To sell homes in the state of California you must have a real estate salesperson license or brokers license. So what are the steps you need to do? Here are (3) essential steps for you to follow to get your salesperson’s license in-hand.
Step 1. Complete (3) Required Pre-License Courses
The Department of Real Estate (DRE) has a requirement that anyone applying for a California salesperson license must complete (3) college level pre-license courses. Real Estate Principles, and Real Estate Practice courses are both mandatory. The third pre-license course can be one of your own selections from the list of approved courses by the DRE. However, I recommend the RE Finance course for the third pre-license course.
The pre-license college level real estate courses are offered at most local colleges, universities, private postsecondary schools, and vocational schools offering independent study correspondence courses. What I like about the vocational school independent study real estate courses, is the fact that you can actually take each pre-license college level course final exam within 18 days from each other, now that’s fast! Especially when compared to taking the same course at a local college, which would take you an entire semester to complete one or more of the courses. If your prefer live instruction and don’t mind the wait then this may be the route for you. However, if you’re like most of us with a busy schedule and like the idea of being able to study at your own pace, anytime, anywhere, 24/7, then this type of real estate course may be ideal for you!
Real estate schools offering independent study pre-license courses, typically come with a textbook that’s roughly 400-500 pages, and some may even offer a DVD along with the book. The DVD instruction that may accompany the pre-license course textbook can be quite helpful by placing emphasis on the key things you can expect to be covered on the final pre-license course exam. The final pre-license course exams are open-book, and usually are available to take online. You can take the pre-license course final exam as many times as necessary in order to pass. After passing your final pre-license course exam, you will be issued a “Certification of Completion” from your school officials. These course certifications prove to the DRE that you have successfully completed the pre-license college level courses required, and must be included with your state application for a salesperson license.
Step 2. Apply for the CA Salespersons Exam
The California application for a real estate salespersons license can be obtained from the DRE website ( www.dre.ca.gov ). Schools offering independent study may also include the salesperson application with the pre-license college level courses. To apply all you need to do is fill out the salesperson application, and be sure to included your transcripts or “certification of completions” for each of the (3) pre-license college level courses you have completed. You will also need to enclose the state salesperson application fee in the amount of $60. Every applicant must submit one set of classifiable electronic fingerprints either after the application has been submitted or after passing the state examination. You must submit your fingerprints through the California Department of Justice (DOJ) Live Scan Program. You can get a Live Scan Service Request (RE 237) from the DRE.
Once the DRE has received your application they will schedule you to take salesperson exam at one of their local offices. You may select the DRE office location where you wish to take the exam on your application. You will be notified by mail of the date, time and location of your exam, along with other details such as what to bring with you to the exam.
Step 3. Pass the CA Salesperson Exam
To pass the state salesperson examination, you must correctly property of turkey a nswer at least 70% of the questions. Since the exam is qualifying in nature, examinees that pass are not informed of their final score. Those who pass receive an application for a license. Examination results are mailed normally within five working days after examination.
The California salesperson license examination will cover 16 real estate topics with 150 questions. The salesperson exam is also timed (3 hrs 15 min) so it’s important to be as knowledgeable and familiar with the real estate topic areas as possible. Although the DRE does not require you to take a salesperson exam prep course, I highly recommend it! Without it you are essentially going in to take your state salesperson exam somewhat blind. Taking a salesperson exam prep course will help ensure you are successful in passing your state salesperson examination the first time!
With your salesperson license in hand, the doors of opportunity for a lucrative career await you. You can find out more information about getting a California real estate license at Academy License Center.