Pennsylvania real estate classes: pre-licensing course guide

Pennsylvania requires 75 hours of Commission-approved real estate classes before you can sit for the salesperson licensing exam, divided into two courses that cover property fundamentals and transactional practice. The Pennsylvania Real Estate Commission develops the curriculum, approves providers, and allows both online and in-person delivery formats.

What the Pennsylvania pre-licensing course includes

The Pennsylvania Real Estate Commission develops the salesperson pre-licensing curriculum, approves every education provider permitted to teach it, and publishes official course outline PDFs on its Education Information page^[1]. The current two-course structure took effect August 29, 2018, when the Commission revised its pre-licensing education requirements, as noted by the Bucks County REALTORS® Association^[2].

The Commission's course outlines define the topics, learning objectives, and minimum instructional hours for each course. The Commission does not allow substituting unrelated coursework for these two required courses. Before starting your real estate salesperson training, confirm you meet the basic licensing prerequisites: you must be at least 18 years old and hold a high school diploma or equivalent, per the Salesperson Licensure Snapshot^[3]. No prior real estate experience is required.

Real Estate Fundamentals: 30-hour course syllabus

Real Estate Fundamentals is a 30-hour, 2-credit course that covers the foundational concepts of real property, ownership structures, and how real estate changes hands. The Commission's published course outline defines the following topic areas:

• Land, real estate, and property concepts
• Forms of property ownership, including fee simple, leasehold, and concurrent ownership
• Real estate ownership interests and the bundle of rights
• Private limitations on property rights, such as easements, liens, and encumbrances
• Government interests in real property, including taxation, eminent domain, police power, and escheat
• Environmental issues affecting real estate transactions
• Voluntary and involuntary alienation, covering deeds, title transfers, foreclosure, and adverse possession
• Leasing and property management fundamentals
• Investing in real property

This course builds the vocabulary and legal framework you need before studying transaction-level practice. The Commission requires a final exam at the conclusion of each course, including this one.

Real Estate Practice: 45-hour course syllabus

Real Estate Practice is a 45-hour, 3-credit course that covers the transactional and regulatory side of real estate, from agency relationships through settlement. The Commission's published course outline defines the following topic areas:

• Ethics and anti-discrimination laws, including the federal Fair Housing Act^[4], which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, and disability
• Agency relationships, duties, and disclosure requirements under Pennsylvania law
• Representing sellers, including listing agreements, marketing obligations, and offer evaluation
• Representing buyers, including buyer agency agreements, property evaluation, and negotiation
• Financing principles, covering loan types, interest rates, and amortization
• Qualifying for a mortgage loan, including underwriting standards and debt-to-income ratios
• Valuation of property, including appraisal methods and comparative market analysis
• Settling the real estate transaction, including the closing process and settlement statements
• Pennsylvania-specific laws, licensure, and general practices, including the Real Estate Licensing and Registration Act and the Commission's Rules and Regulations

This course applies the foundational concepts from Real Estate Fundamentals to real-world transactions and introduces the legal and ethical obligations that govern licensed agents in Pennsylvania.

Online and in-person course delivery formats

Pennsylvania allows you to complete pre-licensing coursework through either online self-paced study or instructor-led classroom instruction, and the Commission approves both delivery methods.

If you prefer to study real estate online, self-paced courses give you the flexibility to progress at your own pace, typically with a 6-month access window from enrollment. Real estate classes online follow the same Commission-defined curriculum and instructional hour requirements as in-person options. Instructor-led alternatives include in-person classes at local campuses and live virtual sessions over video conferencing platforms; these usually follow a fixed schedule over several weeks. Some providers also offer livestream hybrid formats that combine scheduled online sessions with self-paced components. Regardless of format, every approved course must deliver the full 75 hours of Commission-defined content and assess learning through a final exam in each course.

Finding a Commission-approved education provider

Choosing the right real estate school affects your learning experience, schedule, and readiness for the licensing exam, so comparing options before enrolling is worth the effort.

The Commission's Licensing Guide^[5] explains that the provider database includes three categories of approved schools, searchable through the PALS verification system:

When comparing providers, consider the delivery format, class schedule, course access period, and whether the school offers a real estate exam prep course bundled with the pre-licensing package. Some providers include practice questions and study tools alongside the required curriculum, while others charge separately for these resources. To find real estate classes near you, filter the PALS database for in-state providers (RE subtype) or accredited colleges (RUC subtype) offering courses in your area.

Course completion and certificate validity

After completing both courses and passing each final exam, your provider issues a certificate of completion for each course. You submit these certificates with your license application. The state does not require providers to report completions directly to the Commission.

The PA Real Estate Commission Licensing Guide^[5] requires that courses be completed within 5 years prior to the date you pass the licensing examination. If you completed coursework more than 5 years before passing the exam, you must retake the courses.

After passing the licensing exam, you must submit a properly completed license application within 3 years of your exam pass date, per the Salesperson Licensure Snapshot^[3]. These two windows — 5 years from course completion to exam pass, and 3 years from exam pass to license application — define the timeline for moving from coursework to an active license.

Education waivers and alternatives

Some candidates can satisfy the education requirement without taking the standard pre-licensing courses. The Commission grants education waivers for candidates who hold certain academic credentials or have completed equivalent coursework in another state.

A candidate with a Juris Doctor degree, a bachelor's degree with a major in real estate, or a bachelor's degree with equivalent coursework is deemed to have met the education requirement, according to the Salesperson Licensure Snapshot^[3]. The Licensing Guide^[5] also notes that 75 hours of pre-licensing coursework completed in another state satisfies Pennsylvania's requirement if that coursework was approved for licensure in the state where it was taken.

These waivers apply to the education prerequisite only. All candidates, including those with waivers, must still pass both the national and state portions of the licensing exam and meet all other licensure requirements.

After your pre-licensing course: next steps

Completing the 75-hour pre-licensing course is the first major milestone toward your Pennsylvania salesperson license. Once your provider issues your completion certificates, register with Pearson VUE to schedule the licensing exam. All applicants must contact Pearson VUE directly, according to the PA Real Estate Commission Licensing Guide^[5]. Pearson VUE has administered Pennsylvania's real estate exams since April 1, 2023, when it replaced PSI as the state's exam vendor, per a Real Estate Commission announcement^[6].

The exam tests both national real estate concepts and Pennsylvania-specific law. Pearson VUE offers practice tests and a free Candidate Handbook with detailed content outlines, both available through the Education Information page^[1]. After passing both portions of the exam, your next step is finding a sponsoring broker to activate your license.