How difficult is it to get a real estate broker license?

It takes considerably more than a salesperson license but is a defined, attainable path. Most states require at least 2 years of experience as a licensed sales agent plus additional formal training, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Broker coursework runs roughly 60 to 270 hours depending on the state; Texas sits at the demanding end, requiring 4 years of active experience, 900 total classroom hours, and at least 720 experience points.

Alabama requires broker applicants to complete a 60-hour prelicense course, hold an active salesperson license for at least 24 of the 36 months preceding the application, and pass the state licensing exam with a score of 70 or higher. The exam consists of 120 scored questions (80 national and 40 state) and must be passed within 6 months of course completion. Applicants who do not pass within that window must retake the prelicense course.

Arizona broker licensure requires at least 3 years of actual experience as a real estate licensee during the 5 years immediately preceding the application, a 90-hour broker pre-licensing course, and 9 hours of Broker Management Clinic courses (3 separate sessions). Candidates must also pass a 195-question broker exam (180 scored plus 15 pretest) with a 75% minimum score, obtain a Fingerprint Clearance Card, and submit the application within one year of passing the exam. One Arizona education provider estimates the process can take a few months.

California requires broker applicants to complete eight college-level courses (a minimum of 360 hours), accumulate two years of full-time licensed salesperson experience within the last five years (or meet an equivalent standard), and pass a 200-question exam in four hours with a 75% passing score. The DRE's most recent published data shows a broker exam pass rate of approximately 47% for FY 2023/24. Members of the California State Bar are exempt from the course requirement but must still satisfy the experience requirement and pass the exam.

First-time Colorado broker license applicants with no prior license must complete 168 hours of qualifying education, pass both the national and state portions of the Colorado Real Estate Broker's Exam, and complete a fingerprint background check. The national portion requires 60 correct answers out of 80 questions (75%), and the state portion requires 53 correct out of 74 (approximately 71.6%). The Colorado Division of Real Estate publishes first-time exam pass rates by school and quarter, and advises prospective applicants to review these reports when choosing an education provider.

DC requires broker license applicants to complete 135 hours of pre-licensing education from a DC Real Estate Commission-approved provider and have 2 years of experience as a licensed salesperson with an active license immediately preceding the application date. Applicants must pass both the national and state (DC) portions of the broker exam with a minimum 75% score and submit the license application within 6 months of passing. The application fee is $65, the broker license fee is $170, and the Real Estate Guaranty and Education Fund fee is $60.

Florida broker licensure requires at least 24 months as an active sales associate during the preceding 5 years, completion of a 72-hour pre-licensing course, and passing a 100-question state exam with a score of at least 75%. The broker application fee is $91.75, and applicants must submit electronic fingerprints for a background check. After passing the exam, new brokers must complete 60 hours of post-licensing education before their first renewal, then 14 hours of continuing education every 2 years. A 4-year degree or higher in real estate exempts applicants from the pre-licensing education requirement.

Georgia requires broker license applicants to be at least 21 years old, hold a high school diploma or equivalent, and have maintained an active salesperson license for at least 3 of the 5 years preceding the application. Applicants must complete a 60-hour broker pre-license course from a GREC-approved school and pass the broker exam, which uses scenario-based simulations rather than standard multiple-choice questions on the national portion. The national portion includes 11 simulations over 3 hours, and the state supplement includes 48 multiple-choice questions over 2 hours, for a total of 5 hours of testing.

Illinois requires applicants to complete 75 hours of pre-license education (60 hours of topics plus 15 hours of interactive applied principles), pass a two-part written exam, and secure sponsorship from a managing broker before practicing. The exam includes 100 national questions with a 70% passing score and 40 state questions with a 75% passing score, with up to 4 attempts permitted within a 2-year eligibility window. After failing the fourth attempt, an applicant must retake the full 75-hour pre-license education before retesting.

Indiana requires applicants to be at least 18 years old, hold a high school diploma or equivalent, complete a 90-hour pre-licensing course from a state-approved provider, and pass a 145-question licensing exam with a scaled score of 75. Additional requirements include a $60 application fee, a criminal background check, and affiliation with a managing broker to activate the license. New brokers must also complete 30 hours of post-licensing education within the first two years after license issuance. Most candidates complete the process within a few months from starting the pre-licensing course to receiving the license.

