Do you want a fruitful career in real estate? The job of a real estate agent is attractive to many, as it offers flexible work hours and high earning potential—if you’re good at what you do, of course!
It’s worth noting, however, that licensing requirements often vary from state to state and even city to city. If you live in Sacramento, California, and want to sell real estate, here are four key steps for launching your real estate career!
1. Meet California’s Basic Eligibility Requirements
In the state of California, there are two basic requirements that you must meet before you can even begin the process of becoming a licensed real estate agent. First, you must be a legal adult—at least 18 years of age. You must also be a citizen of the United States or at least a legal resident.
2. Complete 135 Hours of Real Estate Coursework
To become a licensed real estate agent in Sacramento, you will need to pass an exam. However, in order to even apply for that exam, you will need to have already met the state of California’s minimum education requirements—135 total hours of real estate coursework.
Fortunately, there are all types of real estate courses in Sacramento. Just make sure that you are enrolling in DRE-approved, college-level classes.
The 135-hour requirement is broken up into three 45-hour courses. In addition to the required Real Estate Practice and Real Estate Principles classes, you can complete your choice of elective—whether it’s Business Law, General Accounting, Real Estate Finance, Property Management, or another option!
3. Apply for the California Salesperson License Exam
After you have completed your 135 hours of pre-licensing education, you are free to apply for your real estate license exam. Simply fill out a simple application and pay the exam and licensing fees of $60 and $245, respectively.
If this is your first time applying, you will also need to submit fingerprints and pass a background check. Remember that, in order for your coursework to count toward your licensing, you must apply to take the test within one year of completion!
4. Pass the License Exam
It’s time to take the California Salesperson License Exam! You will have a total of three hours to complete this test, which features 150 multiple-choice questions. Getting 70% or 105 of the questions correct will earn you a passing grade.
Keep in mind that the license exam is not a particularly easy test. Roughly half of the test’s applicants pass. If you have limited test-taking experience or tend to struggle with testing, consider signing up for a test preparation course before the big day.
Be sure to arrive at the correct examination site at least 10–15 minutes ahead of time. You will also need to present a valid form of photo identification. Assuming you are taking an electronic exam, you will receive your results immediately after completing the test!
Finally, remember that you will need to meet California’s Continuing Education requirements to renew your license every four years—45 additional hours of coursework!
