Becoming a California Real Estate Agent is Easier than you think! Read the step-by-step guide
Do you want to work in California’s booming real estate market where the opportunities for growth and profitability are in abundance?
California’s diverse real estate landscape is a fertile ground for aspiring real estate agents who want to be at the center of one of the country’s hottest markets.
Famous for its idyllic sunny weather, beautiful natural parks, world-class quality of living and industry leading job opportunities, California has a unique proposition to offer.
San Francisco, Las Vegas, San Diego, Los Angeles and Santa Barbara are some of the hottest real estate markets for homebuyers and investors seeking to own or rent in CA.
Working as a real estate agent in CA can be a financially rewarding and emotionally fulfilling career choice, especially if you seek to earn a six figure income and help people.
Real estate agents enjoy a plethora of exciting career benefits including flexible timing, stable work-life balance, job satisfaction and opportunities to progress in your career.
Did you know that the top real estate agents in CA can earn anywhere between $100K to $150K annually?
Imagine earning between 5 to 6 percent in commissions by helping close a deal for a typical California home price of $600K to $700K.
If you do the math, you will understand why real estate is a highly sought-after profession by thousands who want to achieve financial independence and professional autonomy.
However, to enjoy the exciting and rewarding benefits and reap advantages of California’s surging real estate market, you must first, apply for and obtain a valid license.
As per the state and federal law, it is mandatory to hold an active, state-issued real estate license to work with clients and earn commissions through deals.
If you are a complete beginner, you might be wondering about what it takes to get a license and how to complete the process easily.
To help you achieve your goals, we have put together this step-by-step guide which covers all the important aspects of how to get a real estate license in CA online.
Responsibilities and Duties of Real Estate Agents
A day in the life of a real estate agent is never dull as you will be performing a diverse range of tasks and duties as part of the job.
Real estate agents are licensed professionals who are expected to help clients navigate the journey to buy and sell a property and ensure a fair, transparent and ethical transaction.
Here is a checklist of some of the common tasks and duties you will be responsible for:
- Responding to queries and requirements from prospects and clients
- Helping clients buy, sell and lease residential and commercial real estate
- Managing real estate listing database and records up to date
- Showing properties and conducting site visits for clients
- Generating leads and business opportunities on behalf of your employer
- Guiding clients about how to choose a property based on its location, value, fixtures, features and amenities
- Providing fair and transparent property evaluation to clients seeking deals
- Helping clients set up property for showings and site tours to attract buyers
- Formalizing and reviewing purchase contracts and deeds for real estate deals
- Promoting and advertising property listings via ads, media and classifieds
- Preparing and formulating real estate contracts, deeds, rental agreements and related documents to facilitate legal real estate transactions
- Liaising with brokers, attorneys, home inspectors and appraisers to close a deal
- Helping clients make informed decisions regarding buying and selling of properties
As you start your career and gain more experience, you can transition into more senior, managerial roles by obtaining a broker’s license in California or even becoming a Realtor.
If you are curious to learn how to get your California real estate license and start the licensing process, keep on reading to learn about what it takes to become a licensed agent.
Minimum eligibility requirements for a California license
Choosing a career path and committing to it is an important professional decision and it requires careful consideration and clarity on what to expect.
Before you start preparing for getting your license, it is important to understand that California requires aspiring real estate agents to meet the basic eligibility requirements.
Like other states, California also follows a set of pre-established real estate laws and licensing regulations for aspiring agents and brokers.
It is the duty and authority of the California Department of Real Estate (DRE) to issue and renew licenses to professionals and firms and regulate their operations.
According to the California DRE, you must fulfill the basic statutory requirements as follows:
- Age: You must be 18 years of age or older
- Citizenship: You must be a legal resident of the state of California
- Education: You must have a high school degree or GED equivalent
Additionally, it is important to meet the minimum standards of honesty, integrity and truthfulness and prove that you have a good moral conduct to work as a professional.
The California law requires that you have a clean background and no history of any criminal activity, felony or convictions.
