How to Become a Realtor in Colorado

Choosing to become a realtor in Colorado is a career option that can help you build a stable, professional career in business. Real estate agents are licensed by their states. In Colorado the requirements for becoming a realtor include completing classroom time, passing a licensure exam and working with a licensed broker a certain number of hours. Properties in Colorado vary from large ranch tracts at the base of the mountains and in the prairies to urban condominiums in Denver and Vail; you can be a general realtor or choose to specialize in commercial, residential or farmland. Whether you are in Longmont or Pueblo, learning how to become a realtor in Colorado will help shore up your business knowledge and income.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Fee for Real Estate Licensure Course
• Personal Identification
• Fee for License Examination

1. Visit the Colorado Division of Real Estate's website to make sure you meet the basic criteria for becoming a realtor in Colorado. New real estate brokers in Colorado must meet the following: be 18 years of age or older, have real estate insurance lined up before applying, be a U.S. citizen or a legal U.S. resident, and not have had a real estate or any other business license suspended. If you meet the basic criteria, move on to Step 2.

2. Find a valid real estate broker licensure course. Go to the website for the Real Estate Training Center in Lakewood, Colorado (see Resources) to find one of the top realtor courses. If you live in southern Colorado, consider an online course, such as Kaplan Professional Training courses. Online courses run $1,099, while in-person courses run as low as $349.

3. Take your realtor course for Colorado. Colorado law requires all new brokers going through realtor training have 48 hours in Real Estate Law and Practice; 48 hours in Colorado Contracts and Regulations; eight hours in Trust Accounts and Record Keeping; eight hours in Current Legal Issues; 24 hours in Real Estate Closings; and 32 hours in Practical Applications. These requirements make up the 168 hours of realtor training needed to take the broker's exam. If you fail the first time, talk to your realtor trainer and ask how to register to retake the exam.

4. Find a supervising or employing broker. The application for the realtor license requires that you list your supervision or employing broker, and generally, finding a job at a real estate firm completes this requirement.

5. Apply for your license. Go to the Colorado Division of Real Estate website, and click on "Apply for a New Broker License." Print and complete the PDF format application. You must submit fingerprints for the Colorado Bureau of Investigation to complete a background check, in addition to providing any information regarding suspended or revoked business or real estate licenses.

Tips & Warnings

• Real Estate Broker license fees are not refundable if you fail to qualify for the license. You must apply within one year of passing your broker examination. If you wait more than one year, you must retake and pass the exam.
• Online courses may be more convenient than in-person training, but the cost difference can be as much as $750.

Resources

• State of Colorado Division of Real Estate
• Real Estate Training Course, Lakewood, Colorado
• Online Realtor Course, Colorado