Getting a real estate license in Connecticut is fairly simple compared to other states. With 60 hours of prelicensing education, application, passing exam, and a sponsoring brokerage, you’ll be well on your way to a successful real estate career. So grab a grinder and a hot cup of Dunkin’ to read through our step-by-step guide to getting your real estate license in Connecticut.
1. Meet the State’s Legal Requirements
The preliminary requirements to get a real estate license in Connecticut are very standard. To qualify, you are required to be at least 18 years of age, have a high school diploma or GED, and you must be a U.S. citizen or lawfully admitted alien.
Did you know? If you are licensed agent in another state, you may be able to represent buyers and sellers just by taking and passing the exam. This is because Connecticut has mutual recognition agreements with Massachusetts, Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Rhode Island. You can visit the Connecticut State Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) website and complete the reciprocal application online or mail the paper form to see if you qualify.
Connecticut is also a cooperative state in terms of license portability. This means Connecticut allows out-of-state real estate agents or brokers to physically enter the state to conduct real estate business without a Connecticut-issued license. However, in order for out-of-state agents to work on a real estate transaction, they must have a co-brokerage agreement with a licensee of that state.
To learn more about real estate license portability in Connecticut, check out our guide on real estate license reciprocity and portability here.
2. Complete Required Prelicensing Courses
The Constitution state requires aspiring agents, who don’t already have a license from a reciprocal state (like Massachusetts), complete 60 hours of prelicensing coursework prior to moving forward in the real estate licensing process. The classes can be fulfilled in-person or online at an accredited Connecticut online real estate school, where prices range from $229 to $495. The courses will cover the following topics:
- Real Property and the Law
- Concepts of Home Ownership
- Agency
- Real Estate Brokerage
- Listing Agreements and Buyer Representation
- Interests in Real Estate and Forms of Real Estate Ownership
- Legal Documents
- Transfer of Title and Title Records
- Real Estate Financing
- Leases and Property Management
- Real Estate Appraisal
- Land Use Controls and Property Development
- Fair Housing and Ethics Practices
- Environment Issues and Closing the Real Estate Transaction
- Real Estate Investment
- Connecticut Licensing Law
- Real Estate Taxes and Liens
- Real Estate Contracts
Did you know? If you have taken real estate courses at law school or any other college or university, your courses may be considered toward your prerequisite hours to waive the education requirement. No online or correspondence courses are accepted and you are still required to take the Connecticut real estate exam. For further information and attorney application, refer to the DCP website.
Finding an online real estate school that best suits your needs and learning style can be difficult, but we can help with that. Take a look at our guide to the best accredited online real estate schools to get an idea of what’s available. With a local reputation and high-quality education to boot, Freedom Trail Realty School can be a great option for your prelicensing education.
Visit Freedom Trail Realty School
3. Apply for Your License
Connecticut candidates are encouraged to apply for their license online rather than mail to avoid delays. You can apply for your initial licensure through the CT.gov website by first registering for an account and then providing the required documentation under the “New Application” tab. The initial license fee is $285 paid online via credit or debit card. Processing time for your application is around two weeks.
If you have a criminal record, it is not automatic disqualification to receive your real estate license in Connecticut. The DCP will review your record to determine if you are eligible to move forward. You are required to complete the Criminal Conviction Review Worksheet and include all documentation of your crime, rehabilitation, and time elapsed since the conviction and release to be evaluated for licensure.
If you’ve already chosen a brokerage to hang your license, you may also include the Salesperson Sponsoring Broker Form to indicate the brokerage you will be working under. If you have not yet decided, you can complete this form after passing your exam.
4. Take the Exam
Once you’ve completed your application, it’s time to tackle your real estate exam. The pass rate for Connecticut’s real estate exam is 60%, which is higher compared to other states. The exam is administered on the computer so you will be given your score immediately following the exam.
If you pass, you will receive a success notification on your screen; if you do not pass, you will receive a diagnostic report detailing your strengths and weaknesses so you can prepare to take the exam again. You must pass both the state and national portions of the exam within a year from your prelicensing education. The good news is that you may take the test as many times as needed within the year. After you’ve passed your exam, you have two years from the date to activate your real estate license.
Exam Details
Test Format | Multiple choice |
Test Length | 110 questions 80 national-focused questions 30 state-specific questions |
Time Limit | 165 minutes |
Items to Bring to Exam | 2 valid forms of identification:
|
Passing Score | 70% to pass the Connecticut Real Estate Salesperson Exam |
Pass Rate | 60% |
Schedule Your Exam
PSI is the provider of your licensing exam, which is a national platform for state licensing exams. Different from other states, all candidates for the exam must first be approved by PSI before registering for the exam. For approval, you must notarize and submit the Real Estate Salesperson Application located in the Candidate Information Bulletin, your course completion certificate from your education provider, and an $80 application fee.
Once the application is approved, PSI will send an Examination Eligibility Postcard containing instructions to register and schedule the exam. You’ll be required to create an account on the PSI website, which will then allow you to access the scheduling portal. The fee to take the exam is $65 and can be paid directly on the website using a credit or debit card.
If you’re looking for help studying for the test, we recommend Real Estate Exam Scholars for a comprehensive exam prep course. They offer top-notch exam prep for an affordable price. Even better, they also offer a money-back guarantee if you don’t pass on the first try.
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5. Pick a Company to Work For
In order to hold an active license in Connecticut, you must find a sponsoring brokerage to affiliate your license. As mentioned above, if you’ve already chosen a brokerage, you can submit the Salesperson Sponsoring Brokerage Form. If not, to make your choice a little bit easier, check out our in-depth guide on choosing the right real estate company to work for. Although there are many successful brokerages in the Constitution State, below you’ll find the top five brokerages reported for 2021*.
Rank | Team Name | Company | City | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Al Filippone Associates Al Filippone | William Raveis Real Estate, Mortgage & Insurance | Southport | $180,144,075.00 |
2 | The Vanderblue Team | The Higgins Group Private Brokerage | Fairfield | $160,516,756.00 |
3 | Miale Team | Keller Williams Realty | West Hartford | $75,561,254.00 |
4 | Margaret Wilcox Watkins & Associates Margaret Wilcox | William Raveis Real Estate, Mortgage & Insurance | Glastonbury | $71,640,006.00 |
5 | Brooke Group Real Estate | eXp | Simsbury | $71,450,994.67 |
*Data from Real Trends 2021
Connecticut Cities With Highest Median Sales Price 2021
Higher commissions go hand-in-hand with higher sales prices. To get a sense of which cities are bringing in the bucks in Connecticut, check out this sales data from Towncharts.com below:
Rank | City | Median Home Value |
|---|---|---|
1 | $1,561,200 | |
2 | $1,471,700 | |
3 | $1,383,800 | |
4 | $1,150,400 | |
5 | $1,128,800 | |
6 | $1,055,400 | |
7 | $794,800 | |
8 | $678,100 | |
9 | $663,600 | |
10 | $650,800 |
6. Start Your Real Estate Career
Now that you’ve learned how to become a real estate agent in Connecticut, you’re ready to start your real estate journey. For more information, take a look at our Top 25 New Real Estate Agent Tips From the Pros or 14 Real Estate Agent Tips for 2021 to jump-start your career.