How To Become An Agent In North Carolina

By Ciprian Morariu Published: August 5, 2021

What’s holding you back from getting your real estate license in North Carolina? The real estate industry is a great career choice for those looking for new and exciting challenges. Especially if you have an entrepreneurial spirit and want to be your own boss, you will likely find real estate rewarding and exciting. Here’s our four-step guide on how to become a real estate agent in North Carolina.

Keep reading as we break down each step for you!

How To Get a Real Estate License In North Carolina in 4 Easy Steps

How To Become A Real Estate Agent In North Carolina

When considering a career in real estate, the smart choice would be to earn your Provisional Broker’s license online. Take control of your own life and get the independence you’ve been craving by working for yourself. Real estate brokers have the opportunity to build their own businesses and set their own goals. Real estate is a people-first business that is full of new challenges to keep you on your toes.

If you’re in North Carolina and are ready to launch your new career on your own schedule, then read on for our four easy steps to becoming a real estate agent. The four steps are as follows:

  1. Complete the 75-Hour NC Broker Pre-Licensing Course;
  2. Submit a License Application and Complete Your Background Check;
  3. Schedule and Pass Your State Licensing Exam;
  4. Receive Your Broker’s License;

Step 1: Complete the 75-Hour NC Broker Pre-Licensing Course

According to the North Carolina Real Estate Commission, the 75-hour North Carolina pre-licensing course must be taken with an approved education provider and follow their required syllabus.

The course can be taken online at your own pace or in-person in a classroom setting. Online courses usually are much faster, as you can take them anytime, practically anywhere. The course includes a proctored, end-of-course exam that consists of 100 multiple-choice questions. You much get a 75% on this exam to pass.

Once you pass this exam, you’ll receive your Course Completion Certificate, which you will need in order to complete your license application. At RealEstateU, we will send your course completion information to the Commission within one week!

Step 2: Submit a License Application and Complete Your Background Check

Step two is to submit your application and complete your background check. Upon completing the 75-hour North Carolina Broker Pre-Licensing course, create an account through the North Carolina Real Estate commission’s website. You must also submit a current criminal record report before you can submit your license application.

You must obtain your criminal record report from CriminalRecordCheck.com. The price of this report varies from location to location. Once received, you can submit your license application online and pay the $100 application fee. Within 2-3 days of your application being processed, the Commission will email you a Notice of Exam Eligibility, valid for 180 days.

Step 3: Schedule and Pass Your State Licensing Exam

The next step is to schedule and pass your state licensing exam. The Commission recommends that you wait a day or two after receiving your Notice of Exam Eligibility before contacting PSI to schedule your exam. The state licensing exam is administered by PSI at one of the PSI’s testing centers.

You can create your exam appointment online through PSI’s website or by phone at 800-733-9267. You can expect the exam to have a national portion and a state portion.

The national portion consists of 80 multiple-choice questions with a time limit of 120 minutes. You must answer at least 57 out of the 80 questions correctly in order to pass. The state portion consists of 40 multiple-choice questions with a time limit of 90 minutes. You must answer at least 29 out of 40 questions correctly in order to pass.

The exam will include additional pretest questions which do not count towards your exam score, as they are experimental questions that are included to help develop future exams.

The state requires that you pass both sections of the exam within 180 days in order to pass the overall exam. Immediately after completing the exam, you will receive your exam grade, and PSI will send your exam results to the Commission, regardless if you passed or failed the exam.

The state licensing exam costs $64, which you’ll pay directly to PSI. It’s important to note that you’ll have to pay the $100 application fee PLUS the $64 examination fee every time you take the examination.

Step 4: Receive Your Broker’s License

After you pass the exam, the Commission examines your background check and reviews your application. If there are no character issues, your license certificate will be mailed to you after passing the state licensing exam. You’ll receive your license within ten business days.

Congratulations! You can practice real estate because you are now a licensed North Carolina Provisional Broker.

Read more about habits of successful real estate agents on our blog.

How To Get Your Real Estate License In North Carolina With RealEstateU

Now that you’ve read our guide on how to become a real estate agent in North Carolina, we hope you feel confident taking one of our tried and true real estate courses online. Every course we create at RealEstateU is designed to help you pass the final exam. We encourage every participant to review the key terms, study the glossary and take the North Carolina Real Estate Exam Prep.

When you’re ready to take the next steps toward a successful and rewarding career, RealEstateU can help you get your North Carolina real estate license in just a few simple steps. We even have a money-back guarantee if you find our online course doesn’t work for you.

Read more about North Carolina Real Estate License Requirements.