How to Become a Real Estate Agent in Washington

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

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

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

Basic Washington Real Estate Licensing Requirements

Getting a real estate license in Washington is rather easy compared to other states. You only need a total of 90 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 Washington:

Pre-licensing Courses Required in Washington

In order to get a real estate license in Washington, you will need to complete 90 hours of real estate pre-licensing courses that will cover the following:

• 60-Hour Course On Real Estate Fundamentals:
  • Language, Principles, and Legal Concepts
  • Laws that Govern Real Estate Ownership and Transfers
  • Land-Use Controls, Development, and Environmental Issues
  • Real Property and Washington-specific Laws
  • Residential Landlord-Tenant Act
  • Real Estate Brokerage Relationships Law
• 30-Hour Course on Real Estate Practices:
  • Agency Relationships
  • Listing Agreements
  • Negotiations
  • Sales Techniques
  • Residential Financing
  • Closing Process
  • Business Ethics in Real Estate
  • Standards of Conduct
  • Risk Reduction Strategies

Washington 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

Washington Pre Licensing Exam Questions

• Total of 130 multiple-choice questions (to be completed within 3.5 hours)
  • 100 questions on the national portion (70 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

Passing Score

You must earn a score of 70% or higher to pass the Washington Real Estate Exam

Pass Rate

N/A

Washington Real Estate License Fee

$146.25

Exam fee in Washington

$138.25

Education Requirements

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

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 Washington 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

Applicants should have a clean criminal record in order to acquire a real estate broker license in Washington.

Online Real Estate Schools in Washington

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

Washington Real Estate License Reciprocity and Portability

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

Reciprocity: Washington doesn’t have mutual recognition agreements with any other state.

Portability: Cooperative

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

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

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 Washington brokerages are the most successful, check out Real Trends list of the top real estate brokerages in Washington for 2016 below.

Seattle

Spokane

*Data from Real Trends Market Leaders 2016

Washington 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 Washington check out this sales data from Trulia’s Washington home price page below: