How Do I Get A Real Estate License in Massachusetts?

How Do I Get A Real Estate License in Massachusetts? 

Are you interested in getting a real estate license in Massachusetts?

In our class we go over these steps in detail as we prepare you for the exam, but here is a quick overview of the steps to make that happen! 

1.  You need to take a 40-hour Real Estate Salesperson’s course from a licensed school, like ours. Our school is open to anyone!

2.  To take the MA state real estate salesperson’s exam, you need to be 18 years old, have a social security number, and the education certificate you receive after completing the 40-hour salesperson’s course. This certificate will be stamped and signed on your last day of class by the school, and you have two years from that date to take and pass the exam.

3.  When you finish the class, you submit an application to the testing company. The application includes your certificate from class, a notarized CORI (Criminal Offender Record Information) form, and a 3-page application to which you apply a photo of yourself and include your payment for the exam (about $85). You also gather signatures of 3 people not related to you who recommend your candidacy for being a real estate agent.

4.  Your application is then examined by the testing company and the state. When it is approved, you will be notified by email. Students have been reporting that this wait period is presently about 3 weeks at best. 

5.  You will then have access to the testing company’s website so you can schedule the in-person exam at one of the 5 testing centers in the state. You select a time-slot that is mutually available between you and the testing company. Once you secure a spot, you may be able to postpone it or move it up sooner, if you check in and find space opens up earlier. You can preview the testing company’s website here:  www.psiexams.com 

6.  At the testing company, you bring 2 forms of ID with your signatures on them. One must be a government-issued photo ID. You have a combined total time of 4 hours to take the two portions of the exam, the general exam and the MA state exam. All questions are multiple choice on a computer. Your calculator will be on the computer and you cannot bring any items into the testing center with you! 

7.  You need a score of 70% or better on each of the two exam portions to pass the exam! We help you know what to study and how to best prepare to pass!

8.  When you get your happy test results, the state is set up with “one-stop licensing,” which means you get your license right there on the spot at the testing center! Rather, you get to purchase your license on the spot and the state wants you to be prepared with your personal check or credit/debit card (no cash) with you. 

9.  Your new license will cost between $100-150. The real estate license is on a 2-year cycle, expiring on your birthday. Your first license must be good for a minimum of two years to get on that cycle. Depending on when you take your exam, you may have a license good for nearly 3 years to get on that birthday-expiring date and your license will be pro-rated.

10.  Now you are licensed to practice real estate! Congratulations! The license is the same for those Intersted in sales, leasing, residential or commercial real estate. Your next step is to affiliate yourself with a real estate broker. We have an affiliated brokerage and a great referral network, too, so we can help with that if you like! 

11.  By the way, once you get your salesperson’s license, you renew it every two years on the state’s website for about $100. You also need to attest that you have taken 12 hours of continuing education in those 2 years. The Metropolitan School of Real Estate offers Continuing Education online so we can help you with that, too! If your real estate life takes a turn and you don’t renew your license for a short time, or for many years, you do not start over with the 40-hour pre-licensure course again. Instead, you will re-instate your same license by taking 12 hours of continuing education and paying a fee of about $240-280. 

12.  And, just one more thing. At the testing center, when you check in, the administrator will take your photo. You will think this is just part of the secure process of you getting you registered for the exam as it will appear on the document with your test results. The photo will be horrible. Worse than the DMV. And it will be on your very first real estate license. So be sure to smile! 

We’d love to help you prepare for your MA real estate license exam. See our upcoming class dates here: www.getmy40hours.com

Your friends at the METROPOLITAN SCHOOL OF REAL ESTATE