How To Become A Real Estate Agent In Maine

Thinking about pursuing a career in real estate in the Pine Tree State? That’s definitely a smart move to make. The real estate industry in the state has been on a positive note for some time now and real estate agents are making more money than ever. However, you can’t just start selling houses overnight.

The real estate industry is one of the most tightly regulated sectors of the economy and that includes real estate sales agents too. There are several criteria you’ll have to satisfy and certain tests you’ll need to pass to become a real estate agent in Maine, but with patience, hard work, and the right guidance you’ll be there in no time.

Let’s take a look at the steps required to become a real estate agent within the State of Maine, some of the costs involved, and how long the entire process will take. Keep on reading!

How To Get Your Real Estate License in the State of Maine

As we mentioned before, there are several key criteria you have to pass before you can become a real estate agent in the state of Maine. These criteria were put in place by the Maine Real Estate Commission (MREC), the government agency in charge of licensing and regulating real estate agents within the state. In a nutshell, they include:

You must be at least 18 years old
You must have a high school diploma or its equivalent
Complete 55 hours of Maine Real Estate pre-licensing classes
Pass the final exams in your pre-licensing real estate courses
Schedule your Real Estate Sales Associate Examination
Pass the Maine Real Estate Sales Associate Examination
Find a broker to sponsor you
Submit to a criminal background check
Complete the Licensing Application

While all these may seem pretty simple, there are some important aspects 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 Maine must provide proof that they are at least 18 years of age and have a GED, high school diploma, or its equivalent. The individual must also be a U.S. citizen with a valid Social Security Number or a lawfully documented resident within the country. You must also have not been convicted of certain felonies within a particular period.

Complete 55 Hours of Real Estate Pre-Licensing Courses

The next step is to complete 55 hours of MREC-approved real estate pre-licensing courses. This course covers the basic theories and practical concepts that you will need to know as a practicing real estate agent in Maine.

The major topics covered in the course include:

Real property characteristics, legal descriptions, and property use
Forms of ownership, transfer, and recording of title
Property value and appraisal
Real estate contracts and agency
Real estate practice
Property disclosures and environmental issues
Financing and settlement
Real estate math calculations
Maine real estate commission
Maine laws and rules governing activities or licensees
Law of agency/brokerage
Maine-specific principles and practices
Maine land-use law

These courses can be taken as physical classes supported by 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. The duration of a solely online pre-licensing program depends on your schedule and how quickly you can grasp the material.

These classes will be anchored by experienced real estate professionals at MREC-approved centers. 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.

Pass the Final Exams in Real Estate Courses

Once you have completed the courses you have to pass the final examination with at least a score of 75%. 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. This course will be valid for one year after the course completion date.

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. It takes some time for MREC to process your application, so overloading yourself with information will only make the process harder than it has to be.

If you fail the exam, you may sit for it again once within a year of the original examination. If you fail again, you will be required to retake the entire course before being eligible to retake the course final exam.

Schedule Your Exam

Once you have passed your pre-licensing exams and have received your Certificate of Completion, your next task is scheduling your Maine Real Estate Licensure Exams. The exams are handled by Pearson VUE, a national testing company that has been contracted by the state to handle MREC licensing exams.

Once you process your application and pay the examination fee of $85, they will send you an Examination Authorization Form which entitles you to take the exam only one time. You can also obtain more information about the process by reading the Pearson VUE candidate handbook.

There are also dozens of study material and updated preparatory questions that candidates can easily download or purchase from various sources online. These study tools as well which include interactive quizzes and short video content covering key areas which usually appear in the exam.

Pass the Maine Real Estate Licensing Exam

You are expected to present to the examination venue with certain items and identification materials. The identification materials are usually two forms of identification, a picture ID and an additional signature verification ID such as a driver’s license and social security card. Your picture will then be taken for the exam score report and you’ll be required to sign the Candidate Rules Agreement form. You are also allowed to bring along a basic (non-scientific) calculator.

The Maine State salesperson exam is divided into two sections of multiple-choice questions, a national section, and a state section. The total number of questions is 120 questions (80 national-based questions and 40 state-based questions) which are to be answered in 4 hours. A passing score of 75% is required in both sections.

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 Maine 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. However, you must pass the section you failed within three months or you’ll have to rewrite both sections of the exam.

Find A Maine Brokerage To Sponsor You

The last step before licensing is to apply for sponsorship with a licensed broker. This involves completing a sponsorship request which may take several months. 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 the National Criminal Background Check

This involves providing the MREC with a completed Criminal Background History before applying for their real estate license. It takes about 5 days for the Department of Law Enforcement to draft your criminal history and the service generally costs around $21.

Apply for a Maine Real Estate License

After completing all your courses, passing your licensing exams, and being fully certified by the national background check, it’s finally time to apply for your license. You can submit your application online to the Maine Real Estate Commission or you could mail a paper application. It may take about 10 days to be notified by email when your application has been approved.

This service costs about $121. You will be informed of the required documentation, but note that your Sales Agent Course Completion Certificate and official Sales Agent Exam Score Report must be a part of the application. You can check the status of your license application at the Maine online services portal for Regulatory Licensing & Permitting.

In Conclusion

Getting your real estate license in Maine is quite easy if you follow all the required steps. The entire process can take a minimum of 10 weeks and may cost you between $300-$1000 depending on the pre-licensing center chosen and other factors. However, with hard work and dedication, you’ll be a licensed Maine real estate agent in no time.

How To Become A Real Estate Agent in Maine