Kentucky broker applicants must hold a sales associate license and have worked at least 20 hours per week for a minimum of 24 months immediately before applying. They must also complete 336 classroom hours (or 21 academic credit hours) of qualifying education, including 48 classroom hours in Brokerage Management, pass a national criminal history check, and pass the broker licensing exam through PSI. The exam fee is $100 per attempt, and Kentucky Real Estate Commission (KREC) recommends requesting an education review before scheduling the broker exam, allowing 7 to 10 days for processing.

Obtaining a Maryland broker license requires holding an active real estate salesperson license for at least three consecutive years with no breaks in licensure, completing 135 hours of broker pre-licensing education from an approved provider, and passing the broker exam with at least 70% on each portion. Broker applicants must also submit a credit report not older than one year, provide escrow account information, and show evidence that the business is registered with the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation. Attorneys qualified to practice law in Maryland may have the education and experience requirements waived but must still pass the exam.

Massachusetts requires broker candidates to meet several prerequisites: be at least 18 years old, hold a current Massachusetts salesperson license, complete 40 additional hours of Board-approved broker education, have at least 3 years of experience working for an active Massachusetts broker at a minimum of 25 hours per week, and obtain a notarized $5,000 surety bond. The broker exam has 115 scored questions with a 70% passing score on each section, and the exam fee is $106. Massachusetts requires 40 hours of pre-licensing education for the salesperson license, which is among the lowest hour requirements in the nation, though the 3-year experience requirement adds significant time before a candidate can qualify.

Michigan broker license applicants must complete 90 hours of approved prelicensure education (including 9 hours of civil rights law and equal opportunity in housing), accumulate 3 years of full-time real estate experience, pass a 210-minute broker exam with a 75% passing score, and pay a $143 application fee plus a $79 exam fee. A law degree or MBA in business or finance can substitute for 60 of the 90 education hours, and a bachelor's degree in business or finance can substitute for 30 hours.

Obtaining a Minnesota broker license requires completing a 30-hour broker pre-license course, accumulating at least 3 years of active licensed salesperson experience within the preceding 5 years, and passing the broker exam with a minimum score of 75% on both the national and state portions. Experience waivers are available for applicants with a real estate degree from an accredited college, licensed attorneys with real estate law practices, certain public officers, and qualifying military members, veterans, or spouses. Neither the Minnesota Department of Commerce nor PSI publishes an official statewide pass rate for the broker exam.

To obtain a Missouri broker license, an applicant must be at least 18, hold an active salesperson license for 24 of the last 30 months, complete a 48-hour broker pre-examination course, pass both portions of the Missouri broker exam, and submit an application with a $150 fee. The broker exam requires a 75% passing score on both the national and state portions, and the application must be submitted within 6 months of the 48-hour broker course completion date. All applicants must also complete fingerprinting for a Missouri and federal criminal history background check.

A New Jersey broker license requires completing 150 hours of prelicensure education, which includes a 90-hour general course plus two 30-hour courses on Agency/Ethics and Office Management. Applicants must also have been continually licensed and employed full-time as a New Jersey salesperson for the three years immediately preceding application, and must pass the broker licensing exam with a 70% score.

Obtaining a New York real estate broker license requires completing 152 hours of approved qualifying education, accumulating at least two years of experience as a licensed salesperson (or three years in the general real estate field), and passing a multiple-choice exam administered by the Department of State. The broker exam allows 2.5 hours, and results are reported as pass or fail with no numerical score. The total application fee is $185, which includes a $30 surcharge deposited into the anti-discrimination in housing fund.

To qualify for an NC broker license, an applicant must be at least 18 years old, be a US citizen or qualified alien with lawful presence, have a Social Security Number, complete a 75-hour Broker Prelicensing Course, pass a two-part license examination, and satisfy a character review. NC does not require a high school diploma or GED, and NC residency is not required. The exam consists of 140 scored items with a passing score of 75 on each section, and the entire application-examination-licensing process can be completed in as little as 10 business days when there are no character issues.

