Real Estate Salesperson / Broker FAQ
What are the Current Continuing Education Requirements?
All licensees submitting a renewal for a license expiring after September 21, 2022 must have taken 22.5 hours of continuing education to stay licensed.
The 22.5 hours must include:
- 3 hours on fair housing &/or discrimination
- 2.5 hours on ethical business practices
- 2 hours of Cultural Competency Training
- 2 hours of Implicit Bias Training
- 1 hour on the law of agency (2 hours if it is your first renewal)
- 1 hour on recent legal matters governing the practice of real estate brokers and salespersons in New York, which may include statutes, laws, regulations, rules, codes, Department of State Opinions and Decisions, and Court Decisions
What are the Newly Adopted Continuing Education Requirements effective July 1, 2021?
All licensees with a license expiring on or after July 1, 2021 will be required to successfully complete 22.5 hours of approved continuing education. The amendment also REMOVES the 15-year real estate broker continuing education exemption and now requires all brokers with a license expiring on or after July 1, 2021 who are currently exempted to complete continuing education starting July 1, 2021.
Exemption
- Attorneys admitted to the New York State bar remain exempted from the continuing education requirement.
How do I manage my real estate license on line by using eAccessNY?
eAccessny is a secure, password-protected occupational licensing management system available online 24/7. See eAccessNY FAQ
How do I become a real estate salesperson or broker?
Real Estate Salesperson:
In order to qualify for licensure as a real estate salesperson, an applicant must have satisfactorily completed a 75-hour salesperson qualifying education course in real estate approved by the Secretary of State, and have passed a qualifying examination administered by the Department of State. An applicant who completed the 45-hour salesperson qualifying course prior to July 1, 2008 may complete the 30-hour remedial course in order to qualify for licensure.
Real Estate Broker:
In order to qualify for licensure as a real estate broker, an applicant must have at least two years of experience as a licensed real estate salesperson or at least three years of experience in the general real estate field ,or a combination of the both, meet the minimum points required for the experience type, (e.g., buying and selling your own property, managing property owned by your employer), have satisfactorily completed both the qualifying salesperson course of 75 hours and an additional 45-hour real estate broker course as approved by the Secretary of State, and have passed a qualifying examination administered by the Department of State. Please see application instructions for more detailed information. Please see application instructions for more detailed information.
NOTE: The 75 hour salesperson qualifying and 30 hour remedial courses are valid for 8 years past the course completion date and must be used to obtain a license or will expire and must be retaken.
Please note, that completion of a school administered proctored examination is required in addition to the qualifying examination administered by the Department of State. If you have any questions about the school proctored examination, please contact your school provider.
Once either of these courses have been applied towards a license, they will not expire and can be used for upgrade.
How do I obtain a waiver from the 75-hour salesperson or 120-hour broker course requirement?
You must submit a written request stating the waiver you are applying for along with ORIGINAL proof of course completion, a detailed outline listing topics and hours, and a course description. (Home-study/correspondence courses are not accepted.) The prelicensing salesperson's course must be at least 75 hours of classroom instruction and the broker's course, 120 hours.
In addition, if you have a Bachelor's Degree with a concentration in real estate, you may qualify for a 120-hour qualifying course requirement waiver. Please submit an official transcript with your waiver request.
I am a real estate management company, do I need a real estate broker's license?
That depends on what services you provide. If you collect rent or place tenants in vacant spaces on behalf of your landlord client, the answer is yes. If, on the other hand, your services are strictly maintenance, the answer is no. you are not acting as a fiduciary (not handling another person's money).
Whom do I call if I am not sure whether I completed my 22.5 hours of continuing education during my license term?
Contact the school(s) you attended. Schools are required by law to maintain course completion records for three years. You may request duplicate certificates from the school(s) in the event you are audited.
In order to renew my salesperson license, I completed the 45-hour broker qualifying course to satisfy my 22.5 hour continuing education course requirement for this two-year license term. Can I apply the extra 22.5 hours to my next license term?
No. The law clearly states that continuing education must be completed within each license term.
I could not complete the continuing education, but I wish to renew my license anyway. Can I apply for an extension?
Please refer to §177.6 in the real estate law booklet. Extensions will only be granted in bona fide hardship cases. You must submit the following, preferably prior to your license expiration: a written request for the extension, completed renewal form, fee, and original documentation demonstrating your hardship; i.e., medical documentation.
What happens if I do not renew my license?
If you do not renew your license, you cannot conduct any real estate activities that require a New York State real estate license in accordance with Article 12-A of the Real Property Law. There are no grace periods that allow you to continue working while not licensed. You have two years from the date your license expires to renew your license. If you fail to renew within that period, you will be required to pass the state written examination. No continuing education will be required to repeat the licensing process again.
When you submit your new salesperson application, you must include the following: your new examination results, application fee, and a copy of your expired license/pocket card or ORIGINAL proof of completing the salesperson course. If possible, it is better to submit original proof of your salesperson course. If you do not have an original certificate, then call the school where you took the course to request another certificate.
If you are applying for your broker's license, you must submit ORIGINAL proof of your 75-hour salesperson course and 45-hour broker course, or a copy of your expired broker's license.
What Commission Rate Should I Expect to Pay?
The commission or compensation of a real estate broker is not regulated by statute or regulation, therefore the amount and terms are negotiable. A real estate broker shall never offer a property for sale or lease without the authorization of the owner. Therefore, prior to the listing or marketing of a client’s real property, it is incumbent upon the real estate broker and the client to mutually agree on a reasonable rate of compensation.
Can brokers pay rebates to customers and offer other incentives?
The payment of cash or offering an incentive to encourage a consumer to do business with a broker is permitted. The Real Property Law prohibits brokers from sharing commissions with unlicensed individuals. It is often misinterpreted as prohibiting the payment of cash or offering another business generating incentive to a consumer. This law prohibits a broker from sharing a commission as compensation for activity that would require a real estate license.
Source: NYS Department of State Division of Licensing Services