Getting your real estate license in Massachusetts is wicked easy if you know the right steps. You must meet the legal requirements, complete 40 hours of Massachusetts Real Estate Board (MREB) approved prelicensing education, obtain endorsement letters, apply for your license, and find a sponsoring brokerage. Read our detailed step-by-step guide to learn more about these steps and get on your way to becoming a licensed real estate agent in Massachusetts.
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1. Meet the Legal Requirements for Your Massachusetts Real Estate License
To become a real estate agent in Massachusetts, you must first meet the legal requirements outlined by the state. You need to be at least 18 years of age and have a Social Security number or tax identification number before moving forward with the process.
Did you know? Massachusetts has reciprocity with Connecticut, Rhode Island, West Virginia, Nebraska, Iowa, Tennessee, Mississippi, Colorado, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and New Mexico. However, Massachusetts has limited broker and salesperson reciprocity with Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and Oklahoma. Agents already licensed in these states need to complete an Educational Waiver to bypass the MREB prelicensing education requirements, but must still pass the real estate exam to earn their license. For other forms to submit with your application, review the reciprocal licensing instruction page.
Massachusetts is also a physical location state in terms of portability. Realtors from other states can do business in Massachusetts, but can’t physically enter the state to do so. Out-of-state agents must conduct all out-of-state business remotely and may not enter the state for showings, closings, or any other reason.
If you hold a criminal record, you still may be able to get a real estate license in Massachusetts. The Board will analyze each applicant’s Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) and consider several factors like relationships between work and public protection, time since conviction, age of applicant at the time of the offense, pending charges, number of offenses, and more to determine license eligibility. The Board will then discuss if the applicant has good moral character and can perform their duties appropriately as a real estate professional.
For more information, review the Determination of Good Moral Character Compliance for Initial Broker or Salesperson Licensure Form.
2. Complete Required Prelicensing Courses
Once you determine you’ve met the prerequisites for obtaining your Massachusetts real estate license, it’s time to start your prelicensing education. You will be required to complete 40 hours of education either in-person or online at an accredited real estate school. Licensee candidates can expect to pay in the range of $189 to $449 for their licensing education as well as cover the following topics:
- Property ownership
- Land use controls and regulations
- 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 board of registration of real estate brokers and salespersons
- Licensing requirements
- Requirements governing licensees
- Consumer protection laws
- Environmental issues and hazardous materials
- Massachusetts fair housing law
- Landlord tenant law
Did you know? If you are a licensed attorney in Massachusetts in good standing with the Supreme Judicial Court (SJC), you are exempt from prelicensing education and exam requirements. When you apply, you must submit a certified letter of Good Standing from the SJC, a Surety Bond for $5,000, a notarized CORI form, and a recent color photograph. Read more about the process on the MREB website.
If you’re ready to get started right away, consider Freedom Trail Realty School for your education. As one of the top online real estate schools in Massachusetts, Freedom Trail Realty School can get your 40 hours completed quickly through a variety of online formats, like livestream or self-paced learning. Access your course from a computer, tablet, or smartphone for learning on the go that is convenient to your schedule.
Visit Freedom Trail Realty School
3. Apply for Your Massachusetts License Through PSI
After you’ve completed your prelicensing education, you will need to qualify for your licensing exam and submit your Massachusetts real estate license application. Unlike other states, Massachusetts requires you to submit your license application through PSI, which is a national provider for state licensing exams.
To begin scheduling, you’ll be required to create an account on the PSI website, which will then allow access to the PSI portal. All required documentation is located in the Candidate Handbook, but see the list below to guarantee you have each of them:
- Application is legible, complete, and signed
- Current picture is attached
- Correct fee ($85) is attached or credit card information included (no cash)
- Appropriate education is documented and signed
- CORI acknowledgment form is completed and attached
- School form is completed (student name is on the form and program indicated, total hours of education is indicated on the form, and school seal is showing)
- Three candidate endorsement forms (must be unrelated to applicant and cannot be an individual met only through the real estate course program)
After PSI receives this information, they will allow you to schedule your Massachusetts real estate exam. While you are preparing for and taking your exam, they will run your criminal background report and process the contents of your application.
4. Take the Massachusetts Real Estate Exam
The Massachusetts real estate exam is divided into a general and state portion. You must pass both portions to get your real estate license. The exam is administered on the computer so you’ll receive your exam results right away. If you pass, you’ll receive your Massachusetts real estate license on the spot.
If you fail either one or both portions of the exam, you will receive a diagnostic report that outlines your strengths and weaknesses on the exam. If you only failed one portion of the exam, you can retake just that portion rather than the entire exam again. Luckily, you have two years from when you finished your prelicensing education courses to pass the test.
Massachusetts Real Estate Exam Details
Test Format | Multiple choice |
Test Length | 120 questions 80 nationally focused questions 40 state-specific questions |
Time Limit | 240 minutes |
Items to Bring to the Exam | 2 valid forms of identification (ID) with signatures:
|
Passing Score | 70% to pass the Massachusetts Real Estate Salesperson Exam, with at least 56/80 on the national portion and 28/40 on the state portion |
Pass Rate | Unfortunately, Massachusetts does not publish its average pass rating for the real estate exam. |
Schedule Your Exam
After you’ve uploaded your documents to PSI, you can schedule your exam through their website. Along with the application documents, additional testing information is available in the Candidate Information Bulletin. The fee to take the exam is $85 and can be paid directly on the website using a credit or debit card. If you did not receive a passing score and require a retake, the fee is $54.
Many agents use tools like PrepAgent to guarantee they’re prepared to pass the exam on the first attempt. Candidates can access preparation tools for up to one year and feel comfortable with a no-risk, money-back guarantee. With access to resources like videos and audio lessons, interactive flashcards, vocabulary worksheets, and more, you can walk into the exam room with confidence.
For extra guidance on passing your real estate exam, download our Exam Prep e-book. We include a pre-assessment to test your knowledge as well as helpful information about what’s included in the exam, the length and structure of the exam, study tips, and sample questions from PrepAgent.
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You should receive your Massachusetts real estate license immediately after passing your exam. If for some reason, you are not issued a license at the test center, you are required to mail the original passing score report to PSI in order to obtain it. From there, applicants should receive their license within two to three weeks after the fee and passing report have been received.
5. Pick a Sponsoring Brokerage to Work For
In order to hold an active license in Massachusetts, you must find a sponsoring brokerage to affiliate your license. Although there are many successful brokerages, below you’ll find some of the top brokerages in the Bay State.
Rank | Team Name | Company | City | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | The Sarkis Team | The Sarkis Team | Boston | $276,282,283 |
2 | Steven Cohen Team | Steven Cohen Team | Boston | $197,370,000 |
3 | Team Lillian Montalto | Team Lillian Montalto | Andover | $177,341,892 |
4 | Pine Acres Realty | Pine Acres Realty | Chatham | $174,517,500 |
5 | Santana Properties Team | Santana Properties Team | Cambridge | $160,530,587 |
(Source: Real Trends)
6. Start Your Real Estate Career
Now that you’ve learned how to become a real estate agent in Massachusetts, you’re ready to start and be successful in your professional real estate journey.
