How to get Your Real Estate License

Massachusetts

Licensure Requirements for a Salesperson

  • Minimum age of 18
  • Must complete 40 hours of pre-license education through an Approved School 
  • Submit a Real Estate Educational Certificate
  • Must provide 3 Candidate Endorsements
  • Pass the salesperson exam within 2 years of completing the education requirement
  • Pay for and receive license (This is done at the exam site)

Licensure Requirements for a Broker

  • Minimum age of 18
  • Must complete 40 hours of broker pre-license education through an Approved School
  • Must have been an active, licensed salesperson working for a broker in Massachusetts for at least 3 years
  • Must currently hold a salesperson license in Massachusetts
  • Must obtain a $5,000 surety bond
  • Submit a Real Estate Educational Certificate
  • Must provide 3 Candidate Endorsements
  • Pass the broker exam within 2 years of completing the education requirement
  • Pay for and receive license (This is done at the exam site)

Step by Step Guide (Salesperson)

  1. Complete 40 hours of pre-license education through an Approved School
  2. Apply for and pass the salesperson exam
  • There is an instructional checklist on page 22 of the Massachusetts Candidate Handbook. This checklist tells you what you need to send in to apply for the exam. All applicable forms are found on the pages below the checklist.
  1.  Pay for and receive license (If you are not prepared to pay at the exam site, you will need to fill out a License Application Instruction Form, which will give you 30 days to apply for your license by mail)

Step by Step Guide (Broker)

  1. Complete 40 hours of broker pre-license education through an Approved School
  2. Apply for and pass the broker exam
  • There is an instructional checklist on page 22 of the Massachusetts Candidate Handbook. This checklist tells you what you need to send in to apply for the exam. All applicable forms are found on the pages below the checklist.
  1.  Pay for and receive license (If you are not prepared to pay at the exam site, you will need to fill out a License Application Instruction Form, which will give you 30 days to apply for your license by mail)

Obtaining a reciprocal license if you are already licensed in another state:

Refer to the Massachusetts Reciprocal Licensure Bulletin 

Exam Info

Salesperson: The exam costs $85 and is administered on a computer in multiple choice format. There are 120 scored questions (80 national and 40 state law), and 5-10 pre-test questions that do not affect your score. 

There is no distinction made between scored questions and pre-test questions on the exam. They are all mixed in together, so it is important that you answer each question carefully. 

You must achieve a score of at least 70% to pass. You will have 2 ½ hours to complete the national portion and 1 ½ hours to complete the state law portion.

Broker: The exam costs $106 and is administered on a computer in multiple choice format. In addition to standard multiple choice, the broker exam contains scenario-based questions with up to 8 possible answers to choose from. For an outline on what this looks like, refer to page 21 of the Massachusetts Candidate Handbook

There are 115 scored questions (75 national and 40 state law), and 5-10 pre-test questions that do not affect your score. There is no distinction made between scored questions and pre-test questions on the exam. They are all mixed in together, so it is important that you answer each question carefully. 

You must achieve a score of at least 70% to pass. You will have 2 ½ hours to complete the national portion and 1 ½ hours to complete the state law portion. 

  • For information on taking a remotely-proctored online exam, refer to pages 14-15

Fees:

  • Exam Fee (Salesperson)- $85
  • Exam Fee (Broker)- $106
  • Exam Fee (Active duty military or veterans)- $54 (Must fill out and submit the form on PDF page 35 of the Massachusetts Candidate Handbook along with your exam fee)

License Fees are prorated and could be any amount within the range given

  • License Fee (Salesperson)- $103-$150
  • License Fee (Broker)- $142-$200
  • PSI Licensing Fee- $12