We welcome your interest in becoming a REALTOR®! Charlottesville Area Association of REALTORS® (CAAR) is an excellent resource as you begin your career. CAAR offers all the educational support and tools you will need to help make you a successful REALTOR®. Before you can call yourself a REALTOR®, though you have to get your sales license. Already licensed? Skip to Step 2!
Step 1 - Getting Licensed:
To obtain a Virginia real estate salesperson's license you must:
- Be at least 18 years of age.
- Have a high school diploma or equivalent.
- If licensed in another state, be in good standing in any state where licensed.
- Have a good reputation for honesty, truthfulness and fair dealing and be competent to transact real estate business in such a manner as to safeguard the public interest.
- Not have been found guilty of violating the fair housing laws of any jurisdiction.
- Not have had a real estate license revoked or suspended in any state.
- Not have been convicted anywhere for a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude, sexual offense, drug distribution, physical injury, or any felony.
- Meet the current educational requirements (listed below) by achieving a passing grade in all required courses before sitting for the licensing exam.
- Pass a written license examination approved by the Virginia Real Estate Board.
Current Virginia Education Pre-License Requirements
The Virginia Real Estate Board currently requires anyone wishing to obtain a real estate license to complete, with a passing grade, a state-approved, 60-hour course called "The Principles of Real Estate." This course is to cover the principles and practices of real estate as well as Virginia real estate law.
CAAR works with The CE Shop to provide access to pre-licensing education resources. Click on their logo to learn more!
Once you have completed the course you will have to pass the National & State Exam, which is administered by PSI Exams.
After passing the National & State Exam with PSI, you will need to find a firm to work with and the firm will apply for your license.
Please read through the entire Salesperson License Application for additional requirements.
Step 2 - Join the Association:
You've completed the first step, you're now licensed to practice real estate in Virginia! You're not quite a REALTOR® yet, though. In order to use the term REALTOR®, you have to join the association. Once you have received your license and chosen a brokerage to work with, fill out the CAAR Agent Membership Packet and return it to tiffany@caar.com or bring it to the CAAR Office at 550 Hillsdale Dr., Charlottesville, VA, 22901.
How to Become a Broker
To obtain a Virginia broker's license you must:
- Have been actively engaged as a real estate salesperson for 36 of the 48 months immediately preceding the day of license application. "Active" is defined as working an average of at least 40 hours per week.
- Have successfully completed 180 hours of approved classroom, online or home-study courses (educational requirements listed below). These courses can be taken before you have completed 36 months of full-time real estate practice as a salesperson.
- Pass the broker's examination with a 75% on each section (national and state).
Educational Requirements:
- Broker candidates must successfully complete 180 hours of education (four 45-hour semester courses) approved by the Virginia Real Estate Board.
- Brokerage Management is a required course. You may choose your other three courses from among the following: Real Estate Law, Real Estate Appraisal and Real Estate Finance.
- Candidates may substitute one Related Course for RE Law, Appraisal or Finance. Related Course options include the GRI designation, Property Management, Business Law, Real Estate Math or other Board-approved courses.
Check Richmond Association of REALTORS® for in-house, broker pre-licensure education.