How to Get a Broker License in New York

Obtaining a New York Real Estate Broker License is crucial if you’re looking to advance your real estate career. Despite the streamlined online application process, many aspiring real estate brokers find the requirements and procedures complex and challenging.

This How to Get a Broker License in New York article will guide you through each step of the process, ensuring you have a clear understanding of what it takes to achieve this license and elevate your real estate career as quickly as possible.

New York Real Estate Broker License

In order to get your New York real estate broker license and take your career to the next level, there are several key steps you’ll need to complete, including:

1. Ensuring You Meet the Eligibility and Experience Requirements
2. Completing the Mandatory Pre-Licensing Education
3. Passing the New York Broker Licensing Exam
4. Submitting a License Application

In the sections below, we’ve explored each of these steps in more detail.

Note: If you’re just starting out, you’ll need to check out our New York Real Estate License guide instead.

Step 1: Meet the New York Eligibility and Experience Requirements

Before proceeding with the application process for your New York real estate broker license, you’ll need to first make sure that you meet the general prerequisites outlined under N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 440-a:

• You must be at least 20 years of age
• You must hold a current New York State photo driver’s license or non-driver ID card
• You must have no prior felony or sex offense convictions
• You must have at least two years of experience as a licensed real estate salesperson or at least three years of experience in the general real estate field (or a combination of both of these)

Note: While New York doesn’t currently have any formal reciprocity agreements with other states for real estate licensing, if you’ve completed your real estate education outside of New York, you can submit a written waiver request to have your education reviewed and potentially recognized.

Step 2: Complete the Mandatory Pre-Licensing Education

Beyond the general requirements mentioned earlier, you must also fulfill specific educational prerequisites to be able to apply for a New York real estate broker license.

In particular, this will involve completing a total of 152 hours of approved prelicensing education according to N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 441, broken down as follows:

• Salesperson Course (45 hours)
• Salesperson Remedial Course (30 hours)
• Broker Course (45 hours)
• Broker Remedial Course (30 hours)
• Fair Housing and Implicit Bias Course (2 hours)

Once that is completed, you will receive a Certificate of Completion, which you must present at the exam site in order to sit for your state licensing exam.

Keep in mind that the salesperson qualifying and remedial courses are only valid for a period of eight years. You’ll need to obtain a license within this timeframe, the certificate and its associated courses will expire, meaning you’ll need to retake them before you can continue with your license application.

Step 3: Pass the Broker Licensing Exam

This written, multiple-choice exam is 2.5 hours in length and will test you on the same content as the curriculum of the pre-licensing education you completed.

In order to schedule your real estate broker exam, you’ll need to make an online reservation using the eAccessNY website. Note that you’ll need to create an account for this service if this is your first time using it, after which you’ll be shown step-by-step instructions on how to complete your reservation.

To complete your reservation for the broker licensing exam, you will need to select the exam site that is most convenient for you, and pay a $15 state licensing fee.

It should be noted that, once you have passed the exam, your results will remain valid for a period of two years, within which you will need to apply for your broker license.

Note: Keep in mind that results for the exam are reported as either ‘passed’ or ‘failed’ — you will not receive a numerical score.

Step 4: Submit a License Application

After completing your pre-licensing education and ensuring that you satisfy all other licensing requirements, you’ll be ready to move on to submitting your license application.

This can be done online through eAccessNY by completing the following steps:

1. Log in from the Main Menu page.
2. Click on “Apply for Real Estate Broker License”.
3. Click on “Next Step”.
4. Enter your personal details.
5. Fill in all required information.
6. Select the name of your school from the dropdown menu.
7. Enter the date you completed your pre-licensing course.
8. Confirm your application details by checking the “I Agree” box at the bottom of the page.
9. Enter your credit card information and press “Submit” only once to complete your payment.
10. Print the “Summary of Your Submission” page for your records.
11. Click “Return to Main Menu.”

Keep in mind that in order for your application to be processed, you will need to pay an initial licensing fee of $185.

Step 5: Application Review

If you’ve managed to get this far, congratulations!

The NYS Department of State Division of Licensing Services typically processes license applications within 10 business days; having said that, delays can occur if additional clarifications are required.

If everything is in order and your application is approved, then your license will be issued and sent to you by mail at the address you specified in your application.

Be sure to take some time to celebrate your accomplishment. You’ve put in a lot of work and effort and deserve a celebration!

New York Real Estate License Renewal

In order to keep your real estate broker license valid, you’ll need to renew it every two years. In New York, you can do this electronically through the NYS Division of Licensing Services eAccessNY website.

Keep in mind that the renewal process requires paying a $185 fee and completing 22.5 hours of Department of State approved continuing education, which must include:

• Fair Housing and Discrimination (3 hours)
• Ethics (2.5 hours)
• Implicit Bias Awareness (2 hours)
• Cultural Competency (2 hours)
• Recent Legal Matters (1 hour)
• Law of Agency (1 hour)

We always encourage our readers to think of the post licensing course they take as an investment in their future career — higher quality, more reliable course content is a central part of ensuring you continue to grow professionally.

New York Department of State

Mailing Address:
New York Division of Licensing Services
PO Box 22001
Albany NY 12201-2001

Physical Address:
New York Division of Licensing Services
One Commerce Plaza 99 Washington Ave., 6th Floor,
Albany, NY 12231

Phone: (518) 474-4429

Email: realestate@dos.ny.gov

Website: https://dos.ny.gov/real-estate-broker