How to get a real estate license in New York

It generally takes three weeks to three months to get a real estate license in New York. Remember that the more time you spend studying for the licensing 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 New York Dept. of State 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 New York Dept. of State reviews your application and mails your license. Time: 1 to 2 weeks

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 two weeks, depending on availability at your nearest state exam proctoring site.

When it comes to getting a real estate license in New York, here’s what you need to budget for:

• Prelicensing exam coursework = $239 to $909
• 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 $484 and $1,154

According to Indeed, New York real estate agents make an average of $105,472 annually (as of this writing). According to ZipRecruiter, the average salary of a New York real estate agent is $99,707 per year, compared to a national average of $91,137.

While ZipRecruiter is seeing salaries as low as $32,821 and as high as $161,918, the majority of New York agents earn between $91,000 and $104,00, with top earners making $140,583 annually in the state of New York.

Once you have passed the New York 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 broker will be sent a notification to log on to their personal online account and authorize your application.

After the broker authorizes your application, the New York Dept. of State will review it to ensure that it is complete and meets the qualifications for a real estate salesperson license.

There are 75 questions on the New York real estate licensing exam, and you need a passing grade of 70% to get licensed. According to several sources, the pass rate for the New York real estate licensing exam is around 60%.

You’ll be given 90 minutes to complete the New York real estate licensing exam. Preparation is key! The New York real estate schools we’ve recommended in this article should help you ace the exam on the first try. The CE Shop and Colibri Real Estate are national real estate education providers trusted by hundreds of thousands of students each year.

Choosing the right real estate school for your learning style and study habits will help you ace the exam. Practice tests, quizzes, flashcards, audio lessons, webinars, matching games and other tools offers by the schools on this list will help you feel confident on exam day. Check out our guide to the best online real estate schools in New York for more information.

Currently, New York 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 Dept. of State to obtain a license.

To learn more about real estate license reciprocity and portability, read our complete guide to where you can practice with your real estate license.

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 items that you cannot bring into the exam room when you sit the New York real estate licensing exam:

• 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.

Your NY real estate license will be valid for two years. When it comes time to renew your New York real estate license, your only option is to renew it online using your eAccessNY account. The New York Dept. of State will send you an email and postcard three months before the license expiration date as a renewal reminder, with instructions on how to renew your license onlin

If you don’t renew your license on or before its expiration date, you won’t be legally permitted to practice real estate in New York until your license has been renewed. 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 license application and pay the fee) all over again.

Checklist for License Renewal

Renewing your license every two 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