What you REALLY NEED TO KNOW about starting your Real Estate Career

Becoming a real estate agent can be a very financially rewarding and personally satisfying career, but it won’t happen overnight or without devotion and perseverance.

Top real estate agents work very hard and are dedicated to constantly improving themselves and their business.

If you are ready to dive into the world of real estate, there are five basic steps that must be followed to receive your real estate license in Alabama.

Before you begin, make sure that you meet the basic requirements. To obtain a REAL ESTATE SALEPERSON’S LICENSE from the Alabama Real Estate Commission (AREC) a person must:

• Be 19 years of age
  
• Have a high school diploma or GED equivalent
  
• Be a citizen resident or have alien resident status
  
• Not have a license denied in another state for the past two years
  
• Been found guilty of a felony or a crime of moral turpitude (like shoplifting or writing bad checks)
  

Step 1: 60-Hour Alabama SALES PRE-LICENSURE COURSE , Cost varies by school

Everyone wishing to become a real estate agent must complete the required 60-hour SALES PRE-LICENSURE COURSE at a licensed school.

They must:

• Attend ninety percent (90%) of the class instruction time
  
• Pass the final exam with a minimum score of seventy percent (70%).

After passing this course, the student is referred to as a “real estate candidate.”

After passing the sales pre-license course, the candidate must now pass the state licensing exam administered by a company called Pearson Vue. Click here for more information about Pearson Vue.

The candidate has six months to pass the state exam. The cost to take the PSI exam is $70.00. Candidates will need two forms of personal ID to gain admission to the testing center.

It is not an easy exam and students need to be ready to focus intently for the entire pre-licensure course in order to expect to pass. If the candidate fails the exam, then he or she may retake the exam as many times are needed to pass the exam but MUST PAY for each attempt. He or she may retake the exam the very next day if desired.

Step 3: PASS a National Background Check, $47

Every applicant for a real estate license must pass a nationwide background check by Fieldprint  and the cost is $47. The criminal record information will be provided to the Alabama Real Estate Commission directly from Fieldprint. Even if have already completed a background check for another career, you will need a new background check specifically for your real estate license application.

For more information, visit the Alabama Real Estate Commission's website here. 

Step 3: ACTIVE TEMPORARY SALES LICENSE, $210

Upon passing the state licensing exam, you will apply for an ACTIVE TEMPORARY SALESPERSON LICENSE if you wish to being practicing real estate immediately. At this point the candidate can begin listing and selling houses. 

Step 4: POST-LICENSURE COURSE, $199

The next step is to take the 30-Hour POST-LICENSURE COURSE. The post-license course teaches the licensee the business side of real estate. While there is no state test to pass the post-license course, this is a REQUIRED course that every licensee must take.

Step 5: APPLY FOR ORIGINAL LICENSE, $185

Upon passing the post-license course, the licenses must apply for an ORIGINAL SALESPERSON’S LICENSE (sometimes referred to as a permanent license).

STEP 6*: Joining the REALTORS® $2,500

If a licensee is planning to sell houses and make use of the MLS, then he or she must join the National, State and Local Association of REALTORS® and the Multiple Listing Service (MLS).

The MLS is the computer database and network where all local agents list their houses to sell. If one is planning to sell houses in his or her local area, it is imperative that he or she join the REALTORS® and the MLS.

The initial cost for becoming a member of the National, State and Local Association of REALTORS® and Multiple Listing Service can be as much as $2,800 with the annual fees ranging approximately $1,500.

APPROXIMATE TOTAL COST TO START A CAREER IN REAL ESTATE: $3,700

If you have more questions about this process, please contact Amanda Adams at aadams@martinandfellowsres.com.