How to get a real estate license

Becoming a successful real estate agent is a combination of investing time in pre-licensing education, passing the state and national real estate licensing exam, and finding a broker and resources to help you kick start your real estate career. Note that each step to getting your license may vary slightly by state, so it's important to check your state's requirements.

Kick-start your career with our online real estate school

Real Estate Express courses have earned an average of 4.4 out of 5 stars from 768 reviews.

3 steps to becoming a real estate agent

Real Estate License Course

Step 1. Complete
your pre-licensing education

Prospective real estate agents must take the real estate pre-licensing course from an approved real estate licensing school, like Real Estate Express. Once you complete your course, be sure to obtain your official transcripts or certificate of completion from the school, which is required for your real estate license application.

TAKE THE LICENSING COURSE
Real Estate License Exam

Step 2. Pass
your real estate exam

After you complete your pre-licensing course and pass the final exam, you'll schedule your state licensing real estate exam. You'll encounter some of the questions on the exam that you didn't cover in your pre-licensing courses, so be sure to look for exam prep programs that will walk you through practice questions for your state.

PASS THE REAL ESTATE EXAM
Real Estate License - Career

Step 3. Launch
your real estate career

Xổ số FuanCongratulations on passing your exam! Now you're ready to find a broker to work who can help you start your career on strong footing.

VISIT REAL ESTATE CAREER HUB

Complete your real estate pre-licensing education

Once you understand your state's licensing and education requirements, you'll need to complete your real estate pre-license course. Keep in mind:

  • It's important to enroll in an accredited school, licensed in your state
  • If you have a degree in real estate, are a licensed attorney, or have a real estate license in another state, your education requirements may be different. Please contact your state Real Estate Commission to learn those requirements.
  • Upon course completion, it's important to obtain your official real estate transcripts or a certification of completion from the school, which will be required for your license application. These can be printed from home in most states.
File the application and pay the fees

Xổ số FuanTo obtain your real estate license, you must complete your state's real estate license application and pay any applicable fees. Most states have forms and fee information on their website. Real Estate Express customers may access their Student Tools for important information and links to resources. When it comes to filing the application and paying the fees, you'll need to know the following:

  • Filing date deadline
  • If you are required to obtain Errors and Omissions (E&O) insurance prior to applying
  • If you need to provide a background check and fingerprinting prior to applying
  • If you need to have a sponsoring or managing broker in place before you submit your application

Pass your real estate exam

Our Exam Prep Master program is so effective we guarantee you will pass your state's real estate exam. Thousands of customers have told us how glad they were to have purchased the program because it was easy to take, boosted their confidence, and enabled them to ace their exams on the first try.

When you take your exam, you want to go into the testing environment prepared. Here's what you need to know:

Find a real estate license testing center

Xổ số FuanIn most states, your real estate exam is outsourced to a third party testing center. Why? The testing providers are hired by the state to administer and grade the tests. States may shift their budgets and as a result their testing provider may change. It's important to confirm the testing provider in your state and contact them for additional information that could help you feel more confident on test day. Real Estate Express customers may go to their Student Tools for final exam instructions.

Xổ số FuanHere’s a list of the four main real estate testing providers:

AMP - Applied Measurement Professionals

Pearson VUE

ProMetric Assessments

PSI - Psychological Services Incorporated

Once you find a real estate testing center:
  • Contact the center and find out how the exam will be delivered and scored and if they offer simulation exams
  • If you submitted an application to the state before testing, the state will notify you that you are eligible to register for the exam
  • Register with the testing center and schedule a date for your exam
  • If required by your state, sign an exam eligibility affidavit
  • You will have to pass both the national and state portions of the exam, which will be taken together or separately depending on your state
  • Research what identification you need to bring with you on test day
Learn About Exam Prep

Launch your real estate career

Xổ số FuanThe Real Estate Career Hub offers a wealth of information to help you get your real estate career off to a strong start. Explore how-to guides, learn from the experts and tap into the latest news that's moving the real estate profession forward.

VISIT THE REAL ESTATE CAREER HUB

Have a question?Connect with an enrollment advisor today

Why enroll with us?


Fully accredited courses
More than 350,000 real estate professionals got their start with Real Estate Express!

Appraisal Courses
Excellent ratings
Students love the course experience — 4.3 / 5 stars

Appraisal Courses
Instructors with real world experience
Our prized instructor Q&A group has almost 80 years of combined real estate experience!

Appraisal Courses
Flexibility
Flexibility to study when and where you want

Appraisal Courses
Support
Plenty of live support