How to get a real estate license in New York (NY) in 5 steps

According to several reputable digital resources and news sites, there is a 60% pass rate for those taking the New York real estate salesperson exam for the first time. ^[4] There are 75 questions on the salesperson’s license exam and a passing score is 70%.

When it comes to the time commitment for getting licensed as a real estate salesperson in New York, remember that the more time you spend studying for the license exam, the more prepared you’ll be to ace it the first time around and be eligible for your license.

Here’s a general idea of how much time to set aside:

• 77 hours for taking the real estate course approved by the New York Department of State, Division of Licensing Services. If you take the course online and you’re ambitious, you can invest about 38.5 hours a week and complete the entire course in under 2 weeks. Time: 2 weeks to 2 months
• 90 minutes for the exam. You’ll also want to arrive at least 30 minutes early to get settled. Time: 2 hours
• Background check including fingerprinting appointment and paperwork. Time: 2 hours
• Time for the DOS to review your exam and notify you of the results. Time: 1 to 3 days
• Time from the day you receive your passing score for the state exam and submit your license application to the day the DOS reviews your application and mails your license. Time: 1 to 2 weeks

Total time it generally takes to get a real estate license in New York: From a little over 3 weeks to 3 months.

Pro Tip: To save you time during the licensing process, you can schedule and take your New York State exam while you are still completing the 77-hour course. You should be able to reserve a seat for the exam within 2 weeks, depending on availability at your nearest state exam proctoring site.

As with any pursuit of education that will enhance your career, there are fees associated with getting your real estate salesperson license. When it comes to getting a real estate license in New York, here’s what you need to budget for:

• Prelicensing exam coursework = $149 to over $709
• Salesperson exam, initial application fee = $65
• Salesperson written exam fee: $15
• License renewal fee after 2 years = $65
• Other miscellaneous fees = $100

Estimated total = Between $394 and $954 ^[5]

Are you an attorney currently admitted to the New York State Bar? If you are applying for your initial salesperson license based on attorney status, you can submit a paper application to DOS by regular mail. ^[8]

If you are a broker, it’s possible you have already completed the 77 hours of coursework when you first became licensed (depending on when you became licensed) and may qualify for a course requirement waiver. To obtain a waiver from the salesperson course requirement, you’ll have to submit a written request to the DOS stating that you are applying for a waiver.

If you have a Bachelor’s Degree with a concentration in real estate, you may qualify for a course requirement waiver by submitting an official transcript with your waiver request to the DOS. If you completed your education outside of New York State and wish to request a waiver from the salesperson course requirement, you’ll have to submit

• a written request to the DOS stating that you are applying for that waiver
• proof of prelicensing course completion (The prelicensing salesperson’s course must be at least 77 hours of classroom instruction)
• a detailed outline listing topics and hours
• a course description

If you do receive an education waiver, you will still have to take and pass the state exam, and submit your application to the DOS Licensing Office to receive your salesperson license. ^[9]

When the day comes for you to take your real estate licensing exam, the two items you must have are your “Summary of Your Submission” page and a form of government-issued signature identification. Your identification must be photo-bearing and current (check that expiration date to be sure). The following are forms of photo ID accepted by New York State:

• Current state-issued driver’s license or DMV identification card
• U.S. passport or passport issued by a foreign government
• U.S. military identification card
• IDNYC Card (NYC identification card)
• U.S. citizenship and immigration services-issued employment authorization card
• United States INS issued ID
• Certificate of U.S. citizenship
• Brazilian, Mexican, Honduran, and Ecuadorian Consular ID

Here are a few items that are not required for the exam, but are permitted (to an extent):

• Calculators that are silent, battery or solar powered, nonprinting, and do not contain an alphabetic keyboard
• Beepers, cell phones, and other electronic devices that are turned off during the entirety of the exam

Here are a few of the items that you cannot bring into the exam room:

• Large bags, briefcases (there is no place to store these items, so don’t even bring these to the exam site)
• Food, beverages (you will be asked to dispose of these before entering the exam site)
• Firearms
• Books, dictionaries, other reference materials
• PDA’s

The possession or use of books, notes, or other items that can help with the exam is strictly prohibited, as is removing exam materials or notes from the site. Any prohibited possessions or behavior may result in disciplinary measures, as determined by the Exam Supervisor at the Department of State.

Did you know?
The New York real estate salesperson exam consists of multiple choice questions based on the 77-hour prelicensing curriculum. After instructions are given, you’ll have 90 minutes to complete the exam.

By logging into your eAccessNY account, you can see your exam results online as soon as they are received and scored by the exam unit. If you are anxiously awaiting your results and decide to call Licensing Services to get them faster, you’ll be disappointed to find out that results will not be given over the phone under any circumstance.

Your exam results will be issued as either pass or fail, rather than as a numerical score. For those who pass the exam, the results are valid for a 2-year period. If you fail the exam, you can schedule another exam by logging in to your eAccessNY account.

Once you have passed the real estate licensing exam, you can apply for a real estate salesperson license online by logging on to your eAccessNY account and choosing “Apply for Initial Salesperson License (qualifying by Exam only).”

