How to Get a Georgia Real Estate Broker License

Written by: Mary Gerardine

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How to Get a Georgia Real Estate Broker License

Becoming a Georgia real estate broker is a strong step forward in your career. Not only does this advanced license look great on a resume, it also allows you to work independently, open real estate brokerage firms, and manage other agents within these firms.

Getting the Georgia Real Estate Broker License is a fairly simple process, but it does require you to complete five steps, and have a few prerequisites before applying or taking the broker’s exam.

This guide covers all of these requirements in a simple, easy to understand way that will make it easier for you throughout this process.

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Georgia Real Estate Agent vs. Real Estate Broker

Georgia offers two different types of real estate license: Sales and Broker.

sales agent’s license is the initial license that real estate agents get in order to sell real estate.

A broker’s license is an advanced license that allows the license holder to operate at a higher level within real estate businesses in Georgia.

People often confuse sales agents and brokers. A simple way to look at the difference is that holders of the sales agent’s license are called real estate agents, while holders of the broker’s license are called real estate brokers.

If you are working towards getting your first license, check out our Georgia Real Estate License guide. If you’re working on the Georgia real estate broker license, keep reading this page!

Georgia Real Estate Broker License Requirements

First, to be eligible for a real estate broker’s license, you must meet the prerequisites to become a real estate broker in Georgia.

These prerequisites are:

  • Be 21 years of age or older
  • Hold an active real estate salesperson license for a minimum of three of the last five years. Your licensing history will be verified when your pre-licensing educator submits your application electronically

Once you’ve successfully completed the necessary steps to obtain your Georgia real estate salesperson license and gained the required industry experience, you can begin the process of obtaining your broker’s license.

How to Become a Real Estate Broker in Georgia

Once you meet all the requirements listed above, you can follow these five steps to easily help you get your real estate broker license in Georgia.

Step 1: Complete a Georgia Broker Pre-Licensing Course

The first step to getting your real estate broker license in Georgia is to take the 60-hour pre-licensing course.

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This course covered the fundamentals of working in the real estate industry and included topics like listing agreements, closings, state-specific laws, and much more.

The required 60 hours of broker pre-licensing courses include the following course topics:

  • Real Estate Business
  • Real Estate License Law
  • Agency Relationships
  • Brokers
  • Valuation
  • Conveyance
  • Calculations
  • Ethical Behavior
  • Georgia Laws and Rules
  • Fair Housing
  • Property Rights
  • Deeds and Titles
  • Freehold and Leasehold
  • Property Management
  • Contracts
  • Finance
  • Government Regulations and Private Restrictions
  • Description and Measurement of Land
  • Mortgages
  • Closings

Applicants who have completed at least nine semester hours of real estate education from an accredited university, college, or school of law in the United States or Canada may be able to forgo the 60-hour pre-licensing course. To find out if your education counts towards your licensing, submit your official transcript to Applied Measurement Professionals (AMP)/PSI Candidate Services.

If you hold an active license in another state, you may be able to transfer your license to Georgia, as the state does offer reciprocity. You must provide a certified copy of your license history from the state you are transferring from. This document cannot be more than one year old and must indicate active status. You will also be required to take the Georgia Broker Supplement Exam which contains state-specific real estate laws.

Once you’ve completed all of the required pre-licensing coursework, your school will administer an end-of-course exam. The purpose of this examination is to ensure you have retained and can apply the concepts you learned in the pre-licensing course. You must receive a minimum grade of 72% on this final exam to move on to the next phase. This is not the state broker examination.

Step 2: Get a Background Check

To be a licensed real estate broker in Georgia, you will need to obtain a certified criminal history record information (CHRI) report from the Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC). Most Georgia Sheriffs Offices and Police Stations can provide you with this information. The fee for the report is $30 or $38.25 if being fingerprinted thru the Georgia Applicant Processing Service (GAPS).

You must submit a Background Clearance Application when you apply for your license. Reports more than 60 days old will not be accepted. Due to this time limitation, some applicants wait until they’ve officially passed the brokers exam before obtaining their report from the GCIC.

Note

If you aren’t sure whether you are eligible for a real estate license based on your history, check out our article on Real Estate License Eligibility.

Step 3: Pass the Georgia Real Estate Broker Exam

After completing the steps above, you must take the real estate broker licensing exam via PSI Candidate Services.

The fee for the broker exam is $119.

