How To Become A Real Estate Agent In North Dakota
Professional education plays a key role in earning and retaining your North Dakota real estate license.
Before you apply for a license, you need certain training to give you the basics and get you ready for the state license exam. North Dakota also requires post-license courses to teach you practical knowledge early in your career. Finally, before each license renewal, you need to take continuing education as prescribed by the North Dakota Real Estate Commission (NDREC).
Unfortunately, we don't offer real estate courses in North Dakota at the moment, but we're aware how overwhelming licensing regulations can be. That's why we've put together the real estate career guide below, where you can learn more about North Dakota's licensing requirements and deadlines. Visit NDREC's website for a list of approved training providers.
What Are North Dakota's Real Estate Pre-Licensing Education Requirements?
NDREC's educational requirements are changing on January 1, 2021.
Before the change, you need 45 hours of pre-licensing education in a Commission-approved course of study. After, you'll need 90 hours, instead.
Who is Eligible to Become a Real Estate Agent in North Dakota?
To be eligible for a North Dakota salesperson license, you need to be 18 years of age or older and be able to pass a background check.
If you have any issues in your background that you believe may disqualify you from meeting the state's requirements for competency, honesty, truthfulness, financial integrity, and fair dealing, the Commission advises you to submit an application before you invest in pre-license education.
What Else Do I Need to Do to Earn My North Dakota Real Estate License?
To earn a real estate salesperson license in North Dakota, you need to:
- Complete your pre-license education
- Get fingerprinted for a background check
- Submit your application (before or after your coursework)
- Pass the state license exam
- Find a sponsoring broker
- Supply proof of Errors & Omissions (E&O) insurance coverage
All steps must be complete before the Commission will issue an active license.
What is the North Dakota Real Estate Licensing Exam Like?
You have to take the entire licensing exam within 4 months of getting your eligibility confirmed by the Commission.
The exam is administered by a third-party testing service named PSI at a number of testing sites throughout the state. It consists of 100 national topic questions and 40 North Dakota-specific questions. It's a timed test – if you're taking both portions, you'll have 3.5 hours.
You'll get a score report before you leave the test center. If you fail one portion but pass the other, you'll only need to retake that part. You need to pass the remaining portion within 12 months of your first attempt. After that, you'll have to submit a new application to NDREC.
Once you pass both portions of the exam, you'll submit your original score report to NDREC.
What Are the Real Estate Post-Licensing Requirements in North Dakota?
Educational requirements are changing as of 2021.
If you complete the required 45 hours of salesperson pre-license education on or before December 31, 2020, you need to complete 15 hours of approved post-license education before your first anniversary.
Effective January 1, 2021, you'll no longer need post-license education because your pre-license education will consist of 90 hours.
How Often Does a North Dakota Real Estate License Have to Be Renewed?
North Dakota real estate licenses need to be renewed every year by November 15th.
What Are North Dakota's Continuing Education Requirements for Real Estate?
North Dakota requires you to complete 9 Continuing Education hours from an approved provider every year: 3 mandatory hours and 6 elective hours. The mandatory topic changes every year.
The year's courses should be taken between November 16th of the previous year and November 15th of the renewal year. There's no grace period for completing your annual CE – you must meet the requirements on time to keep an active license.
If you're subject to post-license requirements, you're exempt from CE requirements for the period in which you completed it.
What Kind of Jobs Can I Get with a North Dakota Real Estate License?
With a North Dakota real estate license, you can enter a number of different careers, including:
- Residential real estate agent
- Commercial real estate agent
- Real estate broker
- Property manager
Within each of those jobs, you can choose your niche and specialty. Some are more bankable than others; often, those involve additional certifications or licenses.
You can get a ballpark of your potential income in North Dakota based on Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data:
| Job Title | Average Hourly Wage | Average Yearly Wage |
|---|---|---|
| Sales Agents | $29.30 | $60,950 |
| Property Managers | $21.86 | $45,470 |
A real estate agent's pay is based on commission, for the most part, so actual earnings differ a lot from person to person. There are part-time professionals with low earnings, as well as top earners making big bucks. In North Dakota, the top 90th percentile of sales agents make $95,380.
You can learn more about different career options, real estate specialties, and how commissions work, by checking out our Resources page for more information.
