How To Become A Real Estate Agent In Tennessee
Below, you'll find guidance on how to earn your Tennessee real estate license and remain in good standing.
What Does "Broker" Mean in Tennessee?
The licensing authority in most states refers to entry-level licensees as "salespersons" or "sales agents." They only use the word "broker" when they're talking about advanced licensing that legally authorizes a real estate professional to handle financial transactions, supervise new practitioners, own a firm, and more.
In Tennessee, they still reserve "broker" for a supervisory or independent level of licensing, but entry-level licensees are known as "affiliate brokers" instead of salespersons.
We're going to use Tennessee's terms while we talk about their process.
What Are Tennessee's Real Estate Pre-Licensing Education Requirements?
TREC requires 90 hours of pre-licensing coursework from an approved provider, including a:
- 60-hour Principles of Real Estate course
- 30-hour Course for New Affiliates
Unfortunately, AgentCampus by 360training doesn't offer Tennessee pre-license courses at the moment, only continuing education. You can find approved providers on TREC's website.
Who is Eligible to Become a Real Estate Agent in Tennessee?
To be eligible to become an Affiliate Broker in Tennessee, you must:
- Be 18 or older
- Have a high school diploma or its equivalent
- Have no convictions, incarcerations, probation, or parole in the last 2 years for a felony or misdemeanor that involve theft of money, services or property
What is the Tennessee Real Estate Licensing Exam Like?
Tennessee's license exam is administered by a third party named PSI. Once your pre-license provider sends your credits to PSI, you'll be able to schedule your exam. You have 6 months after PSI knows of your eligibility to pass both the national and state portions.
PSI has testing centers throughout the state. The Tennessee Real Estate Affiliate Broker Exam includes an 80-question National portion (which you have 160 minutes to complete) and a 40-question state-specific portion (which you have 80 minutes to complete).
You'll know how you did before you leave the exam. If you only pass one portion of the exam, you'll only need to schedule a retake of the other portion. You have 2 more attempts or 6 months, whichever comes first, to pass the rest of the exam. After that, you'll need to retake the entire test.
Once you complete the entire exam, you need to get the required application photo taken at the test center.
What Else Do I Need to Do to Earn My Tennessee Real Estate License?
Once you've completed your pre-license courses and passed your license exam, you need to:
- Get fingerprinted for the purpose of a background check
- Acquire Errors and Omissions (E&O) insurance
- Complete your application online
How Often Does a Tennessee Real Estate License Have to Be Renewed?
Your real estate license has to be renewed every 2 years in Tennessee.
What Are Tennessee's Continuing Education Requirements for Real Estate?
Tennessee requires you to complete 16 Continuing Education hours from an approved provider like us every 2 years, including:
- 6 hours of mandatory TREC CORE course (residential or commercial)
- 10 hours of approved electives
Continuing Education hours need to be completed on or before your expiration, but there is a 60-day grace period for TREC to receive your education hours as long as you pay your renewal fee on time.
What Kind of Jobs Can I Get with a Tennessee Real Estate License?
Getting a Tennessee real estate license can lead to a variety of career paths, including:
- Residential real estate agent
- Commercial real estate agent
- Real estate broker
- Property manager
By looking at average wage data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, you can get a general idea of your potential salary in Tennessee:
| Job Title | Average Hourly Wage | Average Yearly Wage |
|---|---|---|
| Sales Agents | $21.07 | $43,820 |
| Property Managers | $25.36 | $52,760 |
As a real estate agent, your income is typically commission-based, so the salary ranges are broad. Some people sell only a little to take home supplemental income. Others do very well for themselves. The top 90th percentile of agents in Tennessee make $81,000.
Check out our Resources page to learn more about different career opportunities, real estate niches, and how commission works.
