When I was a teenager and left at home to watch my brother and sister, I started developing a taste and desire to make the home I lived in better, prettier, more functional. I started with painting walls different colors to improve the over-all cleanliness, look, and feel of the rooms. I started rearranging furniture the for flow, functionality, and style of the room. I started adding art work, décor, new accessories like pillows and throw blankets to make a room more inviting, cozy and relaxing. This led to a desire for both, working in real estate and interior design. I got an Associate’s Degree in Interior Design, but ended up not believing that I was good enough, and not pursuing it. With what little I knew about working in real estate, I didn’t think that I would be good enough for that either. The desire to get my real estate license however, lasted until I was in my 30’s. So I decided, with my newfound courage and belief in myself, that I should try and get the license, even if I didn’t go into real estate, I could check getting the license off my goal list.
After doing research online for schools where I could get my real estate license I settled with working with Real Estate U. This company provided online work at your own pace classes. I checked with the school to make sure that it was approved, or accredited, so I would not be wasting my time. Washington Broker Courses need to be fully approved by the Washington Real Estate Commission. Something interesting I learned right off the bat, I didn’t know before starting this program was that in WA state real estate agents are called brokers, not real estate agents.
There are two courses you have to take. One is 30 hours and the other 60 hours, so that you will get the required 90 hours of education. There are different options of how to take these courses, online or in person. Some community colleges offer these courses if you are interested. There are self-paced programs that allow you to work on your own time. Or online course with instructors. I opted for a self-paced program through Real Estate U so that I could work on the courses while working from home.
These courses, of course, are not free. Depending on what program you choose the price will vary. My program for the 90-hours cost $130.90. This was the cheapest I found for an accredited program. Then you have to purchase the work books separately, $22. This program allows for you to take one year to study. And I took that whole year to do it too. There was also an extra course where they provide practice exams so you can narrow down what is important to know. I opted for this and highly recommend it. It cost and additional $53.90.
After your courses are completed and you pass the final exams, the school you are taking the courses with has to send your course completion information to another company. You have to register and schedule your final test with this company. So far the process is explained and the steps are provided automatically via email so you know what you need to do next. The website for this step is https://schedule.psiexams.com/. At this site you will be able to find a physical location near you where you can take the exam to get the license. This I had to take at an H&R Block, one of the approved sites for testing near me. You of course have to pay for this, $210.
When you get to your appointment you are not allowed to bring anything in except your wallet, keys and a generic calculator. You do have to do math. You cannot have a phone, purse or bag, or even a big coat. They take your wallet and keys and lock them in a bag until you complete the test. You are put in a closed room with computers and timed with your test, 3.5 hours. You will find out if you pass our fail at the testing facility. This was so nerve wracking. Thankfully I passed the exam my first try! I used almost the whole 3.5 hours to do it.
After you pass the exam you are given one year to then get fingerprinted and apply for the license. I had no idea about this when I started the process for the license, but it is mentioned during the process. The document you receive when you pass the exam gives you the steps for getting fingerprinted. I, however, did not fully read the document and was waiting for an email giving instructions on the process to get finger printed that never came. I ended up emailing the DOL asking what the process was and the kindly sent over the information. This was done through Identogo, https://wa.state.identogo.com/, another appointment, and another payment of $45. You will also have a background check done, but you do not have to do anything for this.
My experience with getting fingerprinted almost stopped me from completing this process. I picked the closest Identogo location that I thought, from looking online, looked the least daunting to go to. When I get there, I drove through a neighborhood, which kind of threw me. Then the directions led me to a dirt/gravel driveway which had a gate at the front. This felt super sketch and I thought for sure I was in the wrong place. I saw cars parked, in what seemed like a yard parking lot, so I pulled in and parked, next and old car and a barking dog. I wandered towards the house which had a sliding glass door with an Identogo sign. There was a curtain over the door that was hanging of hooks. OMG, could this really be it? A place to get fingerprinted?! I tried opening the door and had trouble so I knocked and a very large man came and opened the door for me. He welcomed me into a waiting area with old warn-out furniture and dog hair. He then went to a backroom where he was working with someone else. I thought, this is where I die… Thankfully there was another woman in the waiting room, which was a living room, who looked younger than me and completely normal. If she can do this, I can do this. Once it was my turn, the process went very quickly. The guy working was very nice and used an electric scanner for finger prints. I gave him my payment and that was pretty much it.
You will also receive an email from the DOL about applying for your license after the exam. This breaks down the steps to apply for the license on their website and linking the exam application and setting up an account with the DOL. This is where your license will be managed. And after the background check and the fingerprints are approved and submitted, you will need to pay $223 to get the license. You will then receive an official email that they have issued your license. Yay! However, it is Inactive until you start working with a real estate firm.
Steps that have to be taken:
- Register for broker classes – Real Estate U ($130.90), Additional book ($22), Study guide program, ($53.90)
- Complete broker classes
- Credits are sent to PSI
- Register with PSI
- Schedule final exam – $210
- Take final exam/pass final exam
- Schedule finger printing
- Get finger printed/background check – $45
- Apply for License on DOL – $223
- Total cost in Dollars: $685
Some things to note:
You have to work with a real estate firm for at least two years before going on to your own. You also have to renew your license within the first two years, as it does expire. The first renewal is another 90-hours of course work. If you are thinking of going into this field of work, be prepared for the out-of-pocket cost and the personal time you have to put into this. So far, just to get the license it will cost at least $685, and about 95-100 hours of your time. And this does not guarantee a job or income.
Hopefully, if you have been thinking about getting your real estate license, whether you want to work in commercial or residential, or property management, this will help you in making the decision.
And remember, “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” – Confucius