How To Become A Real Estate Agent In Ohio
Becoming a real estate agent in Ohio requires ongoing professional education. Pre-license training qualifies you for the state license exam and post-license coursework lets you retain your license. Then you need a particular amount of continuing education for each renewal period.
What Are Ohio's Real Estate Pre-Licensing Education Requirements?
The Ohio Division of Real Estate & Professional Licensing (ODRE) requires 120 hours of pre-licensing coursework from an approved provider, including:
- 40 hours of Real Estate Principles and Practices
- 40 hours of Ohio Real Estate Law (including civil rights and housing discrimination)
- 20 hours of Real Estate Appraisal
- 20 hours of Real Estate Finance
Unfortunately, AgentCampus by 360training doesn't offer Ohio pre-license training at this time, only continuing education. You can find an authorized school on ODRE's website.
Who is Eligible to Become a Real Estate Agent in Ohio?
To earn your real estate license in Ohio, you need to:
- Be at least 18
- Have a high school diploma or the equivalent as recognized by the Ohio Department of Education (if you were born after 1950)
- Not have been convicted of a felony or a crime of moral turpitude
- Not have violated any rules of the Ohio Division of Real Estate
- Not have violated any civil rights laws regarding real estate within the past 2 years, as determined by a course of law
What Else Do I Need to Do to Earn My Ohio Real Estate License?
Aside from meeting the qualifications and passing your pre-license courses, you must:
- Find a current and active Ohio broker to sponsor you
- Submit your real estate license application
- Undergo a fingerprint-based background check
- Pass the Ohio real estate salesperson exam
What is the Ohio Real Estate Licensing Exam Like?
Once the Division has processed your Salesperson Examination Application, they send your information to a third-party testing vendor named PSI. The vendor will then contact you with instructions for scheduling your exam.
The Ohio Real Estate Salesperson Exam consists of 80 national questions and 40 Ohio-specific questions. Both parts are timed and must be passed with a score of 70% or more. You have 2 hours to complete the national portion and one hour to complete the state portion.
You'll learn your score immediately. If you fail one or both portions, you'll have to submit a Retake Application before you schedule a second attempt.
What Are the Real Estate Post-Licensing Requirements in Ohio?
Within your first year of licensure, the Division requires you to complete 20 hours of post-license requirements. Required post-license curriculum includes:
- Basic Business Practice
- Fair Housing
- Agency
- Broker Responsibilities
- Fiduciary Duties When Listing Property (ie, working with sellers)
- Fiduciary Duties When Showing Property (ie, working with buyers)
- Advertising Laws & Rules
- Earnest Money – Fiduciary Duties
- Fiduciary Duties Pre-Closing, Closing, and Post-Closing
- The Basics of Property Management
- The Basics of Commercial Real Estate
- The Basics of Short Sales, Foreclosures, Land Contracts and Wholesaling in Ohio
- Federal and State Programs
- Current Economic Conditions
- Your Real Estate Duties and Avoiding Unlicensed Practice of Law
You need to take your post-licensing education with an approved provider. Check ODRE's website for a list – we don't offer post-license curriculum at this time.
How Often Does an Ohio Real Estate License Have to Be Renewed?
In Ohio, you have to renew your real estate license every 3 years. You can check your due date on ODRE's Lookup License Information.
You'll have to submit your renewal fee, proof of completion for your continuing education requirements, and a renewal application.
The earliest you can file your renewal is two months before your renewal deadline. All paperwork has to be submitted or postmarked on or before your due date.
What Are Ohio's Continuing Education Requirements for Real Estate?
Ohio requires you to complete 30 Continuing Education hours from an approved provider (like us!) before every renewal. The CE hours must include 9 mandatory hours consisting of three 3-hour courses:
- Civil Rights/Liberties
- Core Law
- Canons of Ethics
The remaining 21 hours can be approved electives.
If you're a new agent, your CE requirements are separate from post-license requirements, and you're not exempt from the CE. In fact, you're allowed to take your continuing education courses before you complete your post-licensure.
Ohio also allows you to "roll over" at least 10 extra continuing education hours from one renewal period to another if your current renewal requirements are satisfied. However, those rolled-over hours can only count as electives.
What Kind of Jobs Can I Get with an Ohio Real Estate License?
Getting a real estate license in Ohio can lead to different career options, including:
- Residential real estate agent
- Commercial real estate agent
- Real estate broker
- Property manager
No matter what role you choose, there are as many niches and specialties in real estate as there are kinds of buyers, sellers, and properties. Some specialties pay better than others, but the lucrative ones frequently call for further certifications or licenses.
You can get a general idea of the money you can expect to make in Ohio based on wage data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics:
| Job Title | Average Hourly Wage | Average Yearly Wage |
|---|---|---|
| Sales Agents | $18.22 | $37,890 |
| Brokers | $25.75 | $53,570 |
| Property Managers | $24.30 | $50,540 |
As a real estate agent, your pay will largely be based on commission, so actual earnings vary a lot from person to person. Some agents have modest earnings, while top sellers make far more than average. In Ohio, the top 90th percentile of sales agents make $83,840.
Check out our Resources page to learn more about your career opportunities, potential real estate niches, and how commissions work.
