DRE Sponsor ID# S0156

Below are step-by-step instructions for how to become licensed to sell Real Estate in California. Read this before you sign up for classes and it will make the licensing process a lot easier for you!

Step 1: Complete Your Pre-Licensing Courses

• Salesperson License: You must complete 3 statutory courses to be eligible to take the state exam: Real Estate Principles, Real Estate Practice, and an Elective of your choice. The courses we offer are in a CORRESPONDENCE (printed) BOOK format. You must complete a final exam for each course with a score of 60% or better to receive a certificate of completion. The Bureau of Real Estate requires you spend a minimum of 18 days on each course, meaning you must wait a minimum of 18 days in between taking each of the final exams
• Broker License: To be eligible to get a broker’s license, a minimum of two years full-time licensed salesperson experience within the last five years or the equivalent is required. You must complete 8 statutory courses to be eligible to take the state exam. The 5 required courses are: Real Estate Practice, Legal Aspects of Real Estate, Real Estate Appraisal, Real Estate Finance, and Real Estate Economics. You must also complete 3 of the following courses: Escrows, Mortgage Loan Brokering, Property Management, and Real Estate Principles. PLEASE NOTE: If you are currently licensed as a Salesperson, The 3 courses you completed to get your Real Estate Salesperson License, count towards your 8 required courses for the Broker’s license.  You must complete 5 additional courses.
• Correspondence Courses offered by Mike Russ Schools: RE Principles, RE Practice, Finance, Appraisal, Escrow, Legal Aspects of Real Estate (RE Law), Mortgage Loan Brokering, Property Management
• Real Estate Exam Prep Class: This 2-Day class is designed to help you learn the material in your required correspondence courses and help you prepare for your state exam. We will cover the concepts you need to know for your state exam and practice questions and answers. The price of the class allows you to attend 3 weekend crash courses. Make sure you come to this class before you take your state exam!

Step 2: Apply for Your License

• Submit Salesperson/Broker License Application to the Bureau of Real Estate. You may download the current application from the BRE website (http://bre.ca.gov/Forms/Licensing.html) You must send in your certificates of completion from your required correspondence courses along with your application and fees

Step 3: Schedule Your Exam

• Once the BRE has processed and approved your license application, they will notify you of available dates/times and locations. You must schedule your exam through the BRE exam scheduling service.

Step 4: Fingerprinting

• Have your fingerprints taken by a qualified Live Scan service provider and submit a completed Live Scan request. You must get fingerprinted if you curently have no active license on file with the BRE. No license can be issued until the applicant completes and passes the fingerprinting/background check process.

For questions regarding the licensing/application process, please contact the CA BRE directly: (877) 373-4542 or www.bre.ca.gov