Ohio real estate school: 100-hour pre-licensing education requirements

Ohio requires 100 hours of pre-licensing education from a state-approved real estate school before you can sit for the salesperson licensing exam. The curriculum, established under Ohio Revised Code § 4735.09^[1], consists of four courses: Real Estate Principles and Practices (40 hours), Ohio Real Estate Law (40 hours), Real Estate Appraisal (10 hours), and Real Estate Finance (10 hours). House Bill 238 reduced the total requirement by cutting the Appraisal and Finance course hours, effective April 9, 2025.

Ohio's 100-hour pre-licensing curriculum

Ohio's pre-licensing curriculum requires four courses that House Bill 238 restructured effective April 9, 2025. The legislation amended Ohio Revised Code § 4735.09^[1] to reduce the total pre-licensing requirement. The reduction came from the Appraisal and Finance courses, while Principles and Practices and Ohio Real Estate Law remained unchanged. Applicants who submitted their license application before April 9, 2025 had to complete the prior, higher requirement. The Ohio Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing^[2] publishes the full requirements on its salesperson licensing page.

Real Estate Principles and Practices (40 hours)

Real Estate Principles and Practices is the foundational course of Ohio's pre-licensing curriculum, covering 40 hours of general real estate concepts and transactional skills. The Ohio Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing^[2] requires this course as the largest component of the four-course curriculum. The course covers topics tested on the national portion of the Ohio salesperson licensing exam, which PSI^[3] administers using content accredited by the Association of Real Estate License Law Officials (ARELLO). This course was not affected by the April 2025 reform.

Ohio Real Estate Law (40 hours)

Ohio Real Estate Law is a 40-hour course covering the state's real estate license law and regulatory framework, with a mandated emphasis on civil rights, housing discrimination, and desegregation. The Ohio Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing^[2] specifies that this course includes instruction in "civil rights, housing discrimination, desegregation." Ohio reinforces this focus in its continuing education rules: Ohio Administrative Code Rule 1301:5-7-02^[4] requires CE courses to cover "current municipal, state and federal civil rights laws; civil rights case law; desegregation issues; methods for eliminating the effects of prior discrimination; and strategies for affirmatively furthering fair housing." The pre-licensing Law course introduces these same topics, providing the state-specific knowledge tested by the state portion of the Ohio salesperson exam. This course was not affected by the April 2025 reform.

Real Estate Appraisal (10 hours)

Real Estate Appraisal is a 10-hour course covering the fundamentals of property valuation, including the approaches agents use to understand pricing and interpret appraisal reports in transactions. This course was reduced under the curriculum reform that took effect in April 2025. The Ohio Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing^[2] lists this course as one of the four required subjects.

Real Estate Finance (10 hours)

Real Estate Finance is a 10-hour course covering lending products and financing structures that agents encounter in real estate transactions. This course was also reduced under the same reform. The Ohio Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing^[2] requires this course to complete the pre-licensing curriculum.

Institution requirements for pre-licensing education

Ohio restricts pre-licensing education to degree-granting institutions, requiring that coursework be completed at a school that confers at least an associate degree. The Ohio Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing^[2] establishes this standard on its salesperson requirements page. Community colleges, four-year universities, and registered proprietary career colleges throughout the state meet this threshold. When searching for a real estate school near you, approved providers span both academic institutions and private career colleges.

Online, livestream, and in-person course formats

Ohio allows pre-licensing students to finish all coursework through online providers, with no requirement to attend classes in person. The three primary formats available through Ohio-approved providers are self-paced online, livestream, and in-person classroom instruction.

Self-paced online real estate courses let you study on your own schedule, with most providers offering approximately 6 months of course access from enrollment. Livestream and in-person real estate classes follow a set schedule, with some providers offering accelerated formats that compress the coursework into a few weeks. Most students complete the required hours over several weeks, depending on their study pace and chosen format.

For those who prefer to study real estate online, self-paced courses offer the most flexibility. Livestream courses provide real-time interaction with an instructor without requiring travel. In-person classes offer face-to-face engagement but require attendance at a physical location on specific dates. Many providers also bundle real estate exam prep materials into their pre-licensing packages, offering practice questions and review sessions to help students prepare for the state licensing exam.

School final exam policies

Ohio does not publish a statewide minimum pass score for pre-licensing course final exams administered by education providers. The Ohio Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing^[2] sets the passing score for the state salesperson licensing exam at 70, but this threshold applies to the state exam, not to school course finals. Individual providers set their own policies: some require a minimum score on course final exams, others set a higher threshold, and at least one major provider does not require a final course exam at all. Retake policies also vary by provider.

Students should distinguish between the school final exam and the state licensing exam. The school final exam verifies course completion, while the state licensing exam, administered by PSI^[3], is the official test required for licensure.

Course completion validity

Pre-licensing course completions remain valid for 10 years before your license application, as long as you have not held a real estate license in the four years preceding your application. The Ohio Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing^[2] states that if you have not held a real estate license within the four years before your application, you must have completed the required courses "within the 10 years before your application." If you have held a license within the past four years, the 10-year window does not apply.

The Ohio real estate FAQ^[5] adds that if your license was revoked and more than 10 years have passed since you completed pre-licensing courses, you must retake the courses before applying again.

How to choose an Ohio real estate school

Selecting the right provider for your real estate agent training depends on your budget, schedule, and learning preferences. Ohio-approved providers offer courses in self-paced online, livestream, and in-person formats. When evaluating schools, consider course access duration, format flexibility, exam preparation materials, and whether the package includes the post-licensing course required within your first year of licensure. A sponsoring broker is also required before you can apply for the state licensing exam, so factor in the timing of your coursework relative to your broker search.

To begin, confirm that your chosen provider is registered with the state and offers all four required courses. Compare package features such as practice questions, flashcards, and instructor support alongside the base tuition. If cost is a concern, ask providers about installment plans or financing. Once you complete the coursework and pass any required school final exams, you will receive a certificate of completion to submit with your license application. Your next step is to research Ohio-approved providers, compare their package features and formats, and enroll in the four-course curriculum that fits your timeline.