An Ohio broker license requires holding an active salesperson license for at least 2 of the last 5 years, completing 20 real estate transactions, and meeting education requirements that vary by when the applicant was first licensed. The broker exam passing score is 75 on both the State and National portions, the application fee is $135, and applicants must pass state and FBI criminal records checks. If leasehold transactions make up 16 or more of the required 20 transactions, the applicant must also have 3 years of full-time property management experience.

Oregon requires 150 hours of pre-license education from an Agency-approved school, a $300 nonrefundable application fee, and passing both sections of the broker exam with a score of 75% or higher. The exam consists of 80 national questions (120 minutes) and 50 state questions (75 minutes). After passing, you must clear a fingerprint background check and be associated with a managing principal broker before the license is issued. The Oregon Secretary of State lists total processing time at 2 to 6 months from application to license issuance.

Pennsylvania broker licensure requires 240 hours (16 credits) of professional real estate education, at least 3 years of experience as a licensed salesperson with 200 documented experience points, and a passing score of 75% on both the national and state portions of the broker exam. Candidates must be at least 21 years old with a high school diploma or equivalent, and must be approved by the Real Estate Commission through PALS before registering for the exam with Pearson VUE. The broker examination qualification fee is $40.00, and initial license fees range from $97.00 for Associate Brokers to $179.50 for Broker Corporations, LLCs, or Partnerships.

The South Carolina broker license requires being at least 21 years old and holding 5 years of active SC associate licensure within the past 7 years, as of May 21, 2024. Applicants must complete 60 hours of broker pre-licensing education (Unit IIIA and Unit IIIB), pass the broker exam with minimum scores of 60 out of 80 points on the national portion (75%) and 36 out of 50 on the state portion (72%), and apply for a license within one year of passing the exam. Applicants with a juris doctor, bachelor of law, baccalaureate, or master's degree with a major in real estate from an accredited institution are exempt from the pre-licensing education requirement.

Earning a broker license in Tennessee requires an active affiliate broker license held for 24 to 36 months, depending on when the candidate was originally licensed and whether they hold a baccalaureate degree in real estate. Candidates must also complete 120 classroom hours of approved education including a 30-hour Office/Broker Management course. The TREC approval process takes approximately 4 weeks, and the broker exam is administered by PSI in national and state sections. After licensing, brokers must complete 120 additional hours of post-licensing education within the initial period following license issuance.

A Texas broker license requires 270 hours of qualifying education including seven 30-hour courses (the six sales agent courses plus Real Estate Brokerage), plus 630 hours of additional related education that includes a 6-hour Broker Responsibility Course. A bachelor's degree from an accredited institution satisfies up to 300 hours of the 630-hour requirement. Candidates must also have at least 4 years of active experience as a licensed sales agent or broker during the 60 months preceding application, totaling 720 experience points. The broker exam includes national and state portions with 240 minutes total, and passing requires 60 correct answers on the national portion and 38 correct on the state portion.

Virginia requires 180 hours of Board-approved broker pre-licensing courses and 36 of the 48 months preceding application spent actively engaged as a salesperson full-time, averaging 40 hours per week. In 2024, the broker exam pass rates were 72.6% for the state portion and 53.7% for the national portion. The broker-specific education must include at least three courses from broker-specific topics, one of which must be a 45-classroom-hour Real Estate Brokerage course.

Washington requires applicants to be at least 18 years old, have a high school diploma or equivalent, complete 90 hours of approved pre-licensing education (60 hours Real Estate Fundamentals and 30 hours Real Estate Practices), pass both the national and state portions of the broker exam with a minimum scaled score of 70 on each, complete a fingerprint background check, and submit a license application within 1 year of passing. According to a March 2024 Washington Department of Licensing report, 73% of first-time test takers pass the national portion and 71% pass the state portion. The full licensing process generally takes a few months depending on how quickly education is completed and exams are scheduled.

Obtaining a Wisconsin real estate broker license requires completing a 72-hour broker pre-license program (or 20 semester credits in real estate or related law, or a Wisconsin law license), accumulating two years of salesperson experience with at least 40 experience points under a supervising broker within the last four years, and passing both the broker and salesperson exams. Experience points can be earned through closed residential transactions (5 points each), commercial transactions (10 points each), property management contracts (0.5 point per month), or timeshare transactions (1 point each). The application includes Form 809 and a $60 credentialing fee, submitted through the DSPS LicensE portal.