Become a Real Estate Agent in Pennsylvania

So you are considering a career as a real estate sales agent or broker? Great! Now what do you do? The process of becoming a licensed professional in the real estate industry differs from state to state. Most real estate agents and brokers are required to have a certain number of hours of pre-licensing education – and, in some cases, experience – to become fully licensed. The steps below provide you just about everything you'll need to know to get you started in a real estate career in Pennsylvania!

Steps

  1. Be sure that you meet the qualifying age, 18. An applicant for a real estate salesperson license must be 18 years of age.
  2. Get the Required Pre-License Education. Before you can sit for the PA state licensing exam (Through the Pennsylvania Real Estate Commission testing vendor, PSI), you must...
    • Complete 60 hours of approved instruction in Real Estate Fundamentals (30 hours) and Real Estate Practices (30 hours).
    • Pass a proctored final examination.
      • In order to successfully complete a prelicense course, students must take and score a minimum of 80% on a proctored final examination administered in an educational facility by an approved instructor employed at the educational facility.
      • You are given a maximum of three attempts to pass the final examination. If you do not pass after the third attempt, you will be required to retake the course.
  3. Register for the State Examination: After completing your required pre-licensing education, you must…
    • Submit a completed Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Examination Registration Form contained in the Candidate Information Bulletin provided by PSI.
    • Submit the appropriate application fee referenced in the Candidate Information Bulletin.
    • Submit proof of your completed Pennsylvania Real Estate Education qualifications with your registration form.
  4. Schedule the Exam. After your request has been processed, you will receive an email confirming approval at which time you can schedule an exam.
  5. Get a Broker Affiliation. Before you submit your application for licensure to the Pennsylvania Real Estate Commission, you will need to have an "employing broker". For a number of reasons, it is important to research potential brokers in your area. The employing broker is responsible for ensuring that you meet and maintain the requirements for a Pennsylvania Real Estate Salesperson License.
  6. Apply for Licensure. After you’ve successfully fulfilled your education requirements, completed your proctored exam, passed your state exam and obtained an employing broker, you may submit the following paperwork to the Pennsylvania Real Estate Commission:
    • Completed Salesperson Initial License Application signed by broker and applicant
    • Education Transcripts
    • PSI examination score reports
    • Criminal background check
    • Check or money order
    • Certification of licensure (If applicable)
    • Criminal conviction and/or disciplinary documentation (If applicable)
  7. When approved, your license will be mailed to your employing Broker’s main office.



Tips

  • Make sure that the real estate school and courses you choose are approved for the state of Pennsylvania.
  • Many people benefit from taking real estate test prep courses along with the required education.
  • Pennsylvania will issue a reciprocal license to real estate agents from Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, and West Virginia.
  • When in doubt, contact the state board at (717) 783-3658 or email st-realestate@state.pa.us

Warnings

  • As of 3/25/2014 the initial real estate license fee is $107.00
  • The Pennsylvania Real Estate Commission requires that the Final Exams for this course be Proctored. Generally, public libraries do not charge to proctor exams, while most universities, colleges and learning centers will charge anywhere from $5 - $50.
  • The steps set forth here can be used as a guide and were accurate at the time they were published but are always subject to change.

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Sources and Citations

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