How Long Does It Take to Get a Real Estate License in Tennessee?

This article gives you an idea of the time commitment involved in getting your real estate license in the state of Tennessee.

We break down the time investment for each step in the licensing process, so you will know if the time estimates align with your availability.

Let’s get started.

Estimated Timeline to Get a Real Estate License in Tennessee

Before you begin anything in the real estate licensing process in Tennessee, you need to see the big picture.

What do you have to accomplish? What are the qualifications? How much does it all cost?

To get an idea of what expectations are associated with this career path, check out the Tennessee Real Estate Commission page of the TN Department of Commerce & Insurance website.

You can see a clear breakdown of how to get a license, as well as download the forms you’ll need and get a summary of all the fees.

There’s even information on testing and how to renew an existing license.

The total time it will take you to complete the pre-licensing education requirement in Tennessee depends on the license type and the format in which you take the class.

For an affiliate broker, you must complete a total of 90 hours. Sixty hours are in real estate principles and fundamentals, and 30 hours are in a course designed for new affiliates.

To complete these hours in person should you decide to attend classes for five hours per week, it would take you about 4.5 months.

Working through an online course at your own pace, though, it could go as fast as under three weeks. That is if you can devote 40 hours per week to the work.

Weigh your options by reading this insightful article comparing the pros and cons of real estate classes online vs classroom courses.

For those trying for a broker license, you must complete 120 hours of pre-licensing education. Thirty of your total hours must be within an office/broker management course.

To take all these hours in person, it could take you up to six months to finish. If you take your classes online, you could be done in just three weeks.

Regardless of the format you take your pre-licensing education in, all classes and schools must be on the approved list from the Tennessee Real Estate Commission (TREC).

Don’t forget to pad this step with some study time as well.

Though there’s no right answer to how long you should study for the real estate exam, you’ll need to give yourself enough time to feel prepared.

Read this article on studying for the real estate exam for more useful tips.

Survey of Experts

Did you take your pre-licensing real estate course online or in person?

Do you think taking a real estate pre-licensing course online can save students time compared to in-person courses?

It’s also at this point that you’ll want to make an appointment to get your fingerprints taken. These are submitted electronically so the TREC can run a background check.

You must schedule your appointment with IdentoGo who then transmits your fingerprints directly to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and FBI for processing.

The cost is $35, and although you may not get an appointment the same day you register for one, the process itself is pretty quick.

Know the complete process through our guide on passing a background check for a Tennessee real estate license.

Once you complete your pre-licensing education, your education provider will submit an online application to PSI Services, the testing company.

They’ll then mail you an approval postcard with instructions on how to schedule the real estate exam. You’ll also have to pay the $39 fee at this time.

You have the ability to schedule your exam online by creating an account, or by calling 855-340-3710.

On the actual day of your real estate license exam, make sure to eat a good meal beforehand and show up at least 30 minutes early to check in.

To review what you can and can’t bring with you, and what forms of ID you’ll need, read through the Tennessee Real Estate Candidate Information Bulletin.

The exam itself is broken down into two parts — a national portion and a state portion. This is the same for both the broker and affiliate broker exams. However, some details differ.

For the affiliate broker exam, you’ll have a total of 120 questions, 80 in the national section and 40 in the state section. You must get at least a 70 percent in each section to pass.

You’ll have 160 minutes for the national section, but only 80 for the state.

For the broker exam, you’ll have a total of 125 questions, 75 in the national section and 50 in the state. A minimum score of 75 percent is required to pass.

You’ll have 150 minutes for the national section, and 90 minutes for the state.

If you need to retake both parts of the exam, you have an unlimited number of attempts.

If you only fail one section, you have six months or two retake attempts to pass (whichever comes first) before having to retake the entire exam again.

You’ll pay the $39 fee each time you retake no matter how many sections you’re testing for.

Survey of Experts

How difficult was it for you to study and pass the Tennessee real estate license exam?

How many attempts did it take you to pass your real estate license exam?

Expert Insight

Tips to help future agents pass the real estate exam.

Take your exam as quickly as possible after finishing your pre-licensing classes.

When you take the practice exams in the study materials provided by the real estate school, don’t just check your score and move on.

For each answer you got wrong, go back and re-read the section from your course materials where that was originally covered.

— Joe Hafner, Hafner Real Estate, Broker/Owner

Consistently study every day. Take your materials with you everywhere and have multiple ways to access them. Don’t give up.

— Jessica Lewis, Century 21 Prestige, Realtor

Do the online practice simulator. You will learn the material and you will pass.

