How Hard Is It to Get a Real Estate License?

Although getting a real estate license doesn’t require having an academic degree, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the process is a walk in the park. But various benefits that come with the job, such as flexible working hours, impressive salary potential and freedom encourage many people to choose a career in real estate. 

Becoming an agent necessitates taking classes, passing tests, undergoing a background check, obtaining the license and finding a broker to work with. But how complex is it and how hard is it to get a real estate license?

4 steps to becoming a real estate agent

The four basic steps to becoming a real estate agent involve:

• Signing up and completing a real estate licensing course in your state - the course can take from 40 to 180 hours, depending on the state regulations. 
• Passing the real estate state exam - after completing the course, you’ll be eligible to take your state exam. Usually, it’s a multiple choice test divided into a national and state section.
• Finding a sponsoring broker - once you pass the test, you have to find a broker who will hold your license. What does it mean in real life? You need to find a broker you will work under.
• Applying for your real estate license - finally, you can apply for your license and learn how to be your own boss.

So, why should you consider this career and how hard is it to be a real estate agent?

Why is the juice worth the squeeze?

There are many benefits that make real estate a good career:

• You can be your own boss - as an agent, you can set your own working hours. You don’t have to ask for permission to take a day off or work from home. Of course, it also means that you’re responsible for your own successes and failures.
• You can make a lot of money - how much you earn depends on how hard you work and how good you are at your job. Real estate can be very profitable, especially if you’re good at it. According to Indeed, the average base salary of real estate agents is $108,454.
• You can help people - as an agent, you can help people find their dream homes or invest in properties that will make them a lot of money.
• You can learn new things all the time - the real estate market is always changing. That means that you have to constantly update your knowledge, which can be very exciting.

How hard is it to get a real estate license?

Let’s move to the main part of this article: how hard is it to get a real estate license? 

Since each state has different licensing laws and requirements, answering this question gets complicated. The information that is relevant in New York may be completely irrelevant in Texas.

So, is it hard to get a real estate license? Obtaining a real estate license takes a lot of hard work and dedication. If you devote time and effort to fulfill the prelicensing education requirements and prepare for the exam, then, you shouldn’t have difficulties passing on the first try. 

How much money does it cost?

The real estate course pricing is different from state to state and from school to school. For example, in South Carolina, the real estate license course costs can vary from $199 to even $600.

Where does this discrepancy come from? Well, it all depends on the school you want to enroll with and the type of course you want to take. In most states, you can take the course online, which is usually cheaper than attending a brick-and-mortar school. 

Before signing up for a course, do your research and choose the course that offers the best value for money in your state.

How long does it take to get a real estate license?

Now that you know how difficult it is to get a real estate license, it’s time to discuss the time needed. Similarly to the cost of real estate courses, the time it takes to get a license differs per state. In general, it can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. 

The time it takes to get a license depends on how quickly you complete the prelicensing course and how soon you take the state exam.

The takeaway

Is it difficult to get a real estate license? Although becoming a real estate agent requires taking classes, passing tests and finding a sponsoring broker, the process is not as complicated as it may seem at first. The various benefits that come with the job, such as flexible working hours, great salary and freedom make it all worth it.