Getting a Vermont real estate license is pretty straightforward as long as you know the step-by-step process. You need to complete 40 hours of Vermont Office of Professional Regulation (OPR) approved education, pass both the national and state exam, find a sponsoring brokerage, and submit an application. Let us take you through each step of how to become a real estate agent in Vermont.
Statistics courtesy of World Population Review and Leads Deposit
1. Meet the Legal Requirements for Your Vermont Real Estate License
In order to get a Vermont real estate license, you must first meet the basic legal requirements. These include being at least 18 years old, a resident of Vermont, and a legal resident of the U.S.
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Vermont doesn’t have reciprocity agreements with any other state, but you may qualify through to create an account on the VOPR website under the Online Services System if you have equivalent education. You must submit official verification of licensure from your current state, pass the Vermont state exam within the application, and pick a sponsoring brokerage to obtain licensure.
Vermont is a physical location state in terms of portability. This means that you are allowed to conduct business in another state, but you’re not allowed to enter the state to conduct real estate business.
If you have a criminal record, you may still be able to get your real estate license in Vermont. Send written explanations and all court documents for each conviction to the OPR. The OPR will review all of your documentation to determine if you qualify for a real estate license in Vermont.
2. Complete Required Prelicensing Courses
If you’ve met all of the legal requirements, you’re ready to move forward with prelicensing education. The cost of your classes can range from $249 to $550, but Vermont allows you to complete the 40 hours of coursework at an in-person or online real estate school. Whether you choose to take traditional classroom courses or opt for online courses from the comfort of your home, you’ll cover the following real estate topics:
- Agency relationships and contracts
- Real property ownership/interest
- Finance
- Real property
- Marketing regulations (purchase and rental)
- Property Management
- Real estate calculations
- The Real Estate Commission
- Licensure
- Regulations governing the activities of licensees
- Related laws
- Broker topics
As the top online real estate school in Vermont, Colibri Real Estate offers high-quality education at an affordable cost. The courses are primarily self-paced but include interactive elements like instructor Q&A and live exam crammer webinars. In addition, they offer a “Pass or Don’t Pay” guarantee that allows you to get your money back if you do not pass your exam on the first try.
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3. Take the Vermont National Real Estate Exam
Unlike other states that combine the national and state portions of the exam and they are taken at the same time, Vermont requires that you take the national real estate exam first. All candidates must pass the national exam within two years prior to the application date. The exam is administered on the computer, and you will receive your score report directly after finishing the exam.
The score is determined by the Angoff method, where subject-matter experts estimate the difficulty of each question based on the “minimally competent practitioner” (MCP). The judgments are averaged to determine a minimum passing score to represent the amount of knowledge an MCP would need to demonstrate to pass the exam.
If you pass, you will receive a passing report and instructions on how to apply for licensure. In addition, the exam results will be forwarded to the OPR. If you fail the exam, you will be given a diagnostic report that outlines your results so you can further prepare and retake the exam.
Vermont Real Estate Exam Details
Test Format | Multiple choice |
Test Length | 100 nationally focused questions |
Time Limit | 2.5 hours |
Items to Bring to the Exam | 2 valid forms of identification (ID) with signatures:
|
Passing Score | Each question is averaged to determine a minimum passing score that demonstrates the amount of knowledge a minimally competent practitioner should have to operate as a real estate professional. |
Pass Rate | Unfortunately, the VREC does not provide average passing rates for the Vermont exam. |
Schedule Your Exam
The Vermont real estate exam is provided by the PSI (formerly AMP), 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 scheduling portal.
You will receive a copy of the Vermont Candidate Information Bulletin for additional testing information. The fee to take the national exam is $110, which you can pay directly on the website using a credit or debit card.
It’s important to be prepared to take and pass your Vermont real estate license exam on the first attempt. PrepAgent provides many study tools to assist agents like flashcards, video and audio lessons, and live online webinars. These tools, along with the PrepAgent money-back guarantee, will get you ready to ace your exam and start your real estate career.
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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4. Pick a Sponsoring Brokerage to Work For
To hold an active license in Vermont, you must find a sponsoring brokerage to affiliate your license. You must complete the Real Estate Verification of Employment & Supervision form, and your principal broker or broker in charge must sign and date the form. This form must be uploaded with your application.
Although there are many successful brokerages, below you’ll find the some of the top brokerages in the Green Mountain State:
Rank | Team Name | Company | City | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | The Lipkin Audette Team | Coldwell Banker Hickok & Boardman | Burlington | $124,131,260 |
2 | Brian Boardman Group | Coldwell Banker Hickok & Boardman | Burlington | $56,127,105 |
3 | The Smith Macdonald Real Estate Group | Coldwell Banker Carlson Real Estate | Stowe | $54,719,150 |
4 | The Gardner Group | RE/MAX North Professionals | Colchester | $50,190,795 |
5 | Vermont Sales Group | Four Seasons Sotheby's International Realty | Manchester Center | $26,492,750 |
(Source: Real Trends)
5. Apply for Your Vermont License & Pass the State Exam
Once you’ve passed your national exam and picked a sponsoring brokerage to affiliate your license, you need to submit an application and pass the Vermont real estate license exam. Vermont no longer accepts paper applications, so you’ll need to create an account on the VOPR website under the Online Services System.
After you’ve created your account, click “Apply for Individual License” to fill in your information and take the state exam directly through the application. There is no additional cost to take the state exam. You’ll also be required to upload the following documents with your application:
- Certificate of completion for 40 hours of prelicensing education
- Completed verification of employment/supervision form
- Proof of a passing score on the national real estate exam
- The exam answer sheet
- Pay the $100 application fee
You will receive a confirmation email once your application is submitted. They are typically processed within three to five business days, and you can check the status of your application on the online portal.
Pro tip: Along with the required 40 hours of prelicensing education, you’re also mandated to complete eight hours of post-licensing education within 90 days of your license being issued.
6. Start Your Real Estate Career
Now that you’ve learned how to become a real estate agent in Vermont, you’re ready to start your professional real estate journey.
