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Become A Real Estate Agent In New York
Article Summary: This article will help anyone looking for information pertaining to a real estate license in the state of New York or anyone looking to become a real estate agent or realtor in New York. Contents of this article may include information on real estate education, schools, training courses, continuing education, tests and exams, laws, license requirements, renewal information, forms and more.
The New York State’s Department of State, established in 1778, has two main divisions.
One is the Office of Business and Licensing Services that oversees the Division
of Licensing Services. This Division of Licensing Services handles all aspects
of the real estate industry licensing in New York from their office in Albany.
The requirements for a real estate salesperson license in New York include being at least 18 years
of age, and having successfully completed the real estate education requirement of 45 hours of
qualifying real estate courses. All applicants for the salesperson license must successfully pass
the New York real estate examinations. No previous experience is required.
The requirements for a real estate broker license in New York
include being at least 19 years of age and being a U.S. Citizen or an alien lawfully
admitted for permanent residence. Broker license applicants must have at least
one year of experience as an active licensed real estate salesperson, or at least
two years of experience in the general real estate field. Full time is defined
as 35 hours per week for at least 50 weeks per year. Applicants may apply for
a combination of these two types of experience. Broker license applicants need
to successfully complete 90 hours of specific approved real estate courses before
taking the real estate exams. Those who have completed a degree program with a
major in real estate may apply for a waiver of the education requirement.
Broker applicants need to apply for their license within two years of successfully completing the examinations
or the exam results will be invalidated. Attorneys who are currently members of the New York State bar are
exempt from both the educational and experience requirements. All broker applicants must have a physical address
that they will be doing business from: a post office box number as a business address is prohibited.
All applicants for a real estate license in New York State need to complete and submit
a Child Support Statement, whether they have children or not, or any support obligation.
If anyone is four or more months in arrears in child support their license may be suspended.
No person shall receive a real estate license if they have ever been convicted of a felony,
but this rule may be waived in certain circumstances. The examination fees are $15.00 for
both broker license applicants and salesperson license applicants.
Licensed real estate agents need to complete 22 ˝ hours of approved continuing education courses
during their two-year license period. Exemption from this continuing education requirement is granted
to real estate brokers who have 15 consecutive years of real estate licensure and who are actively engaged
in real estate at the time of renewal. New York State attorneys admitted to the bar may also waive
this requirement.
The approved real
estate schools for prelicensure and the approved continuing
education schools are located online. Distance-learning real estate courses
are available as well as classroom courses.
The nonrefundable license application fee is $150 for a real estate broker, and the license will be
effective for two years. The salesperson real estate license is $50.00. The expiration dates for both
are staggered.
Licensees have two years in which to renew licenses before they totally expire, and during
that period they may not practice real estate. Once expired, the licensee will have to take
the state written examination again. No continuing education courses are required in order to repeat
the licensing process again.
New York has reciprocity
agreements with ten states. In some of these states, the reciprocity is for
brokers only, and in others the reciprocity pertains to both brokers and salespersons.
Applicants from these states need to submit their completed application with the
application fee, a current certificate from the state where they are licensed
stating that they are in good standing, and a certificate of irrevocable consent.
Applicants for a salesperson license by reciprocity must be sponsored by their
home-state broker who must also hold a current New York State broker license.
Fax and phone numbers for obtaining real
estate forms and the salesperson application are available online. Many other
forms may also be obtained through these numbers, or from the Division of Licensing.
Real estate careers are strengthened by membership in the many organizations
that provide services for the professional agent. Organizations like the New
York State Association of Realtors and the National Association of Real Estate
Brokers (NAREB) assist many
in locating real estate jobs within the industry. The Association of Real
Estate License Law Officials (ARELLO)
and The National Association of Realtors (NAR),
the world’s largest professional association, are excellent resources for real
estate education and professional enrichment.
This portion of our website has been created for information purposes
only. It is our belief that all information presented here is accurate
as of today, however each state is constantly striving to protect
the public and provide more quality service to those using the services
of a Real Estate Agent. Change in Real Estate laws and regulations
is inevitable. The information presented here should be considered
a starting point and we encourage everyone to fully research any
information you are seeking.
To further assist you, we have included links to each state's
real estate licensing office, and also to the state's local Association
of Realtors site that provides current information on proposed real
estate license regulations in that area.
If you do find an error or have updated information, please contact
us and we will update our information accordingly.
