In this guide you’ll learn all the details you need to know to get your license and become a real estate agent in Ohio.
You’ll learn the basic real estate licensing requirements in Ohio, information about the exam including pass rates and test prep, reciprocity rules, county by county breakdowns of the most expensive real estate in Ohio, and more.
Okay, grab a cup of coffee, and let’s start at the beginning.
Basic Ohio Real Estate Licensing Requirements
Getting a real estate license in Ohio requires you to have a sponsoring broker and the complete a 120-hour real estate education course from an approved school. You also need to be at least 18 years old and hold a high school diploma or its equivalent.
Once you submit and complete all the requirements, the Ohio Department of Commerce Real Estate and Professional Licensing division will forward their information to the testing vendor. Afterwards, you may proceed with scheduling an exam.
Getting a real estate license in Ohio is a little tougher compared to other states. You need a total of 120 classroom hours of commission-approved pre-licensing courses. In comparison, to get a license in Florida, real estate licenses require applicants to complete only 63 hours of courses. Here’s a quick breakdown of the real estate licensing requirements in Ohio:
Pre-licensing Courses Required in Ohio
In order to get a real estate license in Ohio, you will need to complete 120 hours of real estate pre-licensing courses that will cover:
- Real Estate Principles And Practices (40 hours)
- Ohio Real Estate Law, Including Instructions In Civil Rights, Housing Discrimination And Desegregation Problems (40 hours)
- Real Estate Appraisal (20 hours)
- Real Estate Finance (20 hours)
Ohio 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
Ohio Pre-Licensing Exam Questions
- Total of 120 multiple-choice questions
- 80 questions on the national portion (60 correct required to pass)
- 40 questions on the state-specific portion (30 correct required to pass)
What to Bring to the Exam
- Proof of completion of pre-licensing education
- Photo ID
- Signature ID
Passing Score
You must earn a score of 75 to pass the Ohio Real Estate Salesperson Exam
Pass Rate
N/A
Ohio Real Estate License Fee
$60
Exam Fee in Ohio
$48
Education Requirements
You need to have at least a high school diploma or GED in order to apply for a license in Ohio.
Age
Applicants must be at least 18 of age or older
Residency
You are not required to be a citizen of the United States or of Ohio. It is necessary, however, to meet the age and education requirements, and have a Social Security number.
Exemptions
Any active member of the Ohio 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
In order to acquire an Ohio real estate license applicants should not have been convicted of a felony or a crime of “moral turpitude.” If you have a felony on your record, you need to submit a detailed explanation of the case and it will be reviewed by the Legal staff.
Online Real Estate Schools in Ohio
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.
Ohio Real Estate License Reciprocity and Portability
If you plan on working in states besides Ohio, then you need to know the real estate license reciprocity and portability laws for Ohio.
- Reciprocity: Ohio has mutual recognition agreements with the following 8 states:
- Arkansas
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Mississippi
- Nebraska
- Oklahoma
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
- Portability: Cooperative
To learn more about real estate license portability in Ohio, check out our guide on real estate license reciprocity and portability here.
How to Choose the Right Real Estate Company to Work For in Ohio
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 Ohio brokerages are the most successful, check out Real Trends list of the top real estate brokerages in Ohio for 2016 below.
Cleveland/Akron/Canton
| Real Estate Brokerage | Sales Volume (2015) |
|---|---|
| Hanna Holdings, Inc | $5,003,242,008 |
| Cutler Real Estate. | $734,545,395 |
| Keller Williams Realty Greater Cleveland West/SW | $701,141,389 |
| RE/MAX Crossroads | $559,999,982 |
| Russell Realty Company | $432,476,659 |
Cincinnati
| Real Estate Brokerage | Sales Volume (2015) |
|---|---|
| Sibcy Cline, Inc | $2,415,783,443 |
| Coldwell Banker West Shell/NRT | $1,335,182,000 |
| Comey & Shepherd | $1,200,000,000 |
| Keller Williams Advisor’s Realty | $701,130,514 |
| Star One Realtors | $462,432,267 |
*Data from Real Trends Market Leaders 2016
Ohio Counties with Highest Average Listing Price and Highest Median Sales Price 2016
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 Ohio check out this sales data from Trulia’s Ohio home price page below:
| County | Average List Price | Median Sales price |
|---|---|---|
| Delaware | $443,878 | $267,500 |
| Warren | $346,460 | $184,500 |
| Geauga | $321,661 | $192,500 |
| Union | $290,478 | $119,000 |
| Hamilton | $265,043 | $135,000 |
| Medina | $258,064 | $181,083 |
| Franklin | $254,402 | $160,900 |
| Madison | $247,719 | $156,500 |
| Clermont | $243,995 | $158,500 |
| Fairfield | $231,637 | $236,950 |
Linda
If I have already taken the real estate courses, but never applied for my real estate license. How long are my real estate course how good for?
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T. S.
Linda, I understand your question this way. You have taken your real estate courses but have not taken the exam. You are wondering how long the courses will be good for. I have gone through this. It is 10 years. If you have taken the exam then I don’t know. Perhaps what Emile said is true. I would check with the officials in your state.
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Thanks for chiming in with actual data. Will update the article to reflect this.
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Hi Linda, I am fairly sure you have six months from passing your exam to associating your license with a brokerage.
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