Alabama real estate is a lucrative market. If you know where to invest, this quiet Southern state has good investment markets. Another way to benefit from the real estate industry in Alabama is by becoming a real estate agent or a broker.
To get started with your real estate career, you would need to enroll in an Alabama real estate course to take the licensure examination for both salesperson and broker. This guide tells you what you need to do and the best online real estate license schools you can enroll in.
What are the requirements?
You need to complete 60 hours from an approved real estate course. Make sure that you take the exams within six months.
If you intend to become a broker, you need to complete another 60 hours of learning courses. However, you’ll need to get your salesperson license first and keep it for about 24 to 36 months to enroll in a broker course and take the licensure examination. Then, take the exams within six months after completion of the broker course.
To renew an active license, all salespersons are required 15 hours of continuing education done every two years.
For your post-license education, you need to complete 30 hours of courses within six months if you have an active license and within a year if you have an inactive license.
Keep in mind that, albeit you have years of experience in real estate, we recommend that you take your courses seriously to ensure that you ace the licensure exams. It can also significantly help to enroll in a good Alabama real estate school.
Where Do I Enroll?
Below are some of the best schools in Alabama that you may want to consider to start your real estate career.
Alabama Real Estate Institute
Alabama Real Estate Institute offers several approved real estate courses, including Real Estate Salesperson Pre License and Post License, Broker Pre License, Reciprocal Sales and Broker License, Continuing Education, Boot Camps, and Productivity Coaching. The school is also licensed through the Alabama Real Estate Commission.
Their pre-licensing courses are only available online, and you can access course materials using any electronic device. But they also offer classroom courses for their Continuing Education courses.
You only need 12 weeks to complete your pre-license course for a real estate salesperson. Those who have more time may finish their courses sooner and take the licensure exams when they’re ready. The good thing about distance learning is that you have access to your course materials 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Steps in completing your Real Estate Salesperson Pre-License Course at the school:
1. Complete the 60-hour course.
2. Pass the handwritten proctored exam given by the school. There are 100 questions and you need to have 80 correct answers.
3. Once you pass the exam, the school will issue a credit for you with the Alabama Real Estate Commission. They will then help you set up for the exam as soon as you get the necessary credits.
4. Make sure you pass the exams within six months from when the credits were issued.
5. You may apply for your temporary license when you get a passing score of 70 and up.
6. You can start selling properties after getting your temporary license, but you must complete the Post Licensure within six months.
Salesperson Post License Steps
1. Complete your 30-hour Post Licensure course within six months from when the temporary license was issued.
2. Pass the proctored exam. It has 50 questions, and you must get an 80 percent score.
3. You’ll get your credits after passing the exams.
4. The last step is to apply to the Real Estate Commission for your permanent license.
The CE Shop
The CE Shop offers four real estate packages to get your Alabama Real Estate License. All four packages include the 60 hours Pre-Licensing Course.
The Basic package includes just the 60-hour course; the Standard package consists of the exam prep; the Value package includes both the exams and building business courses; while the premium package consists of the 30-hour Post License course.
If you want to know if The CE Shop is best for you, feel free to get the 5-day risk-free trial. Should you decide to go for it, you can complete your course in three weeks.
The packages vary in the inclusions and the price, but all of them include business books by experienced professionals, downloadable resources, digital flashcards and your study schedule.
The CE Shop offers comprehensive courses to its students. And they are designed by experts to help students pass both their Pre-Licensure and Post-Licensure exams. Also, it may help to know that they have about a 91 percent national pass rate. So long as you commit to studying and learning about the real estate industry in Alabama, then you will highly likely pass the exams too.
For the post-licensing course, you’ll need to pre-register with the Real Estate Commission. You must also get at least 70 percent to pass the exams.
To increase your chances of passing the pre-licensure exams, we suggest that you choose the package that includes Exam Prep. The CE Shop can give you a free initial assessment and get real-time feedback for it. It can benefit you as you can focus on things you need to improve on.
Real Estate Express
Another option is to enroll at Real Estate Express. They offer both Online and LiveStream packages to students.
All packages include the 60-hour course. The basic package consists of the complete 60-hour course, real estate books, support and a state-approved instructor. You may opt for the Exam Preparation package to help you pass your licensure exams. Exam Preparation Package includes the 30-hour Post-License Course, a Live Exam Crammer Series, Q&A with our instructor and a real estate dictionary.
If you want to increase your chances of passing the pre-licensure exam, ensure that you also enroll in the Exam Prep course.
Here’s what you’ll get:
- Progress exams with ten practice exams
- Two national exams and three state exams
- Create your exams
- Digital flashcards
- Pass or don’t pay – you’ll get your money back if you don’t pass on your first try.
License Classroom
It takes about a month or two to finish your pre-licensing course at License Classroom. The school offers two courses – The basic package and the Premium course package. Both include the complete 60-hour course, but the premium package includes the Exam Prep.
In addition, they also offer Alabama Prelicense Fundamentals, Real Estate Math and National Broker Exam.
All of their courses are approved by the state, and they offer 7-day support to all their students. All courses are also 100 percent online for more flexibility. Feel free to complete them at the soonest possible time so that you can get started with your real estate career.
Mbition Real Estate
Mbition is another school that you may want to consider in getting your real estate pre-license and post-license courses. As soon as you enroll in the course, you have about six months to complete it. Should you need more time to complete your course, you can purchase it for an additional $50.
After course completion, you will need to be evaluated before getting your completion certificate.
While choosing the best school also matters, what’s more important is your dedication to your course and a passion for real estate. Should you decide to go with Mbition Real Estate, ensure that you have enough time to learn about the industry, and complete your course the soonest possible time to get started with your real estate career.
Tips for Passing Your Real Estate Exam
If you want to ace your real estate pre-licensure and post-licensure exams, then ensure that you take time to study your lessons. Familiarize yourself with real estate terms and real estate Math. Apart from the Exam Prep offered by the real estate school, you may consider creating your cheat sheet. If possible, get help from a real estate professional or broker to increase your chances of passing your exams.
A day before the exam, make sure that you get a good night’s sleep and have a nice breakfast. Avoid cramming as you might forget everything you’ve studied. Try to answer the easy questions first and skip those you don’t know. Get back to them as soon as you’ve finished completing the easy ones. If you don’t know the answer, consider eliminating the wrong answers first and stick to your gut feeling. When all else fails, then guess the correct answer.
Passing your real estate exams may not be easy, but you can ace them so long as you study and prepare for them.
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