How To Become A Real Estate Agent In Louisiana
Earning and keeping a real estate license in Louisiana requires both initial and continuing education. You have to complete pre-license requirements to secure your license and take a certain amount of professional coursework every year for renewal.
Below, we'll go over how many hours of training are required, on which topics, by what deadlines, and the other steps you need to take.
What Are Louisiana's Real Estate Pre-Licensing Education Requirements?
LREC requires 90 hours of pre-licensing coursework from a state-certified real estate school.
The curriculum has to include:
- Real estate principles and practices
- The law of agency
- Commission rules and regulations
- Louisiana real estate license law
- Civil law relevant to real estate
Sadly, AgentCampus by 360training doesn't offer Louisiana pre-license courses at this time, just continuing education. You can find an approved provider for pre-license training on LREC's website.
Who is Eligible to Become a Real Estate Agent in Louisiana?
To be eligible for a Louisiana real estate license, you need to be at least 18 years old and have either a high school diploma or equivalent certificate like a GED. You also need to pass a background check.
What Else Do I Need to Do to Earn My Louisiana Real Estate License?
Aside from passing your required pre-license coursework, you have to:
- Get fingerprinted for a background check
- Pass the real estate salesperson licensing exam
- Submit a license application
- Find a sponsoring broker
- Acquire Errors & Omissions (E&O) insurance
What is the Louisiana Real Estate Licensing Exam Like?
To register for the exam, you'll need to obtain the initial license application, provide proof of completion for your pre-license application, and pay the required fees.
A third-party testing company named PSI administers the license exam in several locations throughout the state. It consists of 135 questions total, in two parts: national and state specific. You'll have one hour and 45 minutes to complete the 80-question national portion and an hour and 15 minutes on the 55-question state portion.
You'll see your score on the computer screen as soon as you're done. If you fail, you'll see a diagnostic report with your scores on each topic, so you know where to study up for your next attempt.
You have one year after passing both portions of the state licensing exam to complete your application.
What Are the Real Estate Post-Licensing Requirements in Louisiana?
Some states, including Louisiana, require further training after your license is issued. This is called post-licensing.
To keep your new license in Louisiana, you have to complete 45 hours of approved post-licensing coursework within 180 days of your initial license date.
The required curriculum includes:
- General Contract Law and Contracts Used in Louisiana
- Real Estate Leases
- Mortgage Loans
- Working with Buyers
- Commercial Real Estate
- Property Valuation
- Agency and Brokerage
- Real Estate Errors and Omissions (E&O) Insurance
- Property Management Essentials
- Fair Housing
- Independent Contractor Guidelines/Co-Broker Agreements/Antitrust
- Environmental Hazards
- Home Inspections
- Timeline to Close
- Technology in Real Estate
- Advertising Rules and Regulations
How Often Does a Louisiana Real Estate License Have to Be Renewed?
Louisiana real estate licenses have to be renewed every year by midnight on December 31st.
What Are Louisiana's Continuing Education Requirements for Real Estate?
You need to complete 12 hours of continuing education a year to renew your Louisiana real estate license. Courses must be completed through an approved continuing education provider like us.
Every year, LREC names a new mandatory topic. That accounts for 4 hours of your CE. Be careful to choose a course that is specifically designed for Louisiana mandatory credits. Not all courses on the chosen topic will fulfill the requirement.
The other 8 hours of CE can be Commission-approved electives.
If you're in your first year of licensure, your elective credits are waived due to your post-license education. However, the 4-hour mandatory topic is still required.
What Kind of Jobs Can I Get with a Louisiana Real Estate License?
Holding a real estate license in Louisiana can open doors to a few different careers, including:
- Residential real estate agent
- Commercial real estate agent
- Real estate broker
- Property manager
Likewise, there are a myriad of specialties and niches you can fill, based on the part you play, the type of real estate you specialize in, and the type of client you serve. Some niches are more highly paid than others. Those often call for extra licenses or certifications.
You can ballpark how much money you can earn in Louisiana based on 2019 wage data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics:
| Job Title | Average Hourly Wage | Average Yearly Wage |
|---|---|---|
| Sales Agents | $16.31 | $33,930 |
| Brokers | $23.13 | $48,110 |
| Property Managers | $20.76 | $43,170 |
Since your income is largely commission-based in the real estate industry, your earnings will depend directly on your ability to sell. Some agents earn well below average. On the other hand, the 90th percentile of sales agents in Louisiana makes $80,040.
You can learn more about different career opportunities, potential specialties or niches, and how commissions work by checking out our Resources page for more info.
