk-through

3. Prepare for Your State Exam

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. 

I’ll level with you: The real estate exam is no joke, at least in most states. They often require memorization of definitions, application of complex legal theories, and the correct use of math equations. You will have to know state-specific regulations as well as national laws that concern real estate. The exam is multiple-choice and there are no cheat sheets—in most states you get a standard calculator, scratch paper, and that’s it.

This is not to scare anyone, but to encourage you to take it seriously. With the proper preparation and study, most students will pass their exam on the first or second try. But there is a reason that most states have pretty low pass rates: Texas, for example, has an overall pass rate of 58% and North Carolina’s is 63%, according to the most recent data. 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!


4. Pass Your State’s Real Estate Exam

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. Here are my top seven tips for passing your exam the first time. For more on each one, check out the video below! 

  1. Answer every question
  2. Answer the easy questions first
  3. Eliminate wrong answers
  4. Look at the question for clues
  5. Predict the answer
  6. Remember there is only one correct answer
  7. Realize the test is pass-fail and you don’t need to ace it! 

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 or in our specific state guides.  

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

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. Here are some sample timelines for Texas, California, and New York.


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 widely by state. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the costs involved, with sample pricing for Texas, California, and New York.


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.