How to Get a Maryland Real Estate License in 4 Easy Steps

Wondering how to get a Maryland real estate license and launch a new career in today’s fast-paced market? We’ll walk you through the four easy steps to becoming an agent in Maryland, which include 60 hours of prelicensing education, passing the real estate exam, applying for your license, and finding a brokerage to hire you.

We’ll also share some important facts about the Maryland real estate exam, review the costs of getting your Maryland real estate license, and answer some frequently asked questions about how to get a real estate license in Maryland. Let’s get started!

How to Get a Maryland Real Estate License

How to Get a Maryland Real Estate License in 4 Easy Steps

To be eligible for a Maryland real estate license, you need to be:

• At least 18 years old
• Determined to be of “good character and reputation” by the state

1. Complete a 60-hour Prelicensing Course

• Cost: As low as $284 with Colibri Real Estate
• Time commitment: 2-3 weeks if taking a self-paced course; 1 month if taking in-person courses
• Helpful resource: 5 Best Real Estate Schools in Maryland

The first step in getting your real estate license in Maryland is to choose a school. The Maryland Real Estate Commission provides a spreadsheet of all the authorized real estate schools in the state, as well as the pass rate for each school. To narrow your search, you can refer to our buyer’s guide of the 4 Best Real Estate Schools in Maryland.

It’s important to realize that real estate education is often more about contracts and finance than landscaping and staging. Here are the basics of what your real estate prelicensing course will cover:

• Property ownership
• Land use controls and regulation
• Valuation and market analysis
• Financing
• General principles of agency
• Property disclosures
• Contracts
• Leasing and property management
• Transfer of title
• The practice of real estate
• Real estate calculations
• Duties and powers of the real estate commission
• Licensing requirements
• Brokerage relationship
• Supervision
• Business conduct
• Ethics

This list of subjects may look intimidating, but the state of Maryland wants knowledgeable real estate agents to oversee transactions that are hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of dollars, so you need to be expertly trained. 

Most people choose a Maryland real estate school based on cost and class format. Here are the most popular options.

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Types of Instruction	Pros	Cons
In-person Classes	Traditional classroom setting Get to know other students Easy access to the instructor	More expensive than online classes Commuting and traffic Finding class times to fit your schedule
Livestream Classes	No commute Ideal if you live far from in-person schools You can ask instructors questions in real time	Finding classes to fit your schedule No interaction with other students Technology doesn’t always work as it should
Online Classes	Work at your own pace anywhere with internet access Take classes when convenient for you Often the least expensive option	Instructors can generally only be accessed via email or phone Little interaction with real estate pros Technology doesn’t always work as it should

2. Pass the Maryland Real Estate Salesperson Exam

• Cost: $44
• Time commitment: 2 hours (arrive 30 minutes early to the testing site)
• Helpful resource: 7 Hacks for the Real Estate Licensing Exam

Once you’ve completed your 60 hours of coursework, your real estate school will send the necessary documentation to PSI, the testing company that Maryland uses to administer the state exam.

PSI will email you instructions on how to schedule and pay for the exam. Your eligibility to take the exam expires one year after you’ve completed your real estate prelicensing classes.

You’ll know whether you passed or failed the Maryland real estate exam immediately upon completion. If you passed, your next step is to apply for your license. If you didn’t pass, you’ll need to use the detailed score report to learn which topics you’ll need to study further. Then, you’ll need to retake the Maryland real estate exam.

3. Apply for Your Maryland Real Estate License

• Cost: $90
• Time commitment: 30 minutes
• Helpful resource: Maryland Real Estate Commission website

Once you pass the Maryland real estate exam, your next step is to apply for your Maryland real estate license. You can do so online by completing the Maryland Real Estate Commission application form. You must submit $90 with your application. You have one year from the date that you passed the exam to apply for a Maryland real estate license.

The Maryland Real Estate Commission requires that applicants be of “good character and reputation.” Before approving your license, they’ll examine your background for any criminal history. But a felony or misdemeanor conviction won’t automatically make you ineligible for a real estate license in Maryland. The state commission will review each applicant’s details on a case-by-case basis.

4. Join a Maryland Real Estate Brokerage

• Cost: Free
• Time commitment: 2 weeks
• Helpful resource: What’s the Best Real Estate Company to Work for?

The last step you’ll need to complete before working as a licensed real estate agent in Maryland is to join a real estate brokerage. A real estate broker not only has at least three years of experience in real estate, but they’ve also taken additional courses and passed the Maryland broker exam. Brokers are also trained to oversee and manage real estate agents.

When you’re searching for a brokerage to work for, ask about how your commissions will be split. Some brokerages offer a 50-50 split, while others may give their agents a higher cut in exchange for paying a monthly desk fee. Still other brokerages may charge you a set fee for each purchase or sale that you oversee.

Also, ask the brokerage about their “cap,” which is a term to describe the maximum amount of money the brokerage will earn off the top of your sales commissions in a given year. Any commissions that you earn above this maximum cap are yours to keep.

The relationship between a real estate agent and a brokerage should be mutually beneficial. So make sure you ask about what other benefits you’ll receive from working with their company.

You’ll need to get used to the fact that you’re working as a commissioned salesperson, which means that your income is based entirely on how much you sell. Many agents start part time so they can still bring in additional revenue as they’re learning the ropes.

Related Article

Can You Be a Part-time Real Estate Agent? (+ Free Guide & Videos)

How Much Does It Cost to Get a Maryland Real Estate License?

You can obtain your Maryland real estate license for about $420. Compared with the cost of technical training programs and college degrees, that’s a real bargain.

Maryland Real Estate License Costs

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Prelicensing Classes (60 hours)	$284 through Colibri Real Estate
Exam Registration	$44
License Application	$90
Total Costs	$418

(Maryland real estate license costs as of April 2023)

Save 30% on your prelicensing education with Colibri Real Estate. Use promo code “TheClose30” at checkout.

How Much Does a Real Estate Agent in Maryland Earn?

According to Indeed, an average real estate salesperson in Maryland makes $96,480, a figure that’s entirely made up of commissions.

In most real estate transactions, a salesperson earns 3% of the total amount of the sale. According to Zillow, the average value of a home in Maryland is $387,872. A salesperson overseeing the purchase of a home may earn $11,636. If you help sell 12 average-priced houses a year, your commissions will be well over $130,000.

How to Get Maryland Real Estate License: FAQs

Now that you have an overview of how to get a real estate agent in Maryland, keep reading to find more answers to frequently asked questions.

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