Your Guide to Becoming a Real Estate Agent in Pennsylvania

So you’re interested in becoming a real estate agent in Pennsylvania! This is great news! Being a real estate agent is a great career option with many perks and lots of room for growth. For many, being a real estate agent hardly seems like work at all: you always get to meet new people, you get to see gorgeous homes, you make people happy every day of the week, and you have enormous flexibility in hours and salary. 

But how do you become a real estate agent in Pennsylvania? That’s a good question, and we’re going to walk you through the steps you need to take (and we’ll talk about how much money you can make as a real estate agent), but first, let’s talk about why you would want to be a real estate agent.

Reasons to Become a Real Estate Agent in Pennsylvania

No College Required

Yes, you read that right. To become a real estate agent, you don’t need a college degree. Not even a two-year degree. Not even trade school. You have to take a few short classes and pass a test, and then you’re on your way. But if you ever thought that college just wasn’t for you, or if you’re no longer college age and don’t feel like you’d fit in at a university (but you still want to make a good income), then becoming a real estate agent is a good choice.

You Set Your Own Hours

As a real estate agent, you are free to fly as high as you want, to work as long as you want, but you’re also free to take your kids to school in the morning or go to a favorite gym class every Wednesday afternoon or go out to lunch with friends on Friday. Being a real estate agent means that you set your own calendar. The hours are completely flexible.

You Can Work From Home, Outside, In Your Car--Anywhere!

As a real estate agent, you’re on the go every day, from house to house, but when you need to sit down and get work done on the laptop, you don’t need to go into the office to do it. You can work from home in your sweatpants if you want to. If you’re the type of person who has always said that you would hate a job where you were cooped up in an office every day of the week, then being outside, meeting people all day, going from place to place, and working from home might be right for you

You Get To Meet New People

Being a real estate agent means you’re going to meet many new people every day. Being a real estate agent means that you’re a people person and a people pleaser. There are few things better in this job than seeing the faces of a new family get the keys to their new home. And you get to make those dreams come true all the time. Sure, there will also be times when you have to break the bad news to a family that the sellers didn’t accept their offer, but being that shoulder to cry on is part of the joys of the job. If you’re empathetic, extroverted, and outgoing, becoming a real estate agent is for you.

You’re In Control of Your Income

Being a real estate agent means that you set your own hours, as we said above, but that also means that you have a lot of control over your income. The harder you push yourself, the more you’ll make. There’s no limit, no ceiling you’re going to hit that stops you. If you really want to earn more, then work harder and work smarter. Always be learning and always be working, and you’ll make a high income as a real estate agent.

You Get to Have Amazing Experiences

Some of the best parts about being a real estate agent are the wonderful houses you’ll get to see, the wonderful people you’ll get to meet, and the new things you’ll learn every day. Being a real estate agent is always new, always something interesting and different. There is no “typical day” for a real estate agent. Every day brings something exciting that you may never have experienced before

How To Become a Real Estate Agent in Pennsylvania

The steps to becoming a real estate agent in Pennsylvania are very straightforward. Yes, there is work required—it won’t necessarily be easy—but it will be rewarding. The steps to becoming a real estate agent in Pennsylvania are:

Qualifications

You must be at least 18 years old to be a real estate agent in Pennsylvania. 

Education

You must complete 75 hours of education by an approved institution. 

30 hours are real estate fundamentals, where you’ll learn things like real property and the law; environmental issues in real estate; landlord and tenant interests; real estate taxes and liens; real estate contracts and financing; and so on. 

45 hours are real estate practice, where you’ll learn things like ethical practices and fair housing; sales contracts; listing agreements; real estate brokerage; appraising real estate; property management; and so on.

Many of the institutions that offer these courses also offer test prep courses, though those are not officially necessary (though they can be helpful).

Testing

You must pass the Pennsylvania real estate salesperson exam. This is a test with 110 questions, which comes in two sections: state and national requirements. You will have two hours for the 80 national questions and one hour for the 30 state questions. 

Complete a Background Check

In Pennsylvania, you are required to have a background check of your criminal history.

Find a Sponsoring Broker

To practice real estate, you need to be sponsored by a licensed real estate broker. 

Complete the Real Estate License Application

Once you have passed your test and found a sponsoring broker, you file your application online. You must apply no more than three years after you passed the test. 

Are you ready to become a real estate agent?

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