How to Become a Real Estate Agent in Utah

Working as a real estate agent comes with many advantages. Many agents who decide to start their journey of becoming a real estate agent in Utah start on the quest to build a business that offers more of a flexible schedule.

Others want to simply break the glass ceiling and enter a career that rewards them for all the hard work and effort they invest into it. If you are tired or feel stuck in an unrewarding job now might be the perfect time to chase your goals and become a real estate agent.

Do you have what it takes to work as a Utah Real Estate Agent? If yes, let’s dive into the basic steps of getting your real estate license in Utah.

How To Become A Real Estate Agent In Utah

Must be at least 18 years of age

Must have high school diploma or GED

Must be a US citizen or legal alien

Complete 120 hours of approved pre-licensing real estate course
Pass real estate licensing exam
Fingerprinting and Background check
Submit your license application after 90 days of passing the exam along with required documents.

Choose Your School and Sign Up For Classes

Before you can start listing million dollar homes the very first step toward getting your Utah License is choosing your classes and completing the mandatory educational requirements set by the state to become a real estate agent.

Utah Real Estate Classes

Get ready for some classroom time! To become a licensed real estate agent in Utah, you must first complete your state’s mandatory education requirements. In total you will be required to complete 120 hours of state approved courses for pre-licensing.

Check here for state approved real estate classes and pricing. The good news is that the state of Utah allows you to take a portion of your real estate classes online. This is great because it will allow you to complete the course at your own pace and even possibly speed up the process if you put in the hard work.

What should I bring with me for exam?

At the time of exam the candidates should have two form of current signature identification with them. The primary identification should contain a photo with signature and must be issues by government. However secondary identification can contain a valid signature only. Applicant should also bring calculator with them.

What Will I Learn In My Pre-License Classes?

I remember sitting in my real estate pre-licensing class. For many, real estate is like learning an entirely new language. In class you will learn many new things. One of the most important being state laws as they relate to you as a real estate agent. This will help keep you out of legal trouble once you get out in the field and start practicing real estate. Here are some subjects you will learn about in real estate school.

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

To become a licensed real estate agent in Utah you need to finish your state’s mandatory education requirements. You will be required to complete 120 hours of state approved courses for pre-licensing

Schedule Your Utah Real Estate Salesperson License Exam

In Utah your real estate exam will be administrated by Pearson Vue, a third party company.

It is recommended you call and schedule with a customer service representative. Here are a couple important things to know.

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

Current Test Center Locations in Utah– Testing Locations

Utah Real Estate License Background Check

The Utah Division of Real Estate Commission requires all applicants to complete their background check and fingerprinting. For that you have to schedule and pay $12 through a third party company, Pearson Vue before getting fingerprint done.

After submitting the fingerprint your application for background check will begin. The Utah Division will check your background report to confirm that you are eligible.

What Is The Best Way To Study For The Utah Real Estate Exam?

Many people fail the Utah real estate exam the first time around. This is ok. Many of the great real estate agents having huge success today failed their exam the first time around. The bad news is that it costs money to retake your exam. At the time of writing, it is $59 to take the Utah Real Estate exam on each attempt.

To increase the chances of passing your exam the first time we recommend checking out Prep Agent. This study tool gave me and many other agents a huge boost in confidence when taking the real estate exam.

In fact, Prep agent is so confident in their study tool that they offer a 100% refund if you use the tool and fail your real estate exam.

What Do You Need To Bring When Taking The Exam At A Testing Center?

Don’t show up on test day only to be turned down. 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 accepted identification.

Driver’s license
US social security card
Passport
Debit Card with Signature
Credit Card with Signature
Green Card

You are allowed to bring a basic non scientific calculator that can be used for the math portion of the exam.

How Long Will I Have To Complete The Utah Real Estate Exam?