Once you meet the above minimum eligibility requirements, you can then move to complete the next set of requirements.
California pre license education requirements
Like other states, California also follows a pre-established set of education requirements for aspirin real estate agents and brokers.
If you have done your research about the real estate industry and want to know how to get a California real estate license, you might have learned about pre license courses.
While having a college degree is not mandatory to obtain a real estate license in CA, completing pre license courses is a must to qualify for a salesperson license.
In order to navigate the dynamic and fast moving world of real estate, it is important to achieve a minimum level of understanding about the industry laws, principles and practices.
As per the DRE, you must complete 135 hours of state approved pre license course credits to become eligible for a CA real estate license requirements.
A pre-licensing course or education is a structured learning program developed for aspiring professionals to help them learn about the real estate industry.
The pre licensing education curriculum is designed to give students an understanding of the fundamental principles of working in the real estate industry.
The 135 hour of pre licensing education will cover important courses such as:
- Principles of Real Estate: This covers the basic principles of working in the real estate industry and its underlying components, processes and policies. You will learn about the state and federal laws for real estate professionals in California.
- Practice of Real Estate: This course will teach you about the fundamental knowledge of real estate terms and concepts such as contracts, property management, escrow, types of property, property management, appraisal, real estate finance among others.
In addition to the mandatory courses, the curriculum will also include elective courses which you can pick based on your interest and prospects.
Note that you have the choice to decide between joining an in-person, physical classroom based real estate college or enroll in an online California real estate course.
Depending on your learning preferences, budget and schedule, you should make an informed decision on whether in-person or online classes will work better for you.
The important aspect to keep in mind before choosing is that you must only learn from a state approved education provider.
Many students often wonder about the practical benefits of completing pre license courses and the fact is that it is an essential step in becoming a knowledgeable, confident agent.
Think of it as a career investment where you will learn about the real estate industry, its workings, regulations, best practices and gain understanding of how the state and federal policies and processes work together.
Pass the California real estate license exam
The California DRE requires all applicants to take and clear the salesperson licensing exam to prove their competence and training.
In California, you can take the licensing exam at a Pearson VUE center in one of the following locations:
- Sacramento
- Oakland
- Fresno
- San Diego
- Los Angeles
Taking the California real estate licensing exam is the step where all your preparation and hard work will be tested.
The exam consists of 150 multiple choice questions and you will get 3 hours and 15 minutes to complete the test.
To pass the exam, applicants must score at least 75% or above in the final score
First time applicants often wonder about the difficulty of the California real estate license test and wonder how difficult it is to pass the test on their first attempt.
Although the difficulty level varies from person to person, the more knowledgeable and confident you are, the higher will be your chances of passing the test.
To boost your preparation and practice, it is recommended to make use of the California real estate sample test which can help you get familiar with the exam format and questions.
In case you are unable to pass the test on your first attempt, you can reappear for the exam by paying the exam fee again.
Background Check and Fingerprints
For aspiring real estate agents, completing federal background check and criminal verification is an important step of the process and one of the mandatory CA real estate license requirements.
As per the California DRE, you must get your electronic fingerprints at any of the state approved live scan providers and submit the same for verification.
You can visit any of the state approved live scan service locations in California and submit your application along with the fingerprint scan. It will cost you $49.
Finding a sponsoring brokerage
If you have successfully completed all the steps discussed above, you will receive your CA salesperson license within a few weeks.
However, to start working with clients, there is one last step you must complete.
The California law requires all newly licensed real estate agents to work under the supervision of a state licensed broker or brokerage firm.
It is a must to find a sponsoring broker who can guide and train you on how to work with clients and offer your services as a professional.
Sponsoring brokers help newly licensed agents to learn the workings of the industry and navigate the ins and outs of the trade.
To activate your license, you must submit your employer sponsorship details to the California DRE for review. Once approved, your license status will be made active.
Since California is home to thousands of licensed brokers and firms, you can easily look for suitable ones in your areas to kickstart your career in real estate.