How To Become A Real Estate Agent in Ohio

If you’d like to become a real estate agent in Ohio, it helps to understand everything involved before you start the process. Here, we’ll cover the benefits of the profession as well as everything that is required to receive your license.

There are a number of steps in this process, so we’ve broken it down to keep things simple. To get your license, you will need to:

Step 1: Prequalify
Step 2: Complete the pre-licensing education
Step 3: Pass each real estate course exam
Step 4: Obtain a sponsoring broker
Step 5: Submit a Real Estate License Application
Step 6: Pass the Ohio Real Estate License Exam

Before explaining each step, consider if becoming an Ohio Real Estate Agent is right for you.

The Benefits of Working as an Ohio Real Estate Agent

At salary.com, the average salary for a real estate agent in Ohio is listed as $41,000 to $53,000 per year. This varies depending on your commission percentage, the number of homes you sell, if you have any caps, what your split is with your broker, and the value of the homes sold.

In Ohio, the average price of a home is around $165,000. Real estate agents often make a 6% commission on sales, which would be $9,900.

Salary aside, becoming a real estate agent includes these other benefits:

• Flexibility in your schedule
• Unlimited income potential
• Career mobility
• Helping people
• Familiarity with your community and neighborhoods
• Varying environments and tasks

If this sounds like a good fit for you, these are the things you should consider next.

1. Do You Prequalify?

To begin the process of obtaining your Ohio real estate license, first make sure that you meet the following requirements

• Be at least 18 years old
• Have a high school diploma or its equivalent if born after 1950
• Be a U.S. Citizen or legal alien
• No history of felony convictions or crimes of moral turpitude
• No civil rights violations regarding real estate within the last two years
• Be honest, truthful, and of good reputation

As long as you meet these prerequisites, you can now take the next steps towards obtaining your license.

2. Complete Pre-License Education

In addition to a high school diploma or its equivalent, to qualify as a real estate agent in Ohio you need to complete 120 hours of real estate education courses. There are a number of real estate schools in Ohio that you can use for this, both in-person and online.

The 4 Required Courses:

• Real Estate Principles and Practices (40 hours)
• Ohio Real Estate Law, including civil rights, housing discrimination and desegregation problems (40 hours)
• Real Estate Appraisal (20 hours)
• Real Estate Finance (20 hours)

3. Pass Each Real Estate Course Exam

Once you complete a real estate course, you will need to take a final exam for each individual one. To pass the exams and earn the certificates, you will need to receive scores of at least 70%.

The exams need to be scheduled in advance, with the schools you took classes through, and a proctor will be present for each.

4. Obtain a Sponsoring Broker

To become a licensed and practicing real estate agent in Ohio, you need to be associated with a registered brokerage firm or broker. Before submitting your application, you’ll need to have secured this sponsorship. It’s important to choose the right broker, as they’ll play a key role in growing your real estate career.

Consider the following when choosing a broker to work with:

• Their reputation as a broker or brokerage firm
• The types of agents they look for
• If they provide education and training for agents
• If they provide marketing materials and potential leads
• Which systems they use
• The benefits they offer
• What is their commission structure?
• What is the growth potential?

Real Estate Agent vs Realtor: What’s the difference?

For a real estate agent to become a Realtor, they need to become a member of the National Association of Realtors®. The NAR is an organization for real estate agents and other industry professionals. Members are required to subscribe to standards and a code of ethics set by the association. Membership offers access to market data and transaction management services, and other benefits.

To become a part of this community, these are the steps you need to take:

• Get your state real estate license
• Join your local REALTORS® Association – find one close to you with their “find an association” tool
• Pay the application fee – this varies by association
• Maintain membership dues – to keep your title of REALTOR®, you need to pay an annual fee of $150

5. Submit your Real Estate License Application

After securing a sponsoring broker, you can now complete and submit your Ohio real estate application to the Ohio Division of Real Estate & Professional Licensing.

To apply, you will need to send in:

• A completed application
• The $81 application fee
• Your official transcripts or certificate of education completion

Once they approve your application, they will send you information about scheduling your final Real Estate Salesperson Exam. For more information, you can contact the Ohio Division of Real Estate & Professional Licensing at 614-466-4100.

6. Pass the Ohio Real Estate Exam

After your application is approved, you can schedule your exam online here, or by phone at 800-733-9267, or by mail. The fee for the exam is $61.

According to psiexams.com, to take the Ohio Real Estate Exam you will need:

• 1 form of identification. The identification must match the name you scheduled with.

NOTE: ID must contain candidate’s signature, photo, be valid and unexpired.

Once you’re in the exam site, you will need to place all electronic devices, bulky clothing, and other personal items in a secure location. You will then be asked to sit at a computer to take the test.

The maximum amount of time to complete the 120-question exam is 3 hours. It’s split into two parts: an 80-question national portion limited to 120-minutes, and a 40-question state portion limited to 60-minutes.

The topics covered in the exam include:

• Licensing Requirements
• Ohio Real Estate Law
• Real Estate Finance
• Property ownership
• Land use controls and regulations
• Transfer of Title
• Leasing and Property Management
• Contracts

To pass the Ohio Real Estate Salesperson Exam, you will need a score of at least 70%. You will receive the score as soon as you complete the exam. If you don’t pass, you will have a chance to schedule and retake the exam. If one or both portions of the exam is failed, a retake application will be provided to you with the failing score report at the exam site. You will need to reapply for the portion you failed using the Retake Application, and retake the exam within a 12-month period indicated by the testing center.

Once you’ve taken all of these steps and passed the final exam, you will have your Ohio Real Estate Agent License.