How To Get a Real Estate License

by

Martin Dolemo

Any individual seeking employment as a real estate salesperson for a licensed broker must obtain a salesperson license. Real estate experience is not required to obtain a license and the licensing process is not difficult. However, potential real estate agents must meet certain eligibility requirements and must comply with all licensing procedures required by the Their state\’s Department of Real Estate. To be eligible for a license, a salesperson candidate must be at least 18 years of age and a lawful resident of the United States. Eligible salesperson candidates must: (1) complete required education; (2) submit an application; and (3) pass a written examination.

EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

Before applying to become a licensed real estate salesperson, candidates are required to complete at three semester-long real estate courses or four quarter-long real estate courses. Courses must be completed through an accredited college or university. There are two required courses, Real Estate Principles and Real Estate Practice. The remaining course(s) may be selected from a variety of topics ranging from appraisal to accounting to computer applications. Licensed attorneys and law school graduates are generally exempt from the education requirements

APPLICATION

After completing the required college-level courses, candidates must submit a salesperson license application. There are certain fees associated with processing the application. An examination fee and an application fee must be paid in full before a license may be issued. Fingerprints are required and may be taken by any Live Scan provider or by ink on an FBI Applicant Fingerprint Card. Live Scan providers charge a fee to take fingerprints. Candidates must truthfully and completely disclose all criminal charges, disciplinary actions and citations for unprofessional conduct. Candidates must also provide a copy of a birth certificate, passport or other proof of legal residency in the United States. In addition, a transcript showing completion of the education requirements and a State Public Benefits Statement must be submitted for all first-time applicants.

WRITTEN EXAMINATION

Scheduling the Examination:

Upon receipt of a candidate\’s examination application and fee, the state\’s Department of Real Estate will schedule an examination date. The date, location and time for the examination will be sent to the candidate by mail or through the Department\’s e-Licensing program. Examinations are administered in Various cities throughout most states. Additional locations may be available, depending on the number of candidates. If a candidate needs to reschedule his examination, an additional application must be submitted and additional fees may apply.

Preparing for the Examination:

The real estate salesperson examination consists of 150 multiple choice questions. The questions must be completed within 3 hours and 15 minutes. The examination is designed to test each candidate\’s reading, writing, spelling and mathematics, as well as his understanding of real estate and business principles.

There are seven main topic areas:

(1) Property Ownership and Land Use Controls and Regulations (2) Laws of Agency and Fiduciary Duties (3) Property Valuation and Financial Analysis (4) Financing (5) Transfer of Property (6) Practice of Real Estate and Mandated Disclosures (7) Contracts.

To prepare for the test, candidates should download the Reference Book – A Real Estate Guide and current and prior editions of the Real Estate Bulletin and Real Estate Law from the Department of Real Estate website. Many public and university libraries also offer real estate resources. However, candidates should avoid out-of-date books and materials. When changes in the law or practice of real estate occur, new materials are added to the examination.

After the Examination:

Examinations are generally conducted using an electronic system, and results are provided immediately after the examination is completed. For a passing score, at least 70 percent of the examination questions must be answered correctly. If a candidate does not receive a passing score, he may apply to retake the examination. The candidate will be provided with his final score and the percentage of questions he answered correctly for each subject area. If a candidate receives a passing score, has submitted a complete application and has paid his licensing fee, the Department of Real Estate will issue to the candidate a real estate salesperson license.

Applications and additional information can be found online.

Saxony Real Estate is your expert source for all California real estate matters. Owner

Martin C. Dolemo

has worked in real estate for more than 22 years, and President Bill Taylor has 35 years of experience as a licensed salesperson and broker. Visit

saxonyrealestate.com

for more information about California real estate.

Article Source:

ArticleRich.com