How to Get a Real Estate License in Montana

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

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

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

Basic Montana Real Estate Licensing Requirements

Getting a real estate license in Montana 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 Montana:

Pre-licensing Courses Required in Montana

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

• 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

Montana Real Estate Exam Information

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

Montana Pre-licensing Exam Questions

• Total of 133 multiple-choice questions (to be completed within 3.5 hours)
• 100 questions on the national portion (80 correct required to pass)
• 33 questions on the state portion (23 correct required to pass)

What to Bring to the Exam

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

Passing Score

You must earn a score of 70-80% to pass the Montana Real Estate Salesperson Exam

Pass Rate

N/A

Montana Real Estate License Fee

$185

Exam Fee in Montana

$106-110

Education Requirements

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

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 Montana 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.

Online Real Estate Schools in Montana

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

Visit Career Web School

Montana Real Estate License Reciprocity and Portability

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

• Reciprocity: Montana has mutual recognition agreements with the following jurisdictions:
  • Alberta, Canada
• Portability: Physical Location

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

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

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 Montana brokerages are the most successful, check out Real Trends list of the top real estate brokerages in Montana for 2017 below.

Bozeman

Real Estate Brokerage	Sales Volume (2016)
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Montana Properties	$727,826,012
Keller Williams Montana Realty	$316,243,527

*Data from Real Trends Market Leaders 2017

Montana 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 Montana check out this sales data from Trulia’s Montana home price page below (week ending June 21):

County	Average List Price	Median Sales price
Madison	$745,080	-
Powder River	$589,000	-
Gallatin	$581,284	-
Lake	$501,050	-
Ravalli	$478,516	-
Park	$465,257	-
Sweet Grass	$444,196	-
Stillwater	$411,404	-
Flathead	$396,551	-
Granite	$394,365	-