How to Become a Licensed Real Estate Assistant

Instead of working as a real estate sales agent, you might opt to work as an assistant to a sales agent or broker. Being a licensed real estate assistant allows you to do certain tasks not typically permitted without a license, such as hosting an open house or giving price information to potential buyers. Each state has a real estate department, which issues licenses and regulates the industry.

Instructions

1. Contact your state’s department of real estate to identify the licensing requirements for a real estate assistant in that state. It might be the same as for a real estate sales licensee.

2. Successfully complete the state-required real estate course. This typically involves about 90 hours of class hours at a state-approved school and passing the course test. Some states allow you to do this online, some don’t.

3. Submit to a background check. The real estate department in your state might require fingerprinting and a background check to discover if there is any criminal activity in your past. It typically will direct you to the agency qualified to take your fingerprints, which might be the local police department.

4. Take and pass the state and federal real estate exams. State-approved testing centers administer the tests. If you pass one and fail the other, you can retake the test you failed at a later date, for an additional fee. Applicants throughout the country take the federal exam, while each state test is specific to the laws of that particular state.

5. Complete the licensing application with the state’s real estate department. Licensing fees vary. For example, in 2011 licensing fees for Arizona are $125 and in California they are $245.

6. Apply for an assistant’s job with brokerages and real estate agents in your area. Contact the local Realtor association to see if any local Realtors are looking for assistants. A Realtor is a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of Realtors, the largest professional real estate organization in the country. You also can seek employment with a real estate agent who is not a Realtor.

Tips & Warnings

• Real estate laws and licensing requirements vary by state.

• Each step, from 2 through 5 involves a fee from the applicant.

References

• "Modern Real Estate Practice"; Fillmore Galaty, et al.; 2006
• AZ Real Estate License Frequently Asked Questions
• California Department of Real Estate Licensing Fee