How to Get a Real Estate License in North Dakota

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

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

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

Basic North Dakota Real Estate Licensing Requirements

Getting a real estate license in North Dakota is rather easy compared to other states. You only need a total of 45 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 North Dakota:

Pre-licensing Courses Required in North Dakota

In order to get a real estate license in North Dakota, you will need to complete 45 hours of real estate pre-licensing courses that will cover:

• Agency Relationships and Contracts
• Real Property Ownership/Interest
• Finance
• Real Property
• Marketing Regulations (purchase and rental)
• Property Management
• Real Estate Calculations
• Duties and Powers of the Real Estate Commission
• Licensing Requirements
• Statutory Requirements Governing the Activities of Licensees
• Statutory Requirements Governing Subdivided or Out-of-State Land Sales (Registration Requirements, Disclosure Requirements)
• Real Estate Education, Research, and Recovery Fund

North Dakota 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

North Dakota Pre-licensing Exam Questions

• Total of 140 multiple-choice questions (to be completed in 3.5 hours)
• 100 questions on the national portion (70 correct to pass)
• 40 questions on the state-specific portion (30 correct 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 for math problems
• Confirmation number when the test reservation was made.

Passing Score

You must earn a score of 75% to pass the North Dakota Real Estate Salesperson Exam

Pass Rate

N/A

North Dakota Real Estate Salesperson License Fee

$100

Exam Fee in North Dakota

$130

Education Requirements

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

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 North Dakota 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 North Dakota

While taking your real estate pre-licensing course in person can be helpful, online courses are much cheaper and offer the exact same courses. Search Google to find online real estate schools in North Dakota.

North Dakota Real Estate License Reciprocity and Portability

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

• Reciprocity: North Dakota has mutual recognition agreements with 4 states:
• Georgia, Iowa, Minnesota, and Tennessee
• Portability: Cooperative

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

How to Choose the Right Real Estate Company to Work For in North Dakota

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

Fargo

Real Estate Brokerage	Sales Volume (2016)
Park Co. Realtors	$374,077,168
Keller Williams Roers Realty	$275,261,460

*Data from Real Trends Market Leaders 2017

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

County	Average List Price	Median Sales price
Grant	$800,512	-
Ransom	$447,923	-
Oliver	$318,133	-
Cass	$297,034	-
Burleigh	$271,214	-
Stark	$240,993	-
Grand Forks	$238,956	-
Morton	$224,635	-
Sioux	$220,000	-
Stutsman	$207,406	-