Ohio Real Estate License Requirements

You’ve got everything you need to know about getting your Ohio real estate license right here. We’ll cover licensing requirements, exam details, fees, and the documents you need for both salespersons and brokers.

What you need to get your real estate license in Ohio

Salesperson:

• Must have a good reputation and be honest and truthful.
• Be at least 18 years old.
• Have a high school diploma or its equivalent.
• Be sponsored by an Ohio Broker.
• Be free of convictions of felonies or moral turpitude crimes. Must not have violated any real estate-related civil rights laws in the past two years, as determined by a court, nor any regulations set by the Ohio Division of Real Estate.
• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Complete the required pre-license education, which includes 40 hours in Real Estate Principles and Practices, 40 hours in Ohio Real Estate Law (covering civil rights, housing discrimination, and desegregation issues), 10 hours in Real Estate Appraisal, and 10 hours in Real Estate Finance.
• You must complete state and FBI criminal records checks.

Broker:

• Must have a good reputation and be honest and truthful.
• Be at least 18 years old.
• Hold an active Ohio salesperson license for at least two of the last five years.
• Be free of convictions of felonies or moral turpitude crimes. Must not have violated any real estate-related civil rights laws in the past two years, as determined by a court, nor any regulations set by the Ohio Division of Real Estate.
• Complete state and FBI criminal records checks
• Must have either completed 20 real estate transactions or have comparable experience as specified by Ohio Real Estate Commission regulations.
• No additional education is required for licenses issued before 1/01/1972.
• For licenses obtained between January 1, 1972 – July 31, 2001, a 120-hour course is necessary: Real Estate Principles & Practices (30), Ohio Real Estate Law (30), Real Estate Appraisal (30), Real Estate Finance (30).
• For licenses issued on or after August 1, 2001: Complete 120 hours: Real Estate Principles & Practices (40), Ohio Real Estate Law (40), Real Estate Appraisal (20), Real Estate Finance (20).

What is the passing score for the Ohio real estate license exam?

The salesperson exam comprise 120 total questions. The national portion includes 80 questions, while the state-specific portion includes 40.

The broker examination has a total of 115 questions, 75 of which are from the national portion and the other 40 belong to the state-specific portion.

National broker exams include questions that are scored up to two points. Also, scenario-based test questions are included to contain more than four options and ONLY ONE BEST option shall be selected to answer the question. Some options are appropriate but not the BEST ANSWER (the optimal solution or most complete resolution to the scenario presented in the question).

For Salespersons:

A minimum score of 70% correct answers is required to pass the exam.

For Brokers:

You must achieve a minimum score of 75% correct answers to pass the exam.

Upon completing your examination, you will receive an official results report.

What is the time limit for the Ohio real estate exam?

For both the salesperson and broker exams, the time limit is 180 minutes. You have 120 minutes to finish the national portion and 60 minutes for the state-specific portion.

What to bring for the state of Ohio real estate license exam?

One form of ID. Your name in that ID must match the name used during scheduling.

NOTE: ID must contain the candidate’s signature and photo, be valid and unexpired.

• State-issued driver’s license.
• State-issued identification card.
• US Government Issued Passport.
• US Government Issued Military Identification Card.
• US Government Issued Alien Registration Card.
• Canadian Government Issued ID.

What is the format of the exam?

The exam is conducted on a computer and features multiple-choice questions.

What is the exam content?

The national portion of the salesperson and broker real estate exams contains the following topics:

• Property Ownership.
• Land use Controls.
• Valuation.
• Financing.
• Contracts.
• Agency.
• Property Disclosures.
• Property Management.
• Transfer of Title.
• Practice of Real Estate.
• Real Estate Calculations.

The state portion of the salesperson and broker real estate exams contains the following topics:

• State Governance of the Real Estate Profession.
• Licensing Requirements.
• License Law and Rules of the Ohio Real Estate Commission.
• Brokerage Relationships (Agency Law).

Sources

• Ohio Department of Commerce Information Bulletin
• PSI Examination Online
• Ohio Department of Commerce
• Candidate Information Bulletin