How to get Your Real Estate License

Washington

Licensure Requirements for a Broker

  • Minimum age of 18
  • High school diploma or equivalent
  • Must register as a student on the PSI website
  • Must complete 90 hours of pre-license education
  • Pass the broker exam within 2 years of completing pre-license education
  • Fingerprint background check
  • Apply for license

Licensure Requirements for a Managing Broker

  • Minimum age of 18
  • High school diploma or equivalent
  • Must have spent at least 3 years as an active, full-time licensed broker
  • Must register as a student on the PSI website
  • Must complete 90 hours of pre-license education
  • Pass the managing broker exam within 3 years of completing pre-license education
  • Fingerprint background check
  • Apply for license

Step by Step Guide (Broker)

  1. Complete 90 hours of pre-license education through an Approved School 
  • Real Estate Fundamentals- 60 hours
  • Real Estate Practices- 30 hours
  1. Register as a student on the PSI Website (For instructions, refer to page 3 of the Washington Candidate Handbook)
  2. Pass the broker exam (See below for more information)
  3. Complete Fingerprint Background Check 
  4. Apply for license either online or with the application provided at the exam site 

Step by Step Guide (Managing Broker)

  1. Complete 90 hours of pre-license education through an Approved School
  • Brokerage Management – 30 hours
  • Business Management – 30 hours
  • Advanced Real Estate Law- 30 hours
  1. Register as a student on the PSI Website (For instructions, refer to page 3 of the Washington Candidate Handbook)
  2. Pass the managing broker exam (See below for more information)
  3. Complete Fingerprint Background Check
  4. Apply for license either online or with the application provided at the exam site 

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

Refer to pages 2-3 of the Washington Candidate Handbook and to either the Broker or Managing Broker section of the Washington DOL website.  

Exam Info

Broker: The exam costs $138.25 and is administered on a computer in multiple choice format. The national portion consists of 100 scored questions and 5 pre-test questions that do not affect your score. The state law portion consists of 30 scored questions and 5 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 scaled score of at least 70 to pass. 

For more information on scoring, refer to page 12 of the Washington Candidate Handbook. You will have 3 ½ hours to complete the exam.

Managing Broker: The exam costs $138.25 and is administered on a computer. The national portion consists of 10 simulation problems. Nine of these are scored and one is a pre-test problem that does not affect your score. The state law portion consists of five simulation problems and could include one pre-test problem that does 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. For more information on simulation problems, refer to pages 8-10 of the Washington Candidate Handbook

You must achieve a scaled score of at least 75 on each portion to pass. For more information on scoring, refer to page 12 of the Washington Candidate Handbook. You will have 2 ½ hours to complete the national portion and 1 ½ hours to complete the state law portion.

Fees:

  • Exam Fee- $138.25
  • Fingerprint Background Check Fee- $42.80 
  • License Fee (Broker)- $146.25
  • License Fee (Managing Broker)- $210
  • Research Fee- $10
  • License Print Fee- $5