The John Henderson Blog

People often call my office asking how to become a real estate agent in California. First, you should know that the California Department of Real Estate (DRE) licenses all real estate agents, both salespersons and brokers.

To become a real estate sales agent, you first need to complete three college level courses. These courses are Real Estate Principles, Real Estate Practice, and one elective. (If you’ve completed college courses in Accounting, Economics, or Business Law, you may be able to use one of these courses to meet the elective requirement.)

The fastest (and easiest) way to complete these college level courses is on a home study basis. I’d suggest you look at the Jump Start package on my website; included in the package are the required home study courses, along with our one day exam prep class to help you prepare for the state licensing exam.

As far as the time involved in completing the coursework, the DRE requires that you spend at least 18 days reviewing the textbooks for each of the home study courses before you can take the final exam, and you cannot take the courses concurrently. While that is the fastest that you can complete the course, there is no requirement that you finish that quickly (you have up to a year from the date of purchase to complete the courses). Most students spend about a month on each course.

Once the courses are completed, you’ll need to submit verification of completion to the DRE, along with your application for the licensing exam. It takes the DRE 3-4 weeks to process your application and schedule your test. You’ll want to start studying our exam prep materials around the time you submit your application. With 3-4 weeks of study time for the exam, along with our one day class, you’ll be sure to pass the exam on your first try.

I know this sounds long and involved, but once you dive in, you’ll find that the process moves fairly quickly – six months from now, you’ll be a successful real estate salesperson, wondering what you need to do to get a broker’s license.

Want to know more? Check out the links below:

Here’s detailed information on my Jump Start Package: Jump Start Program program. This program includes the courses required for a real estate salesperson license, along with our one day exam prep class.

If you’re a licensed real estate sales agent, and want to get a broker’s license, the Real Estate Centre offers a variety of courses to help you achieve the goal. Find everything you need at the following link: Broker’s License Courses.

Need to take your salesperson or broker exam, and just don’t seem to get around to it? Enroll in our Exam Prep. Over 90% of our students pass their real estate licensing exams, on the first try.

Looking for online practice tests? Look no further than my website: Online Practice Tests.

Whether you’re new to real estate, or you’re a sales agent ready to become a broker, the Real Estate Centre has a program for you. Order online at www.realestatecentre.biz, or give us a call at 310-410-9718 and let us customize a program to meet your needs.