How to Become a Real Estate Agent in Maryland

In this guide you’ll learn all the details you need to know to get your license and become a real estate agent in Maryland.

You’ll learn the basic real estate licensing requirements in Maryland, information about the exam including pass rates and test prep, reciprocity rules, county by county breakdowns of the most expensive real estate in Maryland, and more.

Okay, grab a cup of coffee, and let’s start at the beginning.

Basic Maryland Real Estate Licensing Requirements

Getting a real estate license in Maryland is rather easy compared to other states. You only need a total of 60 classroom hours of commission-approved pre-licensing courses. In comparison, to get a license in Texas, real estate licenses require applicants to complete 180 hours of courses. Here’s a quick breakdown of the real estate licensing requirements in Maryland.

Pre-licensing Courses Required in Maryland

In order to get a real estate license in Maryland, you will need to complete 60 hours of real estate pre-licensing courses that will cover such topics as:

• The Real Estate Business
• License Law and Qualifications for Licensure
• License Law and Commission Rules
• Authorized Relationships, Duties, and Disclosure
• Real Estate Brokerage Activities and Procedures
• Violations of License Law, Penalties, and Procedures
• Federal and State Laws Pertaining to Real Estate
• Property Rights: Estates and Tenancies, Condominiums, Cooperatives, and Time Sharing
• Title, Deeds, and Ownership Restrictions
• Legal Descriptions
• Real Estate Contracts
• Residential Mortgages
• Types of Mortgages and Sources of Financing
• Computations and Closing of Transactions
• The Real Estate Market and Analysis
• Real Estate Appraisal
• Real Estate Investments and Business Opportunity Brokerage
• Taxes Affecting Real Estate
• Planning, Zoning, and Environmental Hazard

Maryland Real Estate Exam Information

While the Maryland Real Estate License exam has a lower passing rate (less than 50 percent) than other states, that shouldn’t scare you away from taking the test.

Even though the passing rate is low, if you work hard and take the courses seriously you should have no problem passing the exam. If you’re looking for help studying for the test, we recommend Real Estate Exam Scholar’s 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.

Visit Real Estate Exam Scholar

Maryland Pre-Licensing Exam Questions

Total of 110 multiple-choice questions (80 for the national and 30 for the state-specific questions) to be completed in 120 minutes total.

What to Bring to the Exam

• 2 valid forms of identification with signatures. One ID must be a government-issued Photo ID
• Confirmation number when the test reservation was made.

Passing Score

You must earn a score of 70% or better to pass the Maryland Real Estate Salesperson Exam (56/80 for the national and 21/30 for the state portion)

Pass Rate

Less than 50%

Maryland Real Estate License Fee

$110 for original salesperson license ($90 for renewal)

Exam Fee in Maryland

$61.00

Education Requirements

You need to have at least a high school diploma or GED in order to apply for a license in Maryland.

Age

Applicants must be at least 18 of age or older

Residency

Any U.S. citizen or a lawfully admitted alien can apply.

Exemptions

Any active member of the Maryland Bar who is in good standing and qualified under the real estate license law is exempt from taking the real estate sales associate prerequisite course.

Criminal Background

Applicants who have an existing criminal record may still apply for a real estate license. It would be best if applicants were to include their criminal history along with the necessary documents related to the conviction, if any, on their application. After submitting your fingerprints, your application will be forwarded to the Division of Criminal Justice Information Systems and to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Upon investigation, each applicant will be considered on their own merits.

Processing Time

On average, it will take anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months from education to license in hand, depending on the pre-licensing classes you take.

Online Real Estate Schools in Maryland

While taking your real estate pre-licensing course in person can be helpful, online courses are much cheaper and offer the exact same courses. OnCourse Learning is a solid choice.

Visit OnCourse Learning

Maryland Real Estate License Reciprocity and Portability

If you plan on working in states besides Maryland, then you need to know the real estate license reciprocity and portability laws for Maryland.

• Reciprocity: Maryland doesn’t have reciprocity with any other state.
• Portability: Cooperative

To learn more about real estate license portability in Maryland, check out our guide on real estate license reciprocity and portability here.

How to Choose the Right Real Estate Company to Work For in Maryland

Let’s face it. Choosing the right brokerage to work for in any state isn’t easy. In order to make your choice a little bit easier, check out our in-depth guide on choosing the right real estate company to work for.

Once you’ve finished reading the guide, check out our buyer’s guide comparing Keller Williams, RE/MAX, and Century 21 here.

If you’re curious about which Maryland brokerages are the most successful, check out Real Trends list of the top real estate brokerages in Maryland for 2017 below.

Washington D.C./Arlington/Alexandria

Baltimore

*Data from Real Trends Market Leaders 2017

Maryland Counties with Highest Average Listing Price and Highest Median Sales Price 2017

Let’s face it, higher listing prices mean higher commission checks! To get a sense of which counties offer the best opportunities for big bucks in Maryland check out this sales data from Trulia’s Maryland home price page below (week ending June 21):