Getting your South Carolina Real Estate License is the first step to becoming a real estate agent in South Carolina. Nowadays, this process can be done almost entirely online. You will still need to take your South Carolina 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 South Carolina 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 South Carolina

Becoming a real estate agent in South Carolina 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.

South Carolina Real Estate License Requirements

The requirements to become a real estate agent in South Carolina 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 education

How to Get Your Real Estate License in South Carolina

Step 1. Real Estate Pre-Licensing Course

To begin the licensing process, you must successfully complete 90 hours of approved pre-licensing salesperson courses.

South Carolina requires that real estate sales agents complete 60 hours of Unit I Salesperson pre-license coursework prior to sitting for their exam. The 30-hour Unit II Advanced Real Estate Principles course can be taken after passing the licensing exam but must be taken prior to applying for licensure. Both courses must be completed before obtaining initial licensure.

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.

South Carolina 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. South Carolina Real Estate License Exam

After completing the 60 hours of Unit I Salesperson pre-license coursework, you can now apply for exam eligibility from the South Carolina Real Estate Commission (SCREC) by submitting the South Carolina Exam Application for Real Estate Form (REC 231). Make sure you include a check or money order in the amount of $25 made payable to SCREC. Eligibility, once granted, is valid for one year.

After approval, it is time to take the South Carolina Real Estate Salesperson Exam.

The fee to take the exam is $63 per attempt.

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

You will have 200 minutes (3 hours and 20 minutes) to complete the entire exam. The National section time is 120 minutes (2 hours) and the State section time is 80 minutes (1 hour and 20 minutes).

A passing score for the South Carolina Real Estate Salesperson Exam is 56/80 on the National section and 28/40 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 South Carolina 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 receiving your initial application eligibility, you will now receive the instructions on how to obtain the fingerprint criminal background check. The South Carolina Real Estate Commission requires that all applicants have a background check performed before they can become a licensed real estate agent in South Carolina.

You will be required to obtain state and national fingerprint-based criminal records checks from the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED).

The fee to complete your fingerprinting services is $25.

Completing and turning in your fingerprints will begin the background check process. The South Carolina Real Estate Commission will review any findings in your background report from the State Law Enforcement Division 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 South Carolina. If this is the case, you should complete and submit an SC Real Estate Commission Criminal History Explanation Form before your license application.

Step 4. Real Estate License Application

After you’ve finished your exam and background check, you can now complete your real estate license application in South Carolina.

The fee for this application is $50. You can complete and fill out your application online using South Carolina’s LLR Online Applications system.

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. In most cases, this process should take about seven business days. After this, you should receive an email from SCREC with a license document. If you have any questions at this point, you should contact TREC at (803) 896-4400 or Contact.REC@llr.sc.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

When you receive your initial Real Estate License in South Carolina, your license will be in an “inactive” status. This means that you cannot transact real estate yet.

In order to “activate” your license, you will need to be sponsored by a licensed real estate broker in South Carolina.

If you already have a broker in mind or have an agreement with a real estate company, you can apply for sponsorship on the SCREC website.

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

SCDLLR – South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation

Mailing Address: 

South Carolina Real Estate Commission
110 Centerview Dr. Suite 201
Columbia, SC 29211

Phone: (803) 896-4425

Fax: (803) 896-4402

Email: Contact.REC@llr.sc.gov

Website: https://llr.sc.gov/re/