How to Get an Ohio Real Estate License
Jay Gallagher
Real Estate Broker (Advice from an agent like you, not some tech nerd who never sold a home!)
This is a Step by Step Guide on how to get your Ohio Real Estate License. No matter where you live, from Cincinnati to Columbus or Cleveland to my favorite town, Marietta, or anywhere in between, becoming a real estate agent may be the best decision you ever make.
All the information, documents and links you’ll need to get your Ohio real estate salesperson license are below.
I also answer all your burning questions at the bottom of the page.
Click on a question to see the answers:
Meet the State Requirements
Learn exactly what the State of Ohio requires before you can get a Real Estate Salesperson License.
Pre-Licensing Education
Ohio requires 120 hours of Real Estate Education to get licensed. Find the best Real Estate School for you.
Pick a Sponsoring Broker
Meet the new boss! The good news is you get to pick the broker you want to work with. Learn how to pick the best.
Apply For Exams
Once you pass the Pre-Licensing Education and Pick a Broker you can apply to take the Ohio Real Estate Salesperson Exams.
Submit Fingerprint Cards
Time this step right. Once you submit your application you have 10 days to get fingerprinted for the background checks.
Get a Background Check
It can take a few weeks to process your background check once you submit your fingerprints for review.
Pass the State Exam
Learn the fastest and easiest way to pass the Ohio Real Estate Salesperson License Exam the very first time.
Receive Your License
When you pass your exams, PSI will notify the ODRE and they will issue you a Real Estate Salesperson License.
Launch Your New Career
Now the fun begins. Learn how to get your new Real Estate Career off on the right foot by doing the right things to get business.
So, How Do You Get an Ohio Real Estate License?
1. Meet The State Requirements
To get your Ohio Real Estate Salesperson License you must meet the following requirements:
- Must be at least 18 years of age.
- Must be honest and truthful.
- Must have a high school diploma or GED.
- Must be a U.S. Citizen or an alien lawfully admitted to the U.S.
- Must have a Social Security Number.
- Must not have been convicted of a disqualifying offense.
- Must not have violated any civil rights laws regarding real estate in past 2 years.
- Must not have violated any rules of the Ohio Division of Real Estate.
- Must pass a background check.
- Must take and Pass an Ohio approved Real Estate Pre-Licensing Education.
- Must pass the National Portion of the Real Estate Salesperson Exam.
- Must pass the Ohio State Portion of the Real Estate Salesperson Exam.
Print out the Ohio Real Estate Salesperson License Examination Application here.
2. Complete Pre-Licensing Education
The Ohio Division of Real Estate (ODRE) has 4 courses that have a minimum of 120 hours of coursework that must be completed before you can apply for your Ohio Real Estate License:
- Principles and Practices Course – 40 Hours
- Real Estate Law Course – 40 Hours
- Real Estate Finance Course – 20 Hours
- Real Estate Appraisal Course – 20 Hours
They have 4 levels of instruction.
I don’t recommend the basic level at all because it doesn’t included the most valuable part, the Real Estate License Practice Tests.
These practice tests actually guarantee you will pass the Real Estate Exam. Just take the practice tests until you consistently score 90 or higher and you are guaranteed to pass the Ohio Real Estate Exam on your first try. I think these practice tests are the easiest way to ensure you pass.
The ODRE requires one Post-Licensing Educational course to be completed within one year of your license being issued.
- 20 Hour Real Estate Course
Be sure to email your course completion certificate to PostCert@com.ohio.gov before the due date.
The Pre-Licensing premium package includes the Post-Licensing Education course too so you won’t have to worry about it later.
3. Pick a Sponsoring Broker
All Realtors must work under the supervision of a Broker who’s responsible for monitoring their activities. The good news is that you get to pick a broker to place your real estate salesperson license under.
A Sponsoring Broker must sign page 2 of your Ohio Salesperson License Examination Application.
If you’re a new agent, I recommend you go with one of the big box brokerages because the bigger companies have training programs in place to take you from rookie agent to seasoned pro. ReMax, Keller Williams and Century 21 are all good places to start but make sure you talk to some smaller regional offices too and see what they are offering.
4. Apply To Take The Exams
Once you’ve passed your Pre-Licensing Education and your Sponsoring Broker signs your application, you can apply to take the exams.
To apply to take the real estate license exams, the following items need to be submitted to the ODRE:
- Completed Ohio Salesperson License Examination Application.
- Proof of completion of the Pre-Licensing Education.
- Check or Money Order made out to “Ohio Division of Real Estate”.
- Mail the entire package to: Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing, 6606 Tussing Rd., PO Box 4008, Reynoldsburg, OH 43068
5. Submit Fingerprint Cards
Ohio makes it easy to get fingerprinted by outsourcing it to a third party private company called Webcheck. You must contact Webcheck and be fingerprinted within 10 days AFTER you file your application with the state.
You can find a Webcheck Fingerprinting location at this link here.
Make sure you choose a location that can submit your fingerprints to both the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification (BCI) and the FBI. Give Webcheck the following Reason Codes so they know how to process your fingerprints:
- BCI&I Reason Code: 4735.143
- FBI Reason Code: 4735.143
You pay Webcheck directly for both the fingerprinting and the background checks. Don’t forget to bring ID!
