How long does it take to get a real estate license? That’s a common question we hear from many prospective real estate agents.
The cop out answer is that it depends. There are several variables that affect how long (or short) it takes to get your real estate license.
In comparison to other professional licenses though, like a registered nurse license or lawyer, I’d say it happens pretty quick. However, it’s still going to take time.
According to the data, it takes a prospective real estate student four to six months to finish their pre-licensure real estate education classes and pass their state’s licensing exam.
In this post, we’ll look at how long it takes to get a real estate license for various states and what factors will either shorten or increase the time it takes to get your real estate license.
Which State Are You Getting Your License?
Every state has their own real estate licensing requirements. That means there are 50 different requirements and 50 different timelines for getting your real estate license.
As a rule of thumb, the more requirements, the longer it’s going to take to get a real estate license. The fewer the requirements, the faster someone can get their real estate license.
On average, a state requires less than 100 hours of real estate education, a background check, and a successful passing score on a real estate exam.
The required amount of real estate education in a particular state is the biggest driver for how long it takes to get your real estate license.
Let’s look at some states as examples.
How Long Does It Take To Get A Real Estate License In Michigan?
Michigan has some of the easiest pre-licensure real estate education requirements. In order to get a Michigan real estate license, a prospective agent must complete a state-approved 40-hour pre-licensure course.
A prospective agent that devotes a full-time effort to getting their real estate license can complete their education requirements in a week. In fact, many in person real estate classes are set up to be completed within a week.
That same agent can schedule their exam the following week and become a licensed real estate agent in two weeks.
It’s what I did to get my Michigan real estate license. I enrolled in an online real estate school and completed the course within a week.
My exam was scheduled the following week, which I passed. I had my real estate license in two weeks.
However, Michigan doesn’t require as much education as many states. If I had more education requirements, it would have taken me longer to get my real estate license. There are several states, like Texas and California, that require more than 100-hours of real estate education.
How Long Does It Take To Get A Real Estate License In Texas?
Texas, by far, has the most real estate education requirements. To get your real estate license in Texas, a prospective real estate agent will need to complete 180 hours of education. The following classes must be completed:
- Principles of Real Estate I (30 classroom hours)
- Principles of Real Estate II (30 classroom hours)
- Law of Agency (30 classroom hours)
- Law of Contracts (30 classroom hours)
- Promulgated Contract Forms (30 classroom hours)
- Real Estate Finance (30 classroom hours).
At best, it’s going to take someone four-and-a-half weeks to complete all of their education requirements and another week to pass their exam.
But, that’s a really, really best-case scenario.
More than likely, you will need to devote significant time to studying outside of completing the required education hours. There is a lot of information to remember for the Texas real estate exam.
For most real estate students, it takes eight weeks — with an intense study schedule — to six months to complete all education requirements and feel ready to pass the exam.
While Texas has the most education requirements, that doesn’t mean real estate classes are hard or impossible to pass. There are plenty of good real estate education providers out there.
For example, Aceable Agent, an online real estate education provider has some of the best pass rates in the state.
Are You Going Online Or In-Person?
When it comes to completing your education requirements, you can take real estate classes online or in person. All other things being equal, an online real estate school is going to help you get your license faster than in person classes.
That’s due to the nature of online classes. An online real estate class allows you to self-pace and complete education requirements in a matter of weeks rather than months.
Plus, you can visit an online real estate education provider and get started today. No waiting for semester or course start dates.
If you take an in person class, you’re held to their timeline and when they offer those specific courses. Scheduling in person real estate classes in Michigan is much easier than a state like Texas or California which requires several different classes.
You might have to wait months for a class to start and it might not move at a fast enough pace. This isn’t to say you should take your real estate classes online. There are definite reasons, for some, to take your real estate classes in person.
But, it’s going to take longer to get your real estate license.
How Much Time Do You Have?
While you can’t control the number of education hours your state requires, you can choose how many hours a week you devote to your real estate classes and studying.
So, how much time do you have to commit to your real estate education and studying for the exam?
The less time you have, the longer it’s going to take. The more time you can put toward the classes and studying, the less time it’s going to take you to get your real estate license.
On average, you can anticipate an additional two to three hours of study time for every hour of education your state requires.
For example, if you’re in Michigan and require 40 hours of real estate education, you can expect another 80 to 120 hours of studying.
That’s a total of 120 to 160 hours of studying.
A state like Texas will require 180 hours of real estate education and an additional 360 to 540 hours of studying.
So, if you can only commit 20 hours a week, it will easily take 27 to 36 weeks, or about six to nine months, to get your real estate license.
Of course, how fast you learn will affect the number of study hours required. If you happen to be a fast learner, then you might only need one hour for every hour of real estate education class requirement hours.
In Michigan, that might mean you can pass your exam in 60 hours. In Texas, it might mean you can pass your exam in 360 hours.
How fast do you learn, how effective is your studying, and how much time can you devote to your real estate education? These are the factors you can control and need to focus on.
Final Words
There are a lot of variables that will influence how long or short it takes for you to get a real estate license. On average, it’s going to take about four to six months. However, this can be much shorter or longer depending on your state requirements, the format of your real estate classes, the time you can commit, and how fast you learn.
I was able to get my Michigan real estate license in as little as two weeks. Don’t feel bad or ashamed if it takes longer. It often does.
To get started earning your real estate license, check out Aceable Agent. You can get started completing your real estate education requirements, today. Don’t wait for the time to get registered for an in-person class.