The Real Estate exam in Utah consists of two portions:

General (National) Portion- 150 minutes
State Section- 90 minutes
Total: 240 minutes

Number of questions on Salesperson exam

National- 80 questions
State Law-50 questions
Total- 130 questions

The Utah Real Estate exam is split up into two real estate exams. One state and one national. You will have a total of 240 minutes to complete both (4 Hours). You will have 150 minutes to complete the Utah State portion of the exam. You will have 90 minutes to complete the national portion of the exam. Some people even complete their exam early. Do not stress you have 3 hours to focus and get this done

Pass Or Fail- How Long Does It Take To Get Results?

Taking the real estate exam can be nerve racking. Once complete we all become anxious and want to know if we passed or failed the big test. The good news is that you will know the results immediately after you complete your exam.

Can I Retake The Real Estate Exam If I Fail?

Yes you can retake as many time you want. But you must submit a new registration form and the $59 testing fee to schedule for every attempt you take.

But stay positive, many agents have failed the real estate exam multiple times and have gone on to have very successful careers.

How Long Does It Take To Become A Licensed Real Estate Agent In Utah?

I am sure you are excited and want to get licensed ASAP. You should expect the process to take about 4 to 5 months to become a Utah Real Estate Agent. The two most time intensive parts of the process are completing your 120 hours of real estate pre-license classes, fingerprint and background check. The whole process for pre license education and test preparation can take 3-6 months.

Aside from just completing your real estate classes and studying you will need to spend your time doing other important things like interviewing brokerages and deciding which one is the right fit for you and your new business.

This is just an average timeframe. Keep in mind everyone works at a different pace. If you are taking some of your courses online you may be able to work through the course work a little faster or maybe it takes you a little more time to get through the course work.

Either way try not to overwhelm yourself and focus on getting a little further along in the process each day. Many people set out on the journey to become a Utah agent and quit before they even start because they simply overload themselves with work. Keep the focus on working toward your goal little by little each day.

How Much Does It Cost To Get A Utah Real Estate License?

It will cost around $830-$1035 to get your Utah Real Estate License. Some of these costs are

Total estimated cost: $927

Sign up for Utah Real Estate Classes here: Real Estate Express.

Note- These are just averages and subject to change at anytime.

Does Utah have reciprocity with any other states regarding a real estate license?

Yes, Utah has reciprocity regarding real estate license with the following 3 states:

Georgia
Mississippi
Alberta, Canada

How To Choose The Right Brokerage?

Selecting your broker is a business choice that we all have to make at some point in our career. As a new agent you likely do not know what to look for or what questions to ask. As an experienced agent who has worked at multiple offices here are some things to consider

Training- This is important. One of the biggest complaints I hear from new real estate agents is how lost they often feel. Many times they feel the brokerage they choose to partner with has poor mentorship or even worse no mentorship at all. When interviewing brokers it is important that you ask if they have a mentorship program in place for new agents. If the answer is yes make sure you dig deeper and ask how the program works. What are the expectations for the new agent and what are the expectations for the mentor. You need to find out how much support and training they actually provide.

Splits- Every brokerage offers a different compensation model and as a new agent this is important to consider. However, do not make this your main focus. I see many new agents make commission splits the main reason they choose a brokerage. This can be a huge mistake. Focus on what kind of value and training is being offered for that split. The harsh truth is that 100% of nothing is still nothing.

On going monthly fees- Some brokerages charge monthly fees to stay apart of the company. This is something to consider if you have a small savings account. As a new agent you might be looking to stretch your dollar until you get a couple closings under your belt. Joining a company with high ongoing monthly fees can put a dent in your savings account.

Commission Cap- This is in the same boat as commission splits in my opinion. As a new agent this should not be your main focus. You should be focused on support and training. However, as a business person it is a question you should be asking. Some brokerages will cut off your commission fees once you “cap”. Every brokerage and market is different but on average we have seen the brokerage cap between 14k-21k. Once you pay that amount into the brokerage your commission will shift to 100% in some cases with a small broker transaction fee.

Conclusion

Becoming a real estate agent in Utah is something worth working towards. To make this all happen it is going to require work and consistency but if you love the idea of selling homes in Ogden, Park City or any other city in Utah it is worth all the effort and hard work to make your dream become a reality. Study hard and do not quit even if you fail your exam the first time around. Many of the greatest agents I know today in my local market did not pass the exam the first time around.