how to become a real estate agent in california

California Salesperson Pre-Licensing How to Get Your CA Real Estate License

5 Steps Toward Getting Your
California Salesperson License

Getting your California real estate license might seem daunting, but we're here to guide you through the process.

Read on to learn about the five steps you'll need to complete before starting your career in California real estate. To learn about how much it costs to get your real estate license, visit our California Pre-Licensing pricing page.

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Prequalification

To start:

You must be at least 18 years of age.
If you are not a California resident, see Out-of-State Applicants here.
All applicants must be honest and truthful, and conviction of a crime may result in the denial of a license. Failure to disclose any criminal violation or disciplinary action may also result in the denial of a license.

Complete 135 hours of Pre-Licensing education.

You must first take and pass 135 hours of Pre-Licensing coursework, which consists of three courses, including:
- Real Estate Principles (45 hours)
- Real Estate Practices (45 hours)
- Real Estate Finance (45 hours)
Pass the course final exam.

Once you complete each Pre-Licensing course, you must take a final exam. You have two attempts to pass each final exam, and you're allotted one minute per question.

The passing score for each of these final exams is 70%, and a proctor is not required.
Pass the California salesperson licensing exam.

After you pass your course final exams, you'll take the California licensing exam. This exam consists of 150 multiple-choice questions with a time limit of 3 hours and 15 minutes, and the minimum passing score is 70%.

If you want help passing your real estate exam, The CE Shop offers comprehensive Exam Prep tailored to California.
Choose a sponsoring broker.

To begin your new career, you must be sponsored by an active California real estate broker. It's important to find a good fit when picking a broker to work with and it's a key factor to becoming a successful California real estate agent.

Here are some questions to consider when searching for the right broker:
- What is their reputation, both locally and nationally?
- What kind of real estate agents are they looking for?
- Are they technologically advanced and up-to-date with the latest systems?
- How do they support their agents with education and training?
- What kind of commission structure do they offer?
- Do they offer benefits?
- Do they provide their agents with leads and marketing material?
- Is there room to grow with the brokerage?
Complete your licensing application.

After you pass your licensing exam, and if you have not already filed a License Combo Application, then you will need to apply for your license online. This form must be completed, along with the appropriate fee, within one year of passing the licensing exam. A license cannot be issued until DRE received fingerprint response information. See Fingerprint Requirements for more details.

Evidence of completion of Real Estate Principles, Real Estate Practice, and one additional course from the course requirements list must be on file before your license is issued. Out-of-state applicants must also submit a completed and notarized Consent to Service of Process (RE 234). See Out-of-State Applicants for more details.

Once your application is approved by the state, DRE will issue your California Real Estate Salesperson License. You can look up your new real estate license on DRE's eLicensing Online website here.

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The CE Shop's online platform, self-paced courses, and student satisfaction are only some of the reasons that makes us the best in real estate education. Take the first step in your real estate career today!

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