In most states, it’s been possible to get a real estate license online for over a decade now. Some states have been slow adapters, but by now, chances are you’re able to get a real estate license online by fulfilling all of your “classroom” requirements from your smartphone, tablet, laptop, or PC. We all know that 2020 was a huge game changer for things moving online, and the real estate industry is no different.
I’m not going to lie. Getting a real estate license is pretty tedious, even if dyou study online. But for many of us, going to a classroom isn’t just inconvenient, it’s nearly impossible as we already have jobs to go to, families to take care of, and other life obligations that makes online learning a much more viable option.
Quick Picks: Top Online Real Estate License Schools Approved In California
Fulfilling Your Pre License Training Requirements
Before you can even take the real estate license exam, you must complete mandatory training. Depending on your state, that training can be anywhere from 50 hours to over 200 hours. In my home state of California, the training is 135 hours and the real estate pre-license training counts as 9 college level semester credits.
Taking Your Pre License Real Estate Training Online Or In A Classroom
In most states you have the option to either take your pre-license training in a classroom setting or by using an online course provider. The decision to go with an online or classroom based course is a personal one, but for my needs, I decided to go with an online provider. Seeing as though you’re reading an article about how to get a real estate license online, chases are you feel the same way. You can see which online course provider I chose along with other course providers I considered here.
Even after you have obtained your real estate license, the training doesn’t end there. Most states require 20+ hours of education and sometimes taking exams to keep their license valid.
Take And Pass The Real Estate License Exam
During your pre-license training, you will be required to complete all classroom (or online) training requirements, pass all quizzes, exams, and finally you will need to pass a final exam. Once those tasks have been completed, you are able to take the official exam.
It varies by state, but real estate exams in most states are between 1 and 4 hours. The minimum passing percentage is usually in the 70% or 75% range. Your pre-license training should have you prepared for the real estate license exam as the exam is based off of the very topics you will be learning about.
Many of you are probably wondering if the exam is hard. I hate to bring you bad news, but yes, it’s pretty difficult. In fact, most people who take the real estate license exam fail on their first try. It can be really disheartening to fail the exam, but be prepared for this possibility as it happens often.
The real estate license exam is difficult to pass because there is a lot of memorizing of very mundane facts and statistics. The real estate courses I recommend can help walk you through what you should pay the most attention to.
Scared yet?! Don’t worry, while obtaining a real estate license isn’t exactly “easy”, there are much more difficult careers to get into. You got this!
Submitting Your License Application
If you happened to fail your real estate license exam, it isn’t the end of the world, but most states require that you take some time before you can retake the exam. Usually this is in the 30 to 40 day period in most states. You will also need to pay a fee each time you retake the exam.
When you do pass, you will be given an application to submit in order to obtain your real estate license. You may also need to have a background check performed on you and you must meet all of the minimum requirements to obtain a real estate license. The application should be filled out completely, at which point, it will be reviewed. As long as you meet all of the qualifications, you will be issued your real estate license!
In most states, you will need to renew your real estate license every 2 to 4 years. Depending on your state, this could mean anything from resubmitting a form to undergoing additional training hours and possibly even an exam to pass.
Find A Broker
Once you’ve obtained your real estate license, you must work under the supervision of a real estate broker. A broker will need to sponsor you before your license will even be considered active. I don’t have any experience in finding a broker yet, but from what I understand, finding a broker is pretty easy but finding a GOOD broker is tough. I’ll get into this in a future journal entry when I learn more about it.
Is It Easier To Use A Classroom Based Real Estate School?
Great question, and the answer kind of depends. A significant portion of your time will be spend studying and memorizing, which you can’t really do in a classroom. However, having access to a physical instructor that you can ask questions to directly can be highly beneficial and speed up the learning process. While online real estate schools do have Q&A sessions or other ways to get questions answered, nothing can compare to having a qualified person physically there to help you.
It also depends on how self motivated you are. Do you need a set schedule to keep you moving and a teacher to keep you in check? If so, maybe a classroom based real estate course is better. If you’re more the independent type that can motivate yourself and do what needs to be done by your own willpower, an online real estate course is probably just fine. It really just comes down to your personal learning style and self-discipline.
Are Online Real Estate Schools Taken As Seriously A Traditional Real Estate School?
Absolutely! Unlike college, nobody really cares which real estate school you went through. Your broker won’t care, any company you apply to won’t care, and your clients won’t care. As long as you obtained your real estate license, you’re good to go. It would be surprising if anyone even asked where you studied. Everyone is required to pass the same exam, so it doesn’t matter which method you chose to learn. If you pass, you’re in, and nobody will get a position just because they went to a “better” real estate school than you. That just doesn’t exist.
Do Online Real Estate Schools Have Tuition Assistance?
Unfortunately, most online real estate schools do not provide any financial assistance and you generally will not qualify for government assistance or any type of scholarship program. If money is a bit tight, most online real estate schools offer several different packages at different price points. You can also usually sign up for individual courses one at a time and pay for them one at a time so that you can spread the payments out.
Do Online Real Estate Schools Have Job Placement Assistance?
Most online real estate schools do offer some form of job placement assistance. It’s usually nothing too special, but they often work with brokers or real estate firms that you can apply to. They also usually have guides and resources to help find your first real estate sales gigs.
Most traditional real estate courses are about the same when it come to job placement, but some of them are run directly by places like Remax or other larger real estate companies. If you want to get hired by one of the larger firms, it’s always worth looking into their programs which might make finding employment much easier once you’ve obtained your license.
VIDEO: Obtaining Your Real Estate License Online
Final Thoughts
So, there’s the short and simple explanation for how to get a real estate license online. The process itself seems pretty straightforward to me, but actually accomplishing all of the studying, prepping, and finally taking that big exam seems like a very daunting task. Maybe I’m not the only one who feels this way? Anyone?