How to Get a Utah Real Estate License
Jay Gallagher
Real Estate Broker (Advice from an agent like you, not some tech nerd who never sold a home!)
You’re in the right place to learn how to get your Utah Real Estate License. No matter where you live, from Salt Lake City to St. George or Logan to my favorite town, Moab, 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 Utah 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 Utah requires before you can get a Real Estate Salesperson License.
Pre-Licensing Education
Utah requires 120 hours of Real Estate Education to get licensed. Find the best Real Estate School for you.
Pass the State Exam
Learn the fastest and easiest way to pass the Utah Real Estate Salesperson License Exam the very first time.
Submit Fingerprints
Time this step right. Once you get fingerprinted, you only have 90 days to complete the entire process.
Get a Background Check
It takes a few weeks to process your background check once you submit your fingerprints for review.
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.
Submit the Application
Make sure you get it right the first time. Check the list, make sure you jumped through all the right hoops and hit send.
Launch Your New Career
Get your new Real Estate Career off on the right foot by doing the right things to get business.
So, How Do You Get Your Utah Real Estate License?
1. Meet The State Requirements
To get your Utah Real Estate Salesperson License you must meet the following requirements:
- Must be 18 years of age.
- Have a High School diploma or a GED.
- Proof of Citizenship or legal presence.
- Meet the standards of honesty, integrity, truthfulness, reputation and competency.
- Submit Fingerprints.
- Pass a background check.
- Complete 120 hours of Pre-Licensing Real Estate Education. See Step 2 >
- Pass the Real Estate Sales Agent Exam.
Print out the Utah Real Estate Salesperson Application Checklist here.
2. Complete Pre-Licensing Education
Utah has thirteen courses that have a minimum of 120 hours of coursework that must be completed before you can apply for your Utah Real Estate License:
- Ownership of Real Estate – 12 hours
- Real Estate Brokerage and the Law of Agency – 12 hours
- Contracts – 16 hours
- Property Management – 4 hours
- Settlement – 8 hours
- Federal Taxation – 2 hours
- Real Estate Finance – 16 hours
- Valuation and Appraisal – 6 hours
- New Construction – 2 hours
- Math Skills – 4 hours
- Federal Laws – 6 hours
- Utah Law – 24 hours
- Testing and Review – 8 hours
TOTAL 120 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 Utah Exam on your first try. I think these practice tests are the easiest way to ensure you pass.
I recommend the Premium Package only because it is the only one that includes both the `120 hour Pre-Licensing courses as well as the 8 hour Post-Licensing education that Utah requires to be completed in the first 90 days of getting your license.
3. Pass the Real Estate Salesperson Exams
Utah Real Estate tests are proctored by Pearson VUE.
You can download the Utah Real Estate Candidate Handbook here.
You are required to bring a completed copy of this Candidate Education Certifying Document that you received from the Pre-Licensing Education provider to the exam center on the day of the exam.
Pearson Vue doesn’t just proctor the exams. After you pass the exam, they can immediately start the fingerprinting and background check, certify your identification and give you paper copies of the forms you will need.
Do not leave the testing center without getting the following forms from Pearson VUE:
- Sales Person Application Form
- Utah Qualifying Questionnaire
- Consent To Background Check Form
- Certification Of Legal Presence Form
4. Submit Fingerprints
Utah now requires fingerprinting for a background check. You have some fingerprinting options. The easiest option is to be fingerprinted right after you pass the Real Estate Sales Exam at the Pearson VUE testing center. This option is only available if you take the test in the state of Utah.
If you didn’t get your fingerprints done at the Pearson VUE testing center, private fingerprinting service vendors or your local LEO (law enforcement agency) can also be used to perform fingerprinting. The fingerprinting vendor or LEO will need to submit 2 blue FD-258 FBI fingerprint cards to the state of Utah.
5. Get a Background Check
If you had your fingerprints and background paperwork completed at the Pearson VUE testing center, they will forward them to the Utah Division of Real Estate and they will run your background check through both the State criminal database and the FBI RapBack System to check the Federal criminal databases.
Once your fingerprint cards and final application are received by the Utah Division of Real Estate, they will process your background check.
6. Pick a Sponsoring Broker
A Responsible Broker must sign your Utah Salesperson Application for License.
All Realtors must work under the supervision of a Broker who’s responsible for supervising their activities. The good news is that you get to pick a broker to place your real estate salesperson license under.
If you’re a new agent, I recommend you go with one of the big box real estate brokerages. ReMax, Keller Williams and Century 21 are a good place to start. The reason I recommend these brokerages for new agents is because the big box brokerages have training programs in place to help you make the transition from Rookie Agent to seasoned pro.
7. Submit Your Application
Once you pass the To get your Utah real estate license, the following items need to be submitted to the Utah Division of Real Estate:
- Complete the Utah Salesperson Application Form online by uploading the following documents saved as a PDF.
- Sales Person Application Form – Original, completed, signed and dated document issued by the Pearson VUE testing center.
- Utah Qualifying Questionnaire – Original, signed and dated responses to document issued at the Pearson VUE testing center, and all supporting documentation requested for any “Yes” answers.
- Consent To Background Check Form – Original, signed and dated document issued at the Pearson VUE testing center.
- Certification Of Legal Presence Form – Original, completed, signed and dated document issued by the Pearson VUE testing center.
- Candidate Education Certifying Document – Original, signed and dated document issued by the real estate school.
- Payment of the application fees by credit or debit card.
8. Launch Your New Real Estate Career!
Congratulations!
You’re a newly licensed Real Estate Agent.
One last thing to remember though. Utah requires you to complete 8 hours of post-licensing education in the first 90 days from when your license is issued. You need to pass the course and hold on to the completion certificate and upload it the next time you renew your license. If you chose my recommended Pre-Licensing Education package then this post licensing education was included.
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.
9. Jay Answers Your FAQ's...
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 Utah realtor makes is to show how much you are likely to make per transaction.
The average price of a home in Utah is $550,000. 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 $11,700 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.
Utah requires 120 hours of coursework. This is more education than most states require. 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 highly motivated person can complete it in as little as three weeks but most people will take a month or two (or more) if they do a little bit every day.
The Utah 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 – $40.00
- FBI RapBack Fee – $5.00
- Pre-licensing Educational courses – $450.00 – $950.00
- Post-Licensing Educational course – $69.00 – $99.00 (Some Pre-Licensing includes the post licensing education too.)
- Exam Prep Courses – $0.00 – $99.00 – (Some Pre-Licensing Includes Exam Prep)
- Exam costs – $59.00
- Utah Application Fee – $100.00
- Utah Recovery Fund Fee – $12.00
The cost of getting your Utah real estate license can vary depending on your situation and your needs. The cost for most agents will be as low as $737.00 to as high as $1250.00.
Most agents who follow my recommendations will pay about $900.00.