— John Sullivan, Fridrich And Clark Realty and Nashville Realtor Team, Realtor

Study and take practice exams. Study the sections you score low on.

— Andrew McGranaghan, Wallace Real Estate, Chief Development Officer/Partner

Another requirement you must complete before submitting your license application is to get errors & omissions insurance.

This particular type of insurance gives you liability protection against losses that aren’t covered by traditional liability insurance. It protects you if a client sues for negligence.

You can use any insurance agency to find the E&O policy that works for you, so it’s best to take some time and research your options.

It’s up to you whether you do this before or after you’ve submitted your real estate license application, but to get your career started, you’ll need a sponsoring broker.

Picking a real estate broker to work for can take some time since you’ll need to research Tennessee real estate brokerages and really weigh your options.

To ensure you select someone that’s a good fit for you, make sure to talk to more than one potential candidate.

The quickest way for you to submit your real estate license application in Tennessee is to create an online account at core.tn.gov. You can also email required items to [email protected].

Required materials include proof you passed your pre-licensing coursework, your passing score report from the exam, proof of insurance, and proof of eligibility.

If your fingerprints weren’t automatically submitted, you’ll need to send those in, too.

The application fee is $91 regardless of license type, and you have six months after you pass the exam to submit a completed application.

The entire process, including review time by the TREC, takes about four weeks at the most.

In TN, real estate license renewal requirements include 16 hours of continuing education to be completed every two years.

Of the 16 hours, six must be taken in an approved core course that can change between renewal periods. The remaining hours can be taken as electives.

The format you take the classes in, and how many hours per week you can fit into your schedule, will impact the total amount of time it takes to complete these hours.

When the renewal period comes up, Tennessee real estate agents get a notification through their online TREC account. The renewal fee is $75.

Survey of Experts

How long did it take you to get your real estate license? From the time you signed up for school till your license was issued.

Expert Insight

Knowing what you know now, what would you do differently to get your license faster?

I would choose to have stayed dedicated continuously. I would get burnt out and take weeks without doing work. I would have been done a lot faster if I hadn’t.

— Jessica Lewis, Century 21 Prestige, Realtor

Take classes online.

— Andrew McGranaghan, Wallace Real Estate, Chief Development Officer/Partner

Once you have a clear view of how much time you’ll need to put into getting your real estate license in Tennessee, you can shift your focus to the most important thing: studying for the real estate exam.

All the work you do leads up to taking the test, and you want to fully prepare yourself to improve your chances of passing the Tennessee real estate exam the first time around.

To do this, you’ll need to find a solid study location and collect study materials.

The best place to start when it comes to resources is your pre-licensing coursework notes. Use these to create topic outlines and make flashcards.

Another good source for studying is the Candidate Information Bulletin. It provides exam outlines so you can see what topics are covered and the total questions for each topic.

With all your materials ready to go, you now need to find a good place to study. This is probably somewhere quiet with limited distractions and interruptions.

Try to study a little bit every day once you begin your Tennessee real estate classes by reviewing the notes you most recently took. Then, add onto the information and keep the process going.

If you feel like you need some support to stay motivated, consider creating a study group with some of your classmates and meet as often as you can.

When you truly feel ready, that’s when you should schedule your real estate exam. You want to walk into the test confident you’re prepared to pass it that day.

We hope this guide answers in detail the question, “How long does it take to get a real estate license in TN”? When you know the hours you need to commit, you can navigate the licensing process with ease and efficiency.

To know the financial investment involved in getting licensed in the state, read our article on the cost of a real estate license in Tennessee.

Once you get your license, the real work begins. Focus your attention on what to do next after passing the real estate exam.

This may include gathering information on what it’s like to work as a real estate agent. It helps to get insights from industry experts weighing in on the question, “Is being a real estate agent worth it”?

Becoming a member of a real estate team should also be a part of your plans. Joining a real estate team allows you to meet experienced agents who can help guide your career.

To help you build and grow your real estate career quickly, we at Real Estate Bees created a directory for real estate professionals.

It’s designed to help you get more exposure for your business, including receiving leads. Create a free profile by signing up here.

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About the Author

Kristina Morales is a REALTOR® with over 20 years of professional experience. She actively practices real estate in Ohio but also has practiced real estate in California and Texas. Conducting her real estate business in three states has allowed her to gain unique experiences that make her a well-rounded realtor. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Business Management and her MBA with a concentration in Banking and Finance. Prior to real estate, Kristina had an extensive corporate career in banking and treasury. She ended her finance career as an Assistant Treasurer at a publicly traded oil & gas company in Houston, TX.