How do I get my real estate sales license?

Listed below are the requirements to obtain a salesperson license until April 30, 2011. After that date no salesperson license will be issued in the State of Illinois. For more information on this and other Illinois Real Estate License Law changes visit www.IARlicenselaw.org [1].

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To obtain a real estate salesperson license for the state of Illinois, you must:

1. be at least 21 years old
2. be a high school graduate or equivalent (G.E.D.)
3. successfully complete the pre-license 45-hour basic transactions real estate education course
4. pass the state of Illinois exam
5. be sponsored by a licensed broker in Illinois

Pre-license 45-hour basic transactions real estate education course:

Also called the "pre-license course," this is a mandatory education course for all salespersons. The course covers all factors involved in real estate transactions including finance, real property law, property, listing, agreements, taxes, legal descriptions, Illinois License Law and ethics.

The Illinois Association of REALTORS® provides several options to fulfill this training requirement: classroom, home study, and an online course.

After completing the course, you must take an exam based on the course materials. IAR will e-mail your exam to a local board of REALTORS® for proctoring. Once you pass this exam, you are issued a transcript that will enable you to sit for the state exam, which is administered by Applied Measurement Professionals (AMP).

1) Classroom Option

The education course is available in a classroom setting at approximately 70 IAR-sponsored branch locations throughout Illinois. This option is best for individuals who like to interact with others, want immediate feedback to their questions and real-world examples. Check the current pre-license class schedule [2].

School Policies

• Attendance is required.
• All absences up to 10 percent must be made up.
• Missing more than 10 percent of the course results in failure.
• Course completion requires a minimum of 75 percent or higher on the final exam.

Tuition

• Pre-license classes are $295, which includes course materials.
• Some branch locations offer an advance registration fee of $275.

Refund Policy

• A $25 fee is non-refundable.
• Written cancellation of enrollment received by IAR prior to the class start date will entitle the student to a refund of all other fees.
• 50 percent of the tuition will be withheld if registration is cancelled within 10 hours after class begins. No refund will be issued thereafter.

Repeat privilege

Any IAR real estate transactions student who fails receives one free retake exam and/or may repeat the course within one year on a space-available basis at no additional tuition.

2) Online Course

If you have discipline and are comfortable working on the computer with no companion printed materials, the online Real Estate Transactions Course is a good choice. The online course [3] is available from RECampus [4], which is an online school sponsored by the Illinois Association of REALTORS® in partnership with Dearborn Publishing, Inc.

When you sign up for this course, be sure that the e-mail you submit is your own, because once the program starts, the course will only recognize the computer and e-mail address from which it was initially logged into as enrolled. Also note: To take the online course, you must download the software enhancer Java Virtual Machine to properly view the materials. Click here to download Java [5].

3) Home Study

A home study course is available from the IAR REALTOR® Store. You have twelve months to complete the courses. The course does have an instructor available to answer your questions via telephone or e-mail. To order, visit the IAR Online Pre-License Store [6], or call 800/529-2696.

Who is exempt from taking the pre-license 45-hour basic transactions real estate education course?

Attorneys admitted to practice law by the Illinois Supreme Court are exempt from taking the pre-license course. A photocopy of your current Illinois attorney registration pocket card certificate and consent to audit form must be included in the examination registration submitted.

Candidates applying for licensure on the basis of reciprocity need only take the Illinois State Supplemental examination. Documentation is required: the certification from each state of licensure. Visit the Ill. Dept. of Financial and Professional Regulation [7] for an updated list of reciprocal states.

How to get sponsored by a broker

Often even before taking the state exam, individuals who are serious about a career in real estate sales interview with several area brokers to learn about their companies and whether they are looking for new agents. It's a good idea to do this to learn more about the profession and to consider where you would like to work after you get your license. This is an informal process and one that you initiate on your own.

Taking the exam

As you prepare for the Illinois Real Estate Salesperson exam, it is wise to read the Candidate Handbook: Illinois Real Estate Examination Program [8], a step-by-step guide published by AMP, Inc [9]. the state of Illinois' authorized administrator for its real estate exams. The guide is available to download, free-of-charge. You can also reach AMP by calling 1-800-345-6559 or info@goAMP.com [10].

The guide provides detailed requirements for registering for the exam, how to schedule an exam appointment as well as a detailed outline of the contents of the text, sample exam questions, rules for the examination, as well as what happens after the exam.

Proctored testing is available at 12 AMP Assessment Center located throughout the state. The exam is administered by appointment only Monday through Friday at 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Saturday testing will also be available in the Chicago area, Springfield and St. Louis. The exam fee is $45 and you will have 3½ hours to complete it.

What if I fail the exam?

Candidates are allowed up to four attempts to pass the examination. After the fourth attempt, you are required to retake the pre-license 45-hour basic transactions course.

Last step, obtaining your official salesperson license

After you pass the Illinois Real Estate education exam you can apply for your salesperson license from the Illlinois Dept. of Financial and Professional Regulation [7], 217/782-3414.

What about real estate continuing education?

Real estate salespersons are required by the state of Illinois to take 12 hours of approved continuing education every two years. Likewise, licensees are required to apply for a license renewal every two years from the Illinois Dept. of Financial and Professional Regulation [7]. Get more details [11] about continuing education requirements.