After you submit your fingerprints, Webcheck will then submit your fingerprints for the background checks.
6. Pass Background Checks
You are required to complete a criminal records check of both state and FBI records. Ohio has a list of specific criminal offenses for which a conviction may disqualify you from obtaining a real estate license.
The list can be found at this link to the Ohio Disqualifying Offenses webpage.
Having a prior criminal conviction does not mean your license will be automatically denied. Even the criminal offenses listed on the Ohio website are not an automatic disqualification and a review of the facts for each conviction will be conducted on an individual basis.
If you have a previous conviction, you can submit a request to determine whether a particular conviction will disqualify you from obtaining a license before you go through the time and expense of taking any classes or exams.
You can find a link to the Pre-Determination Request Form Here.
The Ohio Attorney General has a great FAQ for Background Checks at this link.
7. Pass The State Exams
ODRE uses PSI, a third party vendor to proctor their real estate exams. Once ODRE receives your application and processes the background check, they will send the approval to schedule the exams to PSI. PSI will then send you an email with the Candidate Information Bulletin and instructions on scheduling the exams.
You can get a preview of the ODRE Real Estate Salesperson Candidate Information Bulletin at this link.
Ohio has two exams that you must pass before they will issue a license:
- National Real Estate Salesperson Exam
- Ohio State Real Estate Salesperson Exam
Make sure you bring the proper ID and follow all the security protocols.
PSI has testing centers nationwide and even offers remote online proctored exams so even if you are out of state you will have no problem being able to take the exams at a time and place convenient for you.
The biggest concern that most people have is passing the real estate exams. If you followed my recommendations and chose Pre-Licensing Education that included the Online Practice Tests and you can consistently pass these tests with a score of 90 or hgiher then you are guaranteed to pass the exams the very first time. They really do prepare you for the exams better than any other method.
8. Receive Your License
As soon as you pass the exams, PSI will transmit this information to the ODRE who will process your application and make you Ohio’s newest Real Estate Salesperson.
Congratulations!
9. Launch Your New Real Estate Career!
Now the real fun (and work) begins. The best thing about being a Real Estate Agent is the freedom it gives you. You’re your own boss and you get to decide how to move your real estate career forward.
Books
Continuous learning is the hallmark of all successful agents. Here are some resources to get you going in the right direction.
Below are my best suggestions:
- Best Books to Learn Principles of Success.
- Best Books for Real Estate Agents.
- Best Books for Real Estate Agent Social Media Marketing
Tools
You’ll need some tools to get the job done. At the very least, you’ll need a good Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software and a Real Estate Agent Website.
10. Jay Answers Your FAQs.
The best (and worst) thing about being a realtor is the freedom you have. Many agents just work part-time and only do 1-3 transactions a year. Other agents work 60+ hours a week and sell hundreds of homes a year.
The best way to answer the question of how much a Ohio realtor makes is to show how much you are likely to make per transaction.
The average price of a home in Ohio is $216,000. Say the average commission per side of the transaction is 5.5% and the average broker/agent split is 15/85. That means you will earn, on average, about $4600 per transaction. Not bad.
Of course this number will vary based on the average cost of real estate in your area, your commission rate and your broker split but that’s a good number to start with. Now you can dial up your income based on how hard and how effectively you work.
Ohio requires 120 hours of coursework. If you elect to take these courses in a classroom setting, you’ll have to go to a designated place and sit for the entire time.
For this reason, most people take the courses online so they can take the courses at their own pace and any time they wish.
Most people find they can complete the online coursework in a fraction of the 120 hours. A motivated person can complete it in as little as one month but most people will take two months or more if they do a little bit every day.
The Ohio Real Estate Exam is not difficult IF you buy a test prep course.
The best test prep courses include practice tests that you can take over and over again until you know the material. If you can consistently take a practice test and score a 90 or higher, then you are practically guaranteed to pass the actual exam.
If you’re someone who gets nervous and their mind goes blank during testing, then maybe you should wait until your score on the practice tests is consistently 95 or better.
The best brokerage is the one that’s the best fit for you.
Call up a few local brokerages and schedule a time to sit down and talk to them. Discuss things like E&O insurance, commission splits, leads and don’t forget to find out about any desk fees, tech fees or insurance fees.
Remember, if you don’t like the brokerage, you can easily change brokers.
I don’t recommend that you use any brokers CRM or email address because those things are the heart of YOUR real estate business and if your clients information is locked into your broker’s CRM, then it will be harder to make the move. That’s why the tools are “free” or included in a tech fee, to make it difficult for you to leave.
Let’s break it all down.
- Fingerprint/Background check – $60.00
- Pre-licensing Educational courses – $998.00 – $1445.00
- Exam Prep Courses – $0.00 – $99.00 – (Some Pre-Licensing Includes Exam Prep)
- Exam costs – $58.00
- Ohio Application Fee – $81.00
The cost of getting your Ohio real estate license can vary depending on your situation and your needs. The cost for most agents will be as low as $1197.00 to as high as $1998.00.
Most agents who follow my recommendations will pay about $1239.00
