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How To Get a North Carolina Real Estate License

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In order to facilitate the buying and selling of real estate, you must first obtain your provisional broker license through the North Carolina Real Estate Commission. North Carolina is a “broker only” real estate licensing state. A real estate agent first becomes a provisional broker, then a broker, and then a broker-in-charge. A “broker” may operate independently but must be affiliated with a “broker-in-charge.” Each tier of licensing requires more experience and education. This article outlines how to become obtain your provisional broker license.

General Requirements for a North Carolina Real Estate Broker License

  • At least 18 years old
  • Eligible to work in the United States
  • Have a Social Security number
  • Complete a satisfactory broker education course
  • Achieve a passing score on the real estate examination
  • Possess good moral character

North Carolina Broker Pre-License Course

North Carolina requires you to successfully complete a 75-hour broker pre-license course or have sufficient real estate experience that the commission finds appropriate. The North Carolina Real Estate Commission provides examples of sufficient experience. You must fulfill the course requirement or sufficient experience requirement before you can qualify to take the license examination.

Applicants who complete their application online can have their school submit their course completion electronically. If you are completing a paper application, you must obtain a Certificate of Course Completion from the school to submit with your application.

Application Process For North Carolina Real Estate License

After completing your 75-hour real estate education, the next step is submitting your application to the Commission. You may do this online or on paper. The cost is $30 and payable only by credit card if applying online, or payable by cashier’s check, money order, or certified check if using the paper application. You must submit documentation of your 75-hour real estate education (the school will do this if you’re applying online), your criminal record report, and character information.

Following your application submission, you should receive notice from the Commission confirming or rejecting your eligibility to take the examination.

Taking the North Carolina Real Estate Broker Examination

The Commission will provide you with instructions on scheduling your exam once your application has been reviewed and accepted. You have 180 days to pass both sections of the exam. When you schedule your exam you must remit the $64 testing fee to the testing company, Applied Measurement Professionals, Inc. (AMP).

The exam covers both national and state real estate information. Study tip: the “national” section is the same in every state that utilizes Applied Measurement Professionals, Inc. testing. Both sections of the test are presented at the same time for first-time test takers. The questions are mixed together as if it’s one exam. Your results will show “pass” or “fail” for the two separate sections, though. If you fail one section, you may retake just that section alone. Remember, both sections must be passed within your 180-day eligibility time frame. In order to pass the national section of the North Carolina Real Estate Broker Examination, you must answer 75 of the 100 questions correctly. In order to pass the state section of the exam you must answer 30 of the 40 questions correctly.

The test is computer based, but you do not need any computer experience to take the exam. Explicit instructions will be given to you regarding the key functions and commands of the computer. You will also be given an opportunity to practice using the functions before taking the actual test. You have 4 hours to complete the 140 questions. The questions on the exam are all multiple choice with four choice options. Some questions will offer you statements and you have to determine which combination of the statements is true.

North Carolina Real Estate License Issuance

Upon successfully completing the examination, your license will be issued by the North Carolina Real Estate Commission. Your score will be reported by the testing center and your license will be mailed to you within 10 days.

Official Resources for North Carolina Real Estate Licenses

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