In this guide you’ll learn all the details you need to know to get your license and become a real estate agent in Pennsylvania.
You’ll learn the basic real estate licensing requirements in Pennsylvania, information about the exam including pass rates and test prep, reciprocity rules, county by county breakdowns of the most expensive real estate in Pennsylvania, and more.
Okay, grab a cup of coffee, and let’s start at the beginning.
Basic Pennsylvania Real Estate Licensing Requirements
Getting a real estate license in Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania:
Pre-licensing Courses Required in Pennsylvania
In order to get a real estate license in Pennsylvania, you will need to complete 60 hours of real estate pre-licensing courses that will cover:
- 30 Hours On Real Estate Fundamentals
- Rights in Real Estate
- Concepts of Land & Property
- Laws and Methods that Govern the Transfer of Property
- 30 Hours On Real Estate Practice
- Real Estate Transaction Forms
- Procedures, Ethics, Techniques, and Rules on Real Estate Transactions
Pennsylvania 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
Pennsylvania Pre-Licensing Exam Questions
- Total of 110 multiple-choice questions
- 80 questions on the national portion (56 correct required to pass)
- 30 questions on the state-specific portion (21 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
- Confirmation number when the test reservation was made
Passing Score
You must earn a score of 70 to pass the Pennsylvania Real Estate Salesperson Exam
Pass Rate
N/A
Pennsylvania Real Estate License Fee
$83-131
Exam Fee in Pennsylvania
$56
Education Requirements
You need to have at least a high school diploma or GED in order to apply for a license in Pennsylvania.
Age
Applicants must be at least 18 of age or older
Residency
Any U.S. citizen or a lawfully admitted alien who is a legal resident of Pennsylvania can apply.
Exemptions
Any active member of the Pennsylvania Bar who is in good standing and qualified under the real estate license law is exempt from taking the real estate prerequisite course.
Criminal Background
In order to acquire a Pennsylvania real estate license, you need to complete a criminal background check, and it can be done online at Pennsylvania Access to Criminal History. However, do not be discouraged. Having a felony may make the process of getting a real estate license a tad bit longer, but the matter will be investigated by the department. The first step in leaving the felony behind is to have enough integrity to disclose the information about the felony with the department. The best thing to do is to disclose all the information related to the case. There is no way to predict what the licensing board will do regarding your license.
Online Real Estate Schools in Pennsylvania
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.
Pennsylvania Real Estate License Reciprocity and Portability
If you plan on working in states besides Pennsylvania, then you need to know the real estate license reciprocity and portability laws for Pennsylvania.
- Reciprocity: Pennsylvania has mutual recognition agreements with 8 states:
- Arkansas
- Georgia
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- New York
- Oklahoma
- West Virginia
- Portability: Turf State
To learn more about real estate license portability in Pennsylvania, check out our guide on real estate license reciprocity and portability here.
How to Choose the Right Real Estate Company to Work For in Pennsylvania
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 Pennsylvania brokerages are the most successful, check out Real Trends list of the top real estate brokerages in Pennsylvania for 2016 below.
Philadelphia/Wilmington (DE)
| Real Estate Brokerage | Sales Volume (2015) |
|---|---|
| Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach Realtors | $10,172,013,360 |
| The Long & Foster Companies, Inc | $4,569,209,240 |
| Keller Williams Real Estate (Blue Bell) | $1,794,519,400 |
| Coldwell Banker Preferred/NRT | $1,586,531,000 |
| Keller Williams Realty - RM Realty Associates LLC | $909,063,248 |
Pittsburgh
| Real Estate Brokerage | Sales Volume (2015) |
|---|---|
| Howard Hanna Holdings, Inc | $3,581,007,266 |
| Coldwell Banker Real Estate Services/NRT | $1,666,002,000 |
| Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices The Preferred Realty | $1,325,829,000 |
| Northwood Realty Services | $1,032,164,343 |
| RE/MAX Select Realty | $555,755,291 |
*Data from Real Trends Market Leaders 2017
Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania check out this sales data from Trulia’s Pennsylvania home price page below:
| County | ||
|---|---|---|
| Chester | ||
| Bucks | ||
| Montgomery | ||
| Centre | ||
| Butler | ||
| Montour | ||
| Lancaster | ||
| Cumberland | ||
| Union | ||
| Delaware |
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