The Georgia brokers exam is different from the test you took to obtain your salesperson license. The test consists of 11 simulation challenges, where you will be presented with a scenario and asked to choose the appropriate answer. Only nine of these challenges will be scored. This exam is designed to test your critical thinking and decision-making skills and determine how well you grasped the concepts taught in the pre-licensing course. You will have three hours to complete the exam.

Because the exam is a simulation that tests your skills and real estate knowledge, there is not a set passing score for this test. A formula is used to analyze your answers and the time it takes to complete each challenge. This formula determines your competency and, ultimately, whether you receive a “pass” or “fail” score. You will receive a Certificate of Accuracy Statement before you leave the testing facility. Retain this for your records.

Georgia applicants can take the exam three times in one year. You will need to wait 24 hours before making another exam appointment with PSI.

For more information on the exam, PSI Services provides a Candidate Handbook containing useful resources and an outline of the Georgia Real Estate Broker Exam.

Taking an exam prep course provides you helpful tools and materials, such as quizzes and specific state-only practice exams, to increase your chances of passing your broker license exam the first time.

Step 4: Submit a Georgia Broker License Application

Once you’ve completed the necessary pre-licensing coursework, passed the brokers exam, and obtained a copy of your CHRI report from a GCIC-approved law enforcement office, you’re ready to apply for your broker’s license.

The application fee for a broker’s license is $170.

Along with your license application and payment, you need to include the following:

  • Sign the Certification of Accuracy Statement in the presence of a testing center employee
  • Obtain your CHRI report from the Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC)
  • Submit a notarized and signed Lawful Presence Affidavit

You may apply for your license at a Georgia PSI testing center after 2 pm on the date you passed the exam, or on a subsequent date no more than 12 months from the date you passed the exam.

Step 5: Application Review

If you plan to work for another broker as an associate broker, you can apply for your license at the testing center after passing your exam.

If you will work as a qualifying broker at an existing agency or plan to open your own brokerage, PSI will issue you an inactive license. Qualifying brokers will need to submit a Change of Qualifying Broker application to the Georgia Real Estate Commission & Appraisers Board (GREC). To open your own brokerage, you will need to submit an Open a Firm application to GREC.

Congratulations!

Now that you’ve successfully passed the broker licensing exam and obtained your license, there are a few things you need to do to keep your broker license active and updated.

Georgia Real Estate Broker License Renewal and CE

In Georgia, you must renew your real estate broker license every four years. You can renew your license up to 120 days (four months) before the renewal date.

You may renew your license online through GREC’s License System or submit a renewal application by mail. The renewal fee is $125.

As part of renewing your Georgia broker license, you will also be required to complete 36 hours of continuing education (CE). Three of those hours must be a course on license law. All CE courses must be taken through a GREC-approved educational institution.

GAREC – Georgia Real Estate Commission

Mailing Address:

Georgia Real Estate Commission
International Tower
229 Peachtree St., Suite 1000
Atlanta, GA 30303

Phone: (404) 656-3916

Fax: (404) 656-6650

Emailgrecmail@grec.state.ga.us 

Websitehttps://grec.state.ga.us/

Georgia Real Estate Broker License FAQ

How much does it cost to get a real estate broker license in Georgia?

The costs of getting a real estate broker license in Georgia can range between $500 and $700-plus.
The cost breakdown is as follows:
Pre-license education courses: $209-$399
Certified criminal history report (CHRI): $30 or $38.25 if being fingerprinted through the Georgia Applicant Processing Service (GAPS)
Broker exam fee: $119
Application fee: $170

How long does it take to get a real estate broker license?

The steps that typically take the most time when getting a broker license include taking pre-license education courses and exams. The average amount of time to get a broker license is generally three to six months.

What is the difference between a real estate agent and a real estate broker?

Real estate agents focus on working with clients on individual real estate transactions, while real estate brokers have more experience with the added responsibility of managing a team of real estate agents or brokerage business. See our Real Estate Agent vs. Broker vs. Realtor page for more information.

How much does a real estate broker make?

Real estate brokers get paid just like real estate agents by earning commissions on their agents’ sales. Brokers can also charge the real estate agents they manage a fixed monthly fee or have the option to earn money on commission sales by helping their own clients buy and sell property. According to Payscale data, brokers earn $61,314 per year in base salary, with anywhere between $10,000 and $147,000 in commissions. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicates that the median broker salary is $62,010.

How do I get a job as a real estate broker in Georgia?

Browse through available real estate broker jobs in your area using our StateRequirement Job Board!

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