How To Become A Real Estate Agent In Ohio

Are you interested in a career as a real estate agent in Ohio? If you been consider a career change the idea of working as a real estate agent might be ideal. Ohio has a booming economy and strong housing demand.

A career in real estate can offer you a more flexible schedule and the ability to write your own paychecks. Is not the perfect time to start cashing in those big real estate commissions?

Well no matter the reason, let’s take a look at the steps required to become a real estate agent and get your Ohio real estate license.

How To Get Your Ohio Real Estate license

There are several key steps involved in getting your real estate license in Ohio and becoming a real estate agent. In a nutshell, they include:

You must be at least 18 years old.
You must be a citizen of the United States or a legally qualified alien.
You must have a high school degree, GED, or any other equivalent degree recognized by the Ohio Department of Education.
Complete all 120 hours of Ohio real estate pre-licensing classes.
Pass the final real estate exam.
Find an Ohio brokerage to sponsor you.
Complete and pass the national criminal background check.
Complete you application.
Schedule your exam.
Pass the Ohio Real Estate Exam.
Complete 20 hours of post-licensing education hours.

While all these may seem pretty simple, there are some important things that I would like to highlight to make the process as smooth as possible.

Meet the Minimum Age, Education, and Citizenship Requirements

The first part is quite straightforward and applies to most states in the country. Any individual interested in applying for a real estate license within the State of Ohio must provide proof that they are at least 18 years of age and have a GED, high school diploma, or any other equivalent degree recognized by the Ohio Department of Education. The individual must also be a U.S. citizen with a valid Social Security Number or a lawfully documented resident within the country.

Complete 120 Hours of Real Estate Pre-Licensing Course

The next step is to complete 120 hours of ODRE-approved real estate pre-licensing courses. The course covers the basic theories and practical concepts that you will need to know as a practicing real estate agent in Ohio.

The topics covered in the course include:

Real Estate Principles and Practices (40 hours)
Ohio Real Estate Law (40 hours)
Real Estate Appraisal (20 hours)
Real Estate Finance (20 hours)

The course can be taken as physical classes mixed with online resources, which usually last between 2-3 months. It can also be taken in the form of solely online classes depending on your preference. These classes will be anchored by experienced real estate professionals at ODRE-approved centers. These courses must have been completed within 10 years preceding your application. Here are some things you will learn in real estate school.

Real estate math
Real Estate Land use laws and regulations
Real Estate Fair Housing laws
Real Estate Financing
Real estate Contracts
Transfer of title
Brokerage relationships
Real Estate Disclosures
Reeal Estate Property analysis
Rules of the Ohio Real Estate Commission
Real Estate Law
Real Estate Ethics
Real Estate Agency Laws

These courses may seem a bit confusing initially since you are learning an entirely new set of concepts. However, with time and dedication, you’ll easily adapt and find yourself gaining a deeper understanding of the real estate industry.

Sign up for state approved pre-license classes here: Hondros Real Estate School

Pass the Final Exams in Your Real Estate Pre-Licensing Courses

Once you have completed the courses you have to pass the final examination. Once you have passed this you will be presented with a Certificate of Completion for that course. When applying for your license you must submit a copy of this certificate to be eligible.

Most people rush to finish the material and take the final exams. However, this is not the best way to approach the course. Take your time to ensure that you understand the course material fully and avoid overwhelming yourself with information.

Find A Ohio Brokerage To Sponsor You

Before scheduling for the exam you should apply for sponsorship with a licensed broker. This involves completing a sponsorship request. Brokers are a vital part of the learning process, especially for new agents. Brokers are experienced agents with higher qualifications, meaning that they have a wealth of knowledge and experience that you can tap into.

There are several important things to keep in mind when choosing a broker. They include factors such as:

Broker reputation
Mentorship culture
Commission splits
Commission caps
On-going monthly fees, and so on.

Complete a Salesperson Examination Application

This part is easy and involves filling in some basic information about you and your sponsoring brokerage. You will also need to answer yes or no to a series of Ethical Conduct questions. This application should be filed with the ODRE, who will review your documents to ascertain your eligibility. The form is available in PDF form and can be downloaded from the website and printed out. The form is to be filled in black or blue ink only.

After this, you will be required to mail your application along with your application fee and other documents proving you have completed the required pre-licensing courses to the Ohio Division of Real Estate to:

Ohio Department of Commerce

Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing

77 South High Street, 20th floor

Columbus, OH 43215

You are required to pay an application fee of $60, payable to the Ohio Division of Real Estate via a check which should be included with your application form. Please take note that this is not the examination fee. If you are found eligible you will be sent a candidate information bulletin in the mail from PSI, the testing service responsible for carrying out the examination in Ohio state. This typically includes instructions on how to schedule your exam, as well as a list of suggested study materials and prep tests.

