Getting real estate license in Houston, TX

[Hiren Patani]

Hello Everyone,

I'm a investor and do have couple of properties under my belt. I brought both the properties through MLS and end up paying few thousand $$ in commission. I'm planning to take real estate license but don't know where to start.

How many hours needs to be complete before giving exams? How many and name of books requires to prepare? Who teaches in Houston? Any online courses? Exam fees? Where to go for exams?

Thanks!!!

[Jonathan Halverson]

Hiren Patani I think getting your real estate license can be a good thing. In order to be able to take the license test, you have to complete 180 hours of course work. There are no books required, whoever you choose for the courses will provide what's needed. There are many places in Houston and online that offer the coursework. I took my courses online and it took me a few months to get through them. A friend of mine took the classes in person and finished in a week. It's up to you to decide what works best for you. Online courses are usually cheaper. I think with the courses, exam fees, fingerprint/background check, I paid maybe $500-600 total to get my license. There are multiple testing facilities around Houston, when you sign up for the exam they will tell you where you can go.

After passing the exam, you then have to put your license with a brokerage in order to practice real estate. There is a wide range of services offered by brokerages, so choosing one that fits your needs is important.

Check out trec.texas.gov for all of the license requirements and how to get started.

Let me know if you have any other questions!