Tennessee real estate school requirements for affiliate broker pre-licensing

Tennessee requires 90 hours of pre-licensing education through a TREC-approved real estate school to qualify for an affiliate broker license, split between a 60-hour Basic Principles course completed before the licensing exam and a 30-hour Course for New Affiliates completed before the license is issued. The Tennessee Real Estate Commission (TREC) regulates the curriculum, approves providers, and oversees completion reporting to PSI, the exam administrator. Both courses are available online, in person, or through live webinar formats, and the full requirement can be completed through any approved format.

Tennessee pre-licensing course overview

Tennessee's pre-licensing education for affiliate brokers consists of two TREC-approved real estate classes taken in sequence: a foundational principles course and a new affiliates course. The first must be completed before you can sit for the PSI licensing exam, and the second must be finished before TREC will issue your license, according to the Tennessee Department of Commerce support FAQ^[1].

Pre-licensing courses cannot be used to satisfy continuing education requirements, as stated on TREC's approved courses page^[2]. Attorneys are not exempt from pre-licensing requirements and must complete the same education as all other applicants.

60-hour Basic Principles of Real Estate syllabus

The 60-hour Basic Principles course covers foundational real estate concepts and is the prerequisite for registering for the PSI licensing exam. The Tennessee Department of Commerce support FAQ^[1] describes this course as covering "real estate principles/fundamentals." The PSI licensing exam assesses knowledge of Tennessee real estate laws, property ownership, financing, agency relationships, and contract law, according to PSI's Tennessee real estate exam page^[3].

Topic areas typically covered in the 60-hour course include:

• Real estate business overview and license law
• Agency relationships and fiduciary duties
• Real estate contracts, forms, and addenda
• Government controls, zoning, and land-use regulations
• Property ownership types and interests
• Real estate mathematics and calculations
• Property valuation and appraisal fundamentals
• Financing principles, mortgage types, and lending regulations
• Tennessee real estate license law and commission rules
• Fair housing laws and anti-discrimination protections

The Fair Housing Act^[4] protects against discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, and disability. Fair housing is a standard component of Tennessee pre-licensing curricula.

30-hour Course for New Affiliates syllabus

The 30-hour Course for New Affiliates provides practical real estate agent training for beginning a career in Tennessee and must be completed before your license is issued. Per the Tennessee Department of Commerce support FAQ^[1], affiliate brokers licensed after December 31, 2004, must have completed this course before TREC issues the license.

This course can be taken before or after the licensing exam, but it must be finished before you submit your license application. Topic areas typically include Tennessee license law and commission rules, brokerage operations and procedures, ethical business practices, and practical aspects of working under a sponsoring broker. TREC publishes approved course descriptions on its approved courses page^[2], where you can review specific content for each approved provider.

Course format options: online and in-person

Tennessee pre-licensing courses are available as self-paced online real estate courses, live webinars, and in-person classroom sessions through TREC-approved providers, and the state places no limits on the number of hours that can be completed online. This means the full pre-licensing education requirement can be finished entirely online, in a traditional classroom, or through a combination of formats.

Most providers offering real estate license classes online give 6 to 12 months of access from the enrollment date. In-person classes typically follow a fixed schedule over several weeks, often held at local real estate associations or school campuses. Live webinar formats combine scheduled online sessions with self-paced study components. Tennessee does not mandate a minimum daily pacing requirement for pre-licensing courses, though individual schools may set their own. The TREC approved courses page^[2] lists courses by delivery format, so you can filter by your preferred method.

School final exam and passing requirements

Tennessee regulation requires a 70% minimum passing score on school final exams for courses exceeding eight classroom hours. Under Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1260-05-.03^[5], schools must administer a comprehensive final examination with a minimum passing requirement of 70% for courses of more than eight hours. Individual schools may set higher thresholds as institutional policy, but 70% is the state-mandated floor.

The school final exam is separate from the PSI state licensing exam. Passing the school final qualifies you for exam eligibility reporting but does not grant a license. Maximum retake attempts for the school final exam vary by provider, so check your school's specific policy before enrolling.

Course completion reporting and exam eligibility

After you complete the 60-hour Basic Principles course, your education provider electronically reports your completion to PSI, which reviews and approves your eligibility to schedule the licensing exam. You cannot register for the exam until the school has submitted your completion information to PSI, according to the Tennessee Department of Commerce support FAQ^[1].

The TREC PSI information page^[6] explains that the education provider submits an online application to PSI, and PSI approves eligibility upon review. Once approved, PSI emails confirmation with instructions on how to pay the exam fee and schedule the examination. Education providers have 10 working days to submit education rosters, per TREC's approved courses page^[2].

The school also provides a certificate or letter of course completion that you must submit to TREC with your license application. PSI processing times for eligibility vary, so plan to wait several weeks after course completion before you can schedule the exam.

How to choose a TREC-approved real estate school

When evaluating schools for your real estate license course, consider course format, schedule flexibility, access duration, instructor support, and whether the provider offers both required courses. Only education from providers on TREC's approved lists satisfies the pre-licensing requirement.

Some schools package both courses together, while others sell them individually. Many providers also include a real estate exam prep course or practice materials with their pre-licensing packages, though these are separate from the state licensing exam administered by PSI. Compare total costs and included features across providers before enrolling.

Next steps after course completion

After completing the 60-hour Basic Principles course and passing the PSI licensing exam, finish the 30-hour Course for New Affiliates, affiliate with a sponsoring broker, and submit your license application to TREC with proof of education and the $91 initial application fee listed on the TREC fee schedule^[7]. Tennessee law gives you 1 year from passing the exam to submit your completed application, per TCA 62-13-304^[1].