Getting a real estate license in Louisiana is relatively straightforward, but it does take preparation and planning. You need a total of 90 classroom hours of commission-approved prelicensing courses, a passing exam, background check, and sponsoring brokerage. So, let’s dive into the steps.
1. Meet the State of Louisiana’s Legal Requirements
To get a real estate license in the Pelican State, you must meet a few basic eligibility requirements. You must be a United States citizen or lawful resident, at least 18 years of age, and have a high school diploma or GED.
Did you know? Louisiana has full reciprocity agreements with nine states: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee. If you hold a real estate license in one of these states, you can apply for a Louisiana Real Estate Reciprocal License on the Louisiana Real Estate Commission (LREC) website.
It also has cooperative portability, which means Louisiana allows out-of-state real estate professionals to enter the state physically to practice real estate without having a Louisiana license.
To learn more about real estate license portability in Louisiana, check out our guide on real estate license reciprocity and portability here.
2. Complete Required Prelicensing Courses
To start the journey to become a real estate agent in Louisiana, you need to register for 90 hours of pre-licensing courses. You can complete courses in a classroom, through an online accredited real estate school, or by correspondence. You’ll find that prelicensing courses throughout the Bayou State cost anywhere between $195 to $795, depending on the real estate school and type of education. The courses cover:
- Property ownership
- Land use controls and regulation
- Valuation and market analysis
- Financing
- General principles of agency
- Property disclosures
- Contracts
- Leasing and property management
- Transfer of title
- Practice of real estate
- Real estate calculations
- Duties and powers of the LREC
- Statutory Requirements of Governing the Activities of Licensees
- Louisiana Civil Law System
- Louisiana Law of Agency
Did you know? Any active member of the Louisiana State Bar Association who is in good standing and qualified under the real estate license law is exempt from taking the real estate sales associate prerequisite course.
It can feel overwhelming to search for the right school for your learning needs, budget, and schedule. Take a look at our collection of the best online real estate schools in Louisiana to help you make your decision. With its engaging video content and affordable prices, Bob Brooks is an especially great option for any aspiring Louisianan real estate agent.
3. Take the Louisiana Real Estate Exam
Once you’ve completed Louisiana real estate pre-licensing education, you must create an account on the MyLREC Portal and submit a few documents before registering for the exam. The exam is made up of two sections, the National portion and the State portion, and takes a total of three hours to complete.
If you fail the National or State portion of the exam, you don’t have to retake the exam as a whole. However, you will have to apply for new examination eligibility from the LREC and pay a $15 fee to reschedule your next attempt. There is an additional $85 to retake all or part of the exam, and you can reschedule as many times as needed within 12 months.
Louisiana Real Estate Exam Details
Test Format | Multiple choice |
Test Length | 135 questions 80 national-focused questions 55 state-specific questions |
Time Limit | 180 minutes |
Items to Bring to Exam | 2 valid forms of identification with signatures, including one government-issued Photo ID |
Passing Score | 70% to pass the Louisiana Real Estate Salesperson Exam (at least 56/80 on the national portion, and 40/55 on the State portion) |
Pass Rate | Unfortunately, unlike other states, Louisiana doesn’t publish an average passing rate |
Schedule Your Exam
After you complete all of your coursework and the final exam for your online program, you must get approval from the LREC to schedule your Louisiana real estate exam. To do so, submit a certificate of course completion and the Salesperson License Application – Part A, along with a $90 fee, via the MyLREC Portal. On average, it takes four to 12 weeks for an application to be processed and approved.
You’ll receive an email confirmation when you’ve been approved to schedule your Louisiana real estate license exam. The real estate exam is provided by PSI, a national provider for state licensing exams. You can contact PSI by telephone, fax, or mail, or email. However, creating an account and registering on the PSI Exams website is significantly faster and more efficient. After you create an account, you can find available locations and exam dates and pay the $85 exam fee.
If you’re looking for help in studying for the test, we recommend Real Estate Exam Scholar’s Exam Prep course. It offers top-notch exam prep for an affordable price. Even better, it also offers a money-back guarantee if you don’t pass on the first try.
Visit Real Estate Exam Scholar
4. Order Your Background Check
To apply to be a Louisiana real estate agent, you must complete a background check from Clearbox. Ordering your background check is simple―fill out your name, address, and date of birth, and then pay the $49 fee on the website.
You will not receive a copy of your background check results. Instead, they go straight to the LREC. The results of your background check expire after 180 days, which is why the LREC recommends waiting to order your background check until you have passed your real estate exam. If the results expire before your license is issued, you will have to reorder them.
5. Pick a Company to Work For
To hold an active license in Louisiana, you must find a sponsoring real estate brokerage with which to affiliate your license. 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 Pelican State below, you’ll find the top five brokerages reported for 2021.
Rank | Team Name | Company | City | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | The Juli Jenkins Group | Keller Williams Realty | Prairieville | $73,011,359.00 |
2 | Darren James & Associates | eXp Realty | Baton Rouge | $68,086,539.00 |
3 | Team Tangie | Keller Williams Realty | Metairie | $62,830,365.00 |
4 | Team Lytle | Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Ally Real Estate | Bossier City | $44,724,625.00 |
5 | The Houk Group | Keller Williams Realty | Baton Rouge | $44,635,871.96 |
Data from Real Trends 2021
Louisiana Cities With Highest Median Sales Price 2021
Higher home values mean higher commission checks. To get a sense of which cities are bringing in the bucks in the Pelican State, check out this sales data from Towncharts.com below:
Rank | City | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|
1 | $340,000 | |
2 | $293,300 | |
3 | $288,900 | |
4 | $270,600 | |
5 | $265,300 | |
6 | $263,400 | |
7 | $261,900 | |
8 | $256,800 | |
9 | $256,700 | |
10 | $241,300 |
6. Apply for Your Louisiana Real Estate License
To have an active license, all Louisiana real estate professionals are required to purchase errors and omissions (E&O) insurance, which is used to protect real estate businesses from mistakes. LREC works closely with Rice Insurance Services Company (RISC), where you can purchase a group policy. With RISC, costs start at $136 per month and decrease to $17 per month during the course of a year. Alternatively, you can choose your own provider and submit the Independent Errors and Omissions Coverage form.
With a passing exam score, a background check order, and proof of payment of E&O insurance, you’re finally ready to apply for your real estate license in Louisiana. The last form you’ll need to include is Salesperson License Application – Part B. All paperwork is submitted in the LREC portal.
Did you know? Applicants with an existing criminal record may still apply to become a real estate agent in Louisiana. It’s best if applicants include their criminal history along with the necessary documents related to the conviction (if any) on their application. After submitting fingerprints, the application is forwarded to the Division of Criminal Justice Information Systems and the FBI. Upon investigation, each applicant will be considered on their own merits.
7. Start Your Louisiana Real Estate Career
Now that you’ve learned how to become a real estate agent in Louisiana, you’re ready to start your real estate journey. For more information, 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.