Be sure to include the ID number of your sponsoring broker on the application. Your principal broker will be sent a notification to log on to their personal online account and authorize your application. After the broker authorizes your application, DOS will review it to ensure that it is complete and meets the qualifications for a real estate salesperson license.

Salespeople in New York: By the numbers

82,171 licensed and active real estate salespeople in New York ^{[14] [15]}

In the state of New York, a real estate salesperson license is good for 2 years. Once you are associated with a sponsoring broker you can renew your real estate license through your eAccessNY account. If you do not renew your license on or before the expiration date, you will be prohibited from legally practicing real estate in New York until your license has been renewed. ^[16]

Your NY real estate license will be valid for two years.

Unfortunately, there are no grace periods that permit you to continue working without a current license. If you aren’t able to renew your license by the expiration date, you do have two years from the date your license expires to renew it. You’ll still be able to log in to your eAccessNY account and renew your license even if it has expired. Just keep in mind that your license will not appear on the New York website until you renew it.

Make sure to renew your license within that period to avoid the headache of having to pass the New York State written exam (and submit a new salesperson application and pay the fee) all over again.

Be aware of your license’s expiration date (you can find it printed on your license) and take the proper steps to renew your license well before that date. The DOS does send an email and postcard three months before the license expiration date as a renewal reminder. Both reminders include written instructions on how to renew your license online through your eAccessNY account.

Checklist for License Renewal

Renewing your license every 2 years is simple with this checklist.

• Have a sponsoring broker
• Successfully complete 22.5 hours of continuing education
• Log on to your eAccessNY account
• Renew 90 days prior to the license’s expiration date
• Pay the $65 renewal fee

You may pay the $15 fee for your salesperson written exam, as well as the $65 for your two-year license, by check or money order made payable to the Department of State or charge any fee to Mastercard or Visa, using a credit card authorization form. ^[17]

When it comes to renewing your real estate salesperson license, your only option is to renew online, in accordance with New York’s Green Initiative to reduce paper use. ^[18]

Ready to renew your license? To renew your real estate license online:

• Log on to your eAccessNY account
• From the Main Menu page, choose “List of Licenses (Access your license here).” All your license(s) and license number(s) (UID#’s) will be listed there
• Click on “Renew License” and then “Next Step” to renew your New York license

After completing all of the steps on your Checklist for License Renewal (including payment), you will receive a confirmation page indicating that your renewal has been submitted. Before your license is renewed, your application will be reviewed by DOS to make sure it is complete and meets the renewal qualifications.

Before you renew your salesperson license for the first time, the DOS states that you’ll have to successfully complete 22.5 hours of approved continuing education. This must include:

• One cultural competency course (2 hours)
• One implicit bias training course (2 hours)
• One ethical business practices course (2.5 hours)
• One recent legal matters course (1 hour)
• One fair housing and/or discrimination in the sale or rental of real property, or an interest in real property course (3 hours)
• One law of agency course (1 hour) or (2 hours if it’s your first term renewing your license)
• Additional mandatory or elective topics can make up any remaining continuing education hours

Did you know? Any salesperson who successfully completes an approved broker qualifying course and passes the exam within their current term will receive continuing education credit for completion of that course.

When it comes to your continuing education courses, there are several different providers offering the education courses required by New York State. Real estate schools and real estate education course providers typically offer various renewal packages at different price points, allowing you to complete the courses online at a time that’s convenient for you, for a price you can afford. For the most part, these real estate continuing education providers let you personalize course packages by pairing courses required by New York with electives that you select from the provider’s course library.

DOS-approved schools providing continuing education courses can be found here:
Approved Real Estate Continuing Education Schools

Currently, the Empire State does not have reciprocity with any other state to waive the requirements for those who want to obtain a license. Requirements include qualifying for and passing the written exam. If you completed your real estate education outside of New York, then you can submit a written waiver request to the DOS to obtain a license.

According to ZipRecruiter, the average salary of a New York real estate agent is $93,951 per year as of September 22, 2023. This is the equivalent of $45 per hour, $1,806 per week, or $7,829 per month. Compared to the national average of $86,356, an agent in New York makes a whole $7,595 more per year. ^[19]

While ZipRecruiter is seeing salaries as low as $31,498 and as high as $161,992, the majority of real estate agents’ salaries is currently between $73,100 and $112,500, with top earners making $140,617 annually in the state of New York.

ZipRecruiter scanned a database of millions of active jobs published locally across the country to determine that New York is ranked number 2 out of 50 states nationwide for real estate agent salaries. ZipRecruiter also reports that the top 5 cities/areas where the typical salary for a real estate agent is above average in New York are:

• #5 Bay Shore, $98,461 annual salary
• #4 Rye, $99,745 annual salary
• #3 Flushing, $100,448 annual salary
• #2 Bay Ridge, $101,646 annual salary
• #1 Kensington, $102,185 annual salary

Based on several recent surveys, the average real estate agent commission rate is between 4% and 6% in New York, depending on the location within the state. This average reflects the total for both the listing agent and the buyer’s agent, and is typically split between the two 50/50. ^{[20] [21]}

$449,826 is the value of the average New York home

22 days is the average time it takes for a New York home to become pending ^[22]