Becoming a Vermont 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 Vermont Real Estate Broker License is a fairly simple process, but it does require you to complete four 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.

Vermont Real Estate Agent vs Real Estate Broker

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

A 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 Vermont.

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.

Vermont 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 Vermont.

These prerequisites are:

• Have at least two years experience as a licensed salesperson
• Have at least eight closed sales transactions verified via a Verification of Salesperson Experience form

Please note that the eight sales transactions must be separate from one another and cannot involve family members.

How to Become a Real Estate Broker in Vermont

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

Step 1: Complete a Vermont Broker Pre-Licensing Course

The first step to getting your real estate broker license in Vermont is to get your salesperson license. To do that, you’ll need to take 40 hours of pre-licensing education and have an affiliation with Vermont licensed office.

These real estate courses cover the fundamentals of working in real estate and must be completed within two years of your broker’s license application.

The required 40 classroom hours of qualifying real estate courses will cover the following mandatory topics:

• Agency Relationships
• Contracts
• Ownership/Interest
• Finance
• Calculations
• Regulations
• Property Management
• Governance
• Commissions

Vermont offers reciprocity. If you’re either an agent or broker in good standing from another jurisdiction, you may be able to waive the prereqs. (If you are from Indiana or Rhode Island, you will need to take the 40-hour educational requirements.) No matter where you apply from, though, you will need to pass the state exam. Please note that this is judged on a case-by-case basis through the Vermont’s Office of Professional Regulation (VOPR) Real Estate Commission.

After completing the courses, you must also pass the final broker course exam. The minimum passing grade is 75%. 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. The school is not required to report course completion to the state, so you will need to submit your documents with your broker’s application.

Step 2: Pass the Vermont Real Estate Broker and National Exam

The real estate broker licensing exam is taken as part of the application process in Vermont. You can take it via PSI Exams.

The fee for the broker exam is $110.

Please note that you must also pass the national exam as well. You can find information for this exam via the Applied Measurement Professionals website. Please note that if you have passed the national exam in an equivalent state, you do not need to take the exam again. (California, New York, and West Virginia are not equivalent states.)

VOPR does not release information regarding the exam. However, the exam will cover the topics covered in your pre-licensing education.

For more information on the exam, PSI provides a Candidate Handbook containing the Vermont Real Estate Broker Exam Content Outline.

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 3: Submit a Vermont 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 VOPR’s Online Services Platform. The application fee is $10050. Please note that you cannot apply through a paper application in the state.

Make sure to include your Verification of Salesperson Experience as part of your application, confirming that you have successfully completed eight transactions with your active salesperson license within two years.

If you’re operating independently and currently not associated with a brokerage firm, you’ll need to fill out a brokerage firm application as well. You can find forms on the Online Services Platform after logging in to your account.

You are not required to submit fingerprints in Vermont, though you are required to report any disciplinary action taken against you. All applications will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Step 4: Application Review

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

The process can take up to five business days. After this, you should receive a notification from the VOPR.

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.

Vermont Real Estate Broker License Renewal and CE

In Vermont, you must renew your real estate broker license every two years. The VOPR will send you a notice six weeks before your expiration date.

To renew your license, you must use the Office of Professional Regulation Online Services Portal.

As part of renewing your broker license, you must also complete the continuing education (CE) requirements. This includes 24 hours of approved courses (four hours of mandatory classes).

You must submit your course completion certificates when renewing (either via picture or PDF). To find approved courses and content, you must first log into your VOPR account. Please note that your information may be randomly audited by the Secretary of State.

VTOPR – Vermont Secretary of State’s Office of Professional Regulation — Real Estate Commission

Mailing Address:

Vermont Real Estate Commission
89 Main St., Third Floor
Montpelier, VT 05620

Phone: (802) 828-1505

Email: jgriffen@sec.state.vt.us or Contact Form

Website: https://sos.vermont.gov/real-estate-brokers-salespersons/