Getting your Virginia Real Estate License is the first step to becoming a real estate agent in Virginia. Nowadays, this process can be done almost entirely online. You will still need to take your Virginia real estate license exam in person, but the rest of the process can be completed entirely online!

This article outlines how to become a real estate agent in Virginia in an easy to understand, step-by-step manner. You’ll learn how much it will cost, how long it will take, what is on the exam, and much more.

How to Become a Real Estate Agent in Virginia

Becoming a real estate agent in Virginia is as simple as getting your license, finding a broker sponsor, and getting to work selling real estate! As long as you fulfill the below requirements, you are already on your way to your goal.

Virginia Real Estate License Requirements

The requirements to become a real estate agent in Virginia are:

• Be a citizen of the United States or a lawfully admitted alien
• Be 18 years of age or older
• Must have a high school diploma or equivalent (GED)

How to Get Your Real Estate License in Virginia

Step 1. Real Estate Pre-Licensing Course

Virginia requires that real estate sales agents complete 60 hours of pre-license coursework prior to sitting for their exam.

Most people choose to take their pre-license education course online. The majority of online courses are self-paced and include study materials like real estate practice exams and flashcards. Some also come with a “guarantee” that you will pass the exam on your first attempt if you complete their course. These benefits are all dependent on the education provider and package you choose, so be sure to get the course that best suits your needs.

Remember that the point of these courses isn’t just to check a box and complete a requirement, but rather to prepare you to pass your exam and become a better agent.

Virginia is one of the few states that require the final pre-license exam to be supervised by a proctor. This is not the same as the state exam. This test is provided by your pre-license education company and is an indication that you have completed and retained the information from your pre-license education course.

Similar to the state exam, this test is closed-book and closed-note. You are allowed a basic-function calculator and scratch paper, but no cell phones or outside internet access.

In most cases, you can take this test in your own home, but you must have a proctor overseeing you when sitting for the test. When purchasing your real estate pre-license course, check to see if a proctor is included in your education package.

Step 2. Virginia Real Estate License Exam

After you’ve completed your pre-license education, it’s now time to take the Virginia Real Estate Exam.

The fee to take the exam is $60 per attempt.

The Virginia Real Estate Exam consists of 120 questions. This includes 80 for the National section and 40 for the State section.

You will have 150 minutes (2.5 hours) to complete the entire exam. The National section time is 105 minutes (1.75 hours), and the State section time is 90 minutes (.75 hours).

A passing score for the Virginia Real Estate Salesperson Exam is 56/80 on the National section and 30/40 on the State section.

Immediately after completing your exam, you will receive a scoring document that states whether you passed or failed. If it is marked “Fail,” then you will see a breakdown of your score in the different areas of the exam. If you decide to retake the exam, use this as a guide for your studies.

You can register to take your exam on the PSI Virginia Real Estate page. On this page, you will find some other helpful resources as well, including the Candidate Handbook and Content Outline.

Step 3. Fingerprinting and Background Check

After submitting your application, the next step is to complete your fingerprinting and background check. The Virginia Real Estate Board requires that all applicants have a background check performed before they can become a licensed real estate agent in Virginia.

You will be electronically fingerprinted at the PSI testing center after you pass the Virginia state licensing exam.

The fee to complete your fingerprinting services is $52.

Completing and turning in your fingerprints will begin the background check process. The Virginia Real Estate will review any findings in your background report to ensure your eligibility. During this process, they may reach out to you to provide additional information or documentation to clear up any findings.

For those who have criminal offenses or judgments against them, there’s a possibility that you may not be eligible for a real estate license in Virginia. If this is the case, you must submit the Criminal Conviction Reporting Form, along with a state police criminal history for every state where you have convictions. This can also be a national criminal history, or a certified copy of the Final Order, decree, or case decision by a court with lawful authority to issue such Order, decree, or decision.

Once the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation receives this information, the Board may request additional documents from you pertaining to the conviction, and you may be required to attend an Informal Fact-Finding conference.

Step 4. Real Estate License Application

Once the results of the fingerprinting are received by the Board, a complete license application must be received by the Board within 45 calendar days, or the applicant will have to be fingerprinted again before a license will be issued.

The fee for this application is $170.

You will need to mail the completed application form to:

Commonwealth of Virginia
Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation
9960 Maryland Drive, Suite 400 Richmond, VA 23233

Step 5. Application Review

Once you’ve passed your exam, you will only need to wait for your background report to come back as a pass. When the application review is complete, and the applicant is deemed qualified, this process should take between 3-5 business days. After this, your license will be sent via US Mail. If you have any questions at this point, you should contact VREB at (804) 367-8526 or REBoard@dpor.virginia.gov.

Congratulations! 

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

Step 6. Real Estate License Sponsorship

To be licensed, you must first be associated with a current and active Virginia sponsoring broker. In order to receive an active license upon submitting your application, you must be associated with a licensed real estate firm or sole proprietor.

To do that, you must fill in your firm and/or broker’s information on your license application form, which is pages 2-3.

If you don’t yet have a broker to work with check out StateRequirement Jobs for a real estate salesperson opening in your area.

Virginia Post-Licensing Education

The Virginia Real Estate Board requires all active new salesperson licensees to complete a Board-approved 30-hour post-license education (PLE) curriculum within one year from the last day of the month in which the license was issued in order to remain on active status.

The 30-hour PLE program will consist of nine courses:

• 2 hours of Fair Housing, ADA, and Civil Rights
• 6 hours of Real Estate Law and Regulations
• 3 hours of Ethics and Standards of Conduct
• 2 hours of Current Industry Issues and Trends
• 3 hours of Agency Law
• 6 hours of Contract Writing
• 3 hours of Risk Management
• 3 hours of Escrow Requirements
• 2 hours of Real Estate-Related Finance

VDPOR – Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation

Mailing Address: 

Virginia Real Estate Board
9960 Maryland Drive, Suite 400
Richmond, VA 23233

Phone: (804) 367-8526

Email: REBoard@dpor.virginia.gov

Website: http://www.dpor.virginia.gov/