Real estate agent requirements
To become a licensed real estate agent, you must first take a 67 hour salesperson course through any of the approved North Carolina real estate schools. Many students decide to take the separate additional 60 hour broker course. You must pass the state licensing exam. If you have taken and passed both the salesperson and broker courses through a North Carolina real estate school, the state licensing exam entitles you to receive a broker license. If you have only taken and passed the salesperson course, you will receive a salesperson license. A broker license allows the agent more choices on how to conduct his or her real estate career.
Broker or agent licensed in another state
North Carolina allows a previously licensed broker or agent who is active in another state to become licensed with the same or a lesser license in North Carolina. The agent has to pay a $55 reinstatement fee and submit a new license application form with a criminal history report, but may substitute a certificate of licensure for the required courses through North Carolina real estate schools or the examination.
Application process overview
Any person engaging in real estate transactions as an agent for another must first obtain a license from the state of North Carolina. This includes timeshare transactions. The process of obtaining a license through examination is as follows:
1) Complete required training at one of the North Carolina real estate schools or otherwise satisfy pre-license requirements.
2) File application form and fee with the North Carolina Real Estate Commission.
3) Commission determines eligibility for licensing examination.
4) The examination can be taken by computer. The Commission sends a notice of examination eligibility and the applications contacts a testing service to pay the examination fees and schedule examination.
5) If the applicant wants to take the examination with paper and pencil, the Commission schedules the applicant for an examination.
How to find North Carolina real estate schools
On its Web site, the North Carolina Real Estate Commission department lists all of the schools that have been approved by the Commission to offer pre-licensing courses. The Web site address is http://www.ncrec.state.nc.us.
This Web site also lists the performance of the North Carolina real estate license examination by school for license candidates taking the examination for the first time. This report only includes candidates who took the license examination for the first time within 180 days of completing a salesperson pre-license course at a listed school.
License reinstatement
All licenses expire on June 30 of each year. To reinstate an expired license after June 30 and on or before December 31, payment of the $55 reinstatement fee is required. To reinstate a license that has been expired for more than six months but less than three years, a $55 reinstatement fee is required along with a criminal history report and the submission of a new license application form. In addition, salespersons must take a pre-license fundamentals course or the license examination, and brokers must take the pre-license broker course or the license examination.
By Virginia Zignego