How to Get a North Dakota Real Estate Broker License

Written by: Mary Gerardine

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How to Get a North Dakota Real Estate Broker License

Becoming a North Dakota 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 North Dakota Real Estate Broker License is a fairly simple process, but it does require you to complete six 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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North Dakota Real Estate Agent vs Real Estate Broker

North Dakota 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 North Dakota.

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 North Dakota Real Estate License guide. If you’re working on the North Dakota real estate broker license, keep reading this page!

North Dakota 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 North Dakota.

These prerequisites are:

  • Must have an active license as a real estate salesperson for a period of two years preceding the date of application
  • Must have experience substantially equal to what a licensed real estate salesperson would ordinarily receive during a two-year period
  • Must have no real estate license revoked in North Dakota or any state within 2 years before application

How to Become a Real Estate Broker in North Dakota

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

Step 1: Complete a North Dakota Broker Pre-Licensing Course

The first step to getting your real estate broker license in North Dakota is to take a 60-hour broker education course. The 60-hour broker education includes specific courses. It is not 60 hours of CE.

Educational requirements may not be waived by the North Dakota Real Estate Commission (NDREC) but certain educational courses that are closely related to the real estate profession may be deemed to have satisfied the education requirement.

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These real estate courses mostly cover the fundamentals of working in real estate and must be completed within two years of your broker’s license application. This requirement is divided into two sections:

The required 60 classroom hours of qualifying real estate courses, including the following mandatory courses:

  • Agency Relationships and Property Representations
  • Fair Housing and Other Governmental Regulations
  • Property Management
  • Finance
  • Ethics

North Dakota has reciprocity agreements with Georgia, Iowa, and Minnesota. So if you’re an agent (or broker) in a different state during the previous two years, your experience and those CE credit hours won’t count towards your prerequisites.

After completing the courses, you must also pass the final broker course exam. The minimum passing grade is 70%. The final pre-license exam is to be supervised by a proctor, whether on-site or online. This is not the same as the state broker exam.

After passing your broker course exam, your pre-license education provider will provide you with your course completion documents.

Step 2: Submit a North Dakota Broker License Application

Once you meet the broker pre-licensing education requirements and pass the course exam, you can now apply for your license.

To submit your broker license application, you must use the NDREC’s Web Portal. The application fee is $150, along with an $8.00 with your application for a credit report. There is also a one-time fee of $20 made to ND Real Estate Education, Research, and Recovery Fund.

If you don’t want to file online, you can also apply using a paper application form.

Step 3: Get a Fingerprint-Based Background Check

After you send in your broker license application and fees, you must request a criminal history record check (SNF 60688). Send the SNF 60688 form to the NDREC office, and you will receive a fingerprinting kit mailed to you, including:

  1. Instructions
  2. Two Fingerprint Cards
  3. List of Possible Locations Offering Fingerprinting
  4. Fingerprint Verification form
  5. Envelope to return to NDREC
  6. Tamperproof seal

When you are fingerprinted, you will need to mail the completed fingerprinting cards and a fee of $41.25 payable to the ND Attorney General and send it back to the NDREC office.

Completing your fingerprints will begin the background check process. The NDREC will review any findings in your background report to ensure your eligibility.

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 4: Obtain Errors & Omissions Insurance

North Dakota requires all broker licensees to carry errors and omission (E&O) insurance, which must be provided to the NDREC office before issuing your license.

The NDREC has made available, to all licensees, a policy of E&O Insurance under a group plan from a qualified insurance carrier through Rice Insurance Service, Inc.

E&O Insurance may be acquired from any qualified carrier as long as the coverage is equivalent to that made available through the NDREC. Find more information on NDREC’s E&O Fact Sheet.

Step 5: Pass the North Dakota Real Estate Broker Exam

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

The fee for the broker exam is $131.

In North Dakota, brokers take the same National section, which is presented in simulation problem format and includes 11 simulation problems.

For more information on the broker exam, visit the North Dakota Real Estate Commission website. You can view the exam handbook here. If you happen to fail the exam, you can retake it within 24 hours.

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 6: Application Review

After passing your broker exam, you will only need to wait for NDREC to review and approve your application.

The process should take between 5-10 business days. After this, you should receive a notification from NDREC via email and the web portal.

NDREC updates the documents they are currently processing. If any additional information is required with your application, you will be contacted directly by NDREC’s Enforcement Division. You can also use NDREC’s web portal to track your license application status.

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.

North Dakota Real Estate Broker License Renewal and CE

In North Dakota, you must renew your real estate broker license every year. NDREC will send you a renewal notice within 90 days before your expiration date. The renewal process is not the same for the broker license and sales agent license.

To renew your license, you must use NDREC’s web portalThe renewal fee is $150. Real estate licenses expire annually unless they are renewed by December 31. The deadline to file for renewal is November 15.

NDREC – North Dakota Real Estate Commission

Mailing Address:
North Dakota Real Estate Commission
1120 College Dr., Suite 204
Bismarck, ND 58501

Hours: Monday to Friday 8:30am – 5:00pm
Closed 12:00nn – 1:00pm

Phone: (701) 328-9749

EmailContact Us Form

Websitehttps://www.realestatend.org/

North Dakota Real Estate Broker License FAQ

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

The costs of getting a real estate broker license in North Dakota can range between $531.25 and $721.25.
The cost breakdown is as follows:
Pre-license education courses: $209-$399
Application fee: $150
Fingerprint-based background check: $41.25
Broker exam fee: $131

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 North Dakota?

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

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