Complete the National Criminal Background Check

The next step is a routine background check. The database and background check is handled by Webcheck, a contracted service that is also responsible for collecting your fingerprints during the process. Applicants should be approved by the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation (BCI&I) within 10 days after the date of applying. Applicants should not have fingerprints taken before applying with the Division of Real Estate.

The cost of the service was between $60-$80 as at the time of writing this guide. Remember to come with at least two forms of identification when reporting to the fingerprinting center. You can order a background check and request more information on the process from the ODRE website by clicking here.

Schedule Your Real Estate Exam

Like we said, once your details have been confirmed, they will be forwarded to PSI. You will receive an email with further instructions concerning scheduling the exam and how to pay the $97 exam fee. They will also send you an Examination Authorization Form which entitles you to take the exam only one time.

You can see the testing locations in the Candidate Handbook or by scheduling on PSI’s website. You can also call 855-834-8749 for registration assistance. There are testing centers available in Akron, Cambridge, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dublin, Groveport, Toledo, and Troy. Here are a couple of important things to know.

This test can be taken by computer at the testing center.
This is not an open book test.
Tests must be scheduled at least one day in advance.

Pass the Ohio Real Estate Exam With a Score of 70%

Check out this study tool to help you pass your real estate exam: Prep Agent

What Should I bring To The Testing Center?

You will need to bring two forms of identification that have not expired and have a matching name and signature. One form of identification must have a photo to qualify. Here are some examples of acceptable identification.

Drivers license
US social security card
Passport
Debit Card with Signature
Credit Card with Signature
Green Card

How Hard Is It To Pass The Exam?

The Ohio state salesperson exam is divided into two sections, a national section which has 80 questions and a state section with 40 questions. This gives a total of 120 questions worth 120 points.

The exam includes multiple-choice questions. The time allowed in the national section is 120 minutes, while 60 minutes are allowed in the state section. A passing score of 56 and 42 respectively is required.

Your score will be displayed immediately after completion of the exams and an official score report with your score and any other diagnostic information will be provided to you. The exam report will also be reported to the Ohio Real Estate Commission.

You must pass both portions of the exam before moving on to the next steps with your license. If you passed one section of the exam and failed the other you can retake only the section you failed.

Complete 20 Hours of Post-License Education

All active licensees are required to complete 20 hours of post-license courses for salespersons within the first year of licensure to be issued a permanent license.

How Much Money Can a Ohio Real Estate Agent Make?

The Average Income For Ohio Real estate agents in 2022 was $76,310. Keep in mind, this is the average and many agents earn much more and some earn much less. This is a 100% commission career. There is no income cap on how much a real estate agent can earn.

The best way to figure out how many homes you will need to sell to hit your desired income is to take your average home sales price and your average real estate commission and figure out your average gross commission per sale. From there you will be able to calculate how many homes you need to sell per year to hit your desired income goal.

Tips to select the perfect sponsoring broker

Choosing the right sponsoring broker can mean the difference between failure and success as a real estate agent. If you are going to spend all this time, energy and money to get your Ohio real estate license it is important to find the right sponsoring broker to give yourself the bet chances of success.

Once you pass your exam and get your ohio real estate license you will quickly notice how many brokerages are interested in hiring you as a new real estate agent. But be careful! Remember, this is a 100% commission job and almost any brokerage will hire you.

Here are some key questions to ask when interviewing for your first brokerage.

Ask If They Offer Mentorship.

Yes, you passed your exam and you are a fully licensed real estate agent. However, you will quickly find out how much you still need to learn once you get out into the real estate field. I know I was shocked when I first got licensed quickly was humbled by how much I still did not know.

This is why having a mentor who is there to help is so important. Having an experienced mentor who has had their real estate license for many years and has experience dealing with challenging real estate deals can be a huge stress reliver. My first deals would have been impossible without my mentor.

Ask If They Have a Training Program.

Do not confuse this with a mentor. Your training program is something you can do on your own time and walk you through the day to day task you should be completing as a new real estate agent.

Think training modules that walk you though the process of being a newly licensed agent and teach you how to launch your career. Not all brokerages will have this in place. However, some brokerages will have in person weekly classes you can take. This is just as good!

Regardless, making sure you have training in place to give yourself the highest odds of success is important. This industry has a 87% failure rate for new agents.

Ask how you will get business.

Most real estate agents who go through the hard work of getting their ohio real estate license do not quit because they do not love the business. They quit because they could not afford to stay in the business.

Partnering with brokerage who is going to teach you how to generate clients will help get your Ohio real estate career of the ground much faster. Make sure to ask this question to increase your odds of success.

In Conclusion

Getting your Ohio Real Estate License is quite easy if you follow all the required steps. The entire process can take anywhere between 3-4 months and may cost upwards of $1000-$2000. However, with hard work and dedication, you’ll be a licensed Ohio real estate agent in no time.

How To Become a Real Estate Agent in Ohio