Laguna Hills, CA – April 7, 2011 – (RealEstateRama) — To become a real estate agent in the state of California, you have to earn your real estate license first. There are a number of requirements that must be completed before you can take the examination to earn that license and some criteria that you must meet.
The Very Basic Requirements for the California Real Estate License
The first of the requirements for eligibility is to be the right age. In California, the minimum age for taking the real estate licensing exam is 18. In addition, having a clean criminal record is also necessary. A conviction will not necessarily keep you from taking the licensing exam; however, you have to disclose any criminal conviction on your application. If you do not, you will be barred from taking the licensing exam in the state of California. Always be honest on your application, it is one of the requirements for being a real estate agent. You also must be a legal resident of the United States.
In addition to these basic requirements, there are some specific educational requirements that you must also complete before taking the licensing exam. Check out the complete California real estate license requirements.
The Education before the California Real Estate License Exam
To be eligible to take the real estate licensing exam as defined by the California Division of Real Estate, you have to take approved courses. The first is a 45 hour course of Real Estate Principles, then a 45 hour course of Real Estate Practices. You also have to take a 45 hour course that can be selected from a list of California real estate license courses which include:
- Real estate finances
- Real estate economics
- Real estate appraisal
- Property management
- Legal aspects of real estate
- Real estate office administration
- General accounting
- Business law
- Escrows
- Mortgage loan brokering and lending
- Computer applications in real estate
- Common interest developments
After completing all of three of these courses successfully, you will be eligible to apply for the real estate exam. Once you complete the exam itself, you be given a license and can apply for jobs in any real estate agency in the state.
Your real estate license will need to be renewed every four years.
What You Need for the California Real Estate License Exam
When you apply to take the real estate license exam, you will need to pay the application fee, submit your transcripts, fingerprints and criminal history to the appropriate licensing board. After all of this information is reviewed, you will be given a date to take the actual examination. There will be a time elapse between the actual application and the time of the exam so that all documents can be thoroughly reviewed. Check the time frame so that you know when the exam will be scheduled for you.
