How To Become A Real Estate Agent In Arkansas
To earn and maintain a real estate license in Arkansas, you need to meet certain educational requirements set by the Arkansas Real Estate Commission (AREC). Pre-license courses make you eligible to take the state license exam and post-license courses let you keep your licensure. You also need to meet certain continuing education requirements every year to renew your license.
Unfortunately, we don't offer real estate courses in Arkansas at this time. Check AREC 's website to find a list of approved education providers.
However, since we know how confusing state licensing regulations can be, we'll outline the training and additional steps necessary to obtain and maintain your real estate license in Arkansas.
What Are Arkansas's Real Estate Pre-Licensing Education Requirements?
AREC requires 60 hours of pre-licensing coursework from a training provider approved for pre-license courses. At least 30 hours must cover the basic principles of real estate.
Who is Eligible to Become a Real Estate Agent in Arkansas?
You need to be at least 18 years old to apply for real estate salesperson licensure in Arkansas.
What Else Do I Need to Do to Earn My Arkansas Real Estate License?
Aside from completing your pre-license course, you need to:
- Get fingerprinted for a background check
- Apply to take the real estate exam
- Schedule and pass your state licensing exam
- Submit your salesperson license application
What is the Arkansas Real Estate Licensing Exam Like?
The Arkansas Real Estate Exam is administered by a third-party testing service named Pearson VUE in a handful of locations throughout the state. It consists of 80 general topic questions and 30 Arkansas-specific questions. You have a total of 4 hours to complete the exam.
Before you leave the testing center, you'll know whether you passed or failed.
What is the Deadline for my Arkansas Real Estate License Application?
You have 90 days to turn in your application after passing your state licensing exam.
What Are the Real Estate Post-Licensing Requirements in Arkansas?
AREC requires 18 hours of post-license education for new salespersons. You need to complete your training with an approved provider 6+ months after your license issue date.
Specifically, your deadline is calculated by counting 6 months from your license date, then rolled to the END of that month. For example, if your license is issued on January 15th, your post-license would be due by July 31st.
How Often Does an Arkansas Real Estate License Have to Be Renewed?
Real estate licenses in Arkansas have to be renewed every year.
All licenses expire on December 31st, but your renewal fees will be lower if you submit your form and fees by September 30th. If you haven't met renewal requirements by midnight on 12/31, your license will automatically become inactive.
New licensees don't have to start renewal requirements until the next calendar year. In other words, if you were licensed in the current calendar year, nothing is due for renewal in December.
What Are Arkansas's Continuing Education Requirements for Real Estate?
Arkansas requires you to complete 7 Continuing Education hours from an approved provider each calendar year.
You have until your license expires (December 31st) to report your CE. It's important to know whether your course provider submits continuing education credits to AREC on your behalf. If they do, you don't need to do anything but pass the course. If they don't, you have to mail AREC your certificate(s) of completion.
If you fail to provide proof of CE by the end of the year, your license will go inactive and you'll have to pay a fee.
Do I Need to Complete Post-License Before Starting Continuing Education?
Post-license and CE are two distinct sets of criteria. The courses have to be different, and post-license doesn't "take the place" of your first renewal's CE, the way it does in other states.
You need to think of them (and their due dates) independently.
Your post-license deadline ranges from 6 to nearly 7 months after your license is issued, as described above. Your first deadline for continuing education credits will be at the end of your first full calendar year as a salesperson.
Whether these two sets of requirements overlap will depend on when your license is issued.
What Kind of Jobs Can I Get with an Arkansas Real Estate License?
Earning a real estate license in Arkansas can lead to a variety of careers, including:
- Residential real estate agent
- Commercial real estate agent
- Real estate broker
- Property manager
Each of those jobs have a wide selection of niches and specialties to pick from. Some practice areas pay more than others, but those often necessitate further certification or licensing.
For a general idea of the salary you can expect as a real estate agent in Arkansas, let's look at the median wage data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics:
| Job Title | Average Hourly Wage | Average Yearly Wage |
|---|---|---|
| Sales Agents | $24.18 | $50,300 |
| Brokers | $24.43 | $50,810 |
| Property Managers | $25.31 | $52,640 |
A real estate agent's salary is based on commission, for the most part, so it varies a lot from person to person. Some agents have low earnings, while others make big bucks. For example, the top 90th percentile of sales agents in Arkansas make $102,780.
Check out our Resources page to learn more about your career options, niches, specialties, and how commissions work.
