While the housing market across the country is on the verge of its turnaround, there are extraordinary opportunities for professionals with a Virginia real estate license. Listing prices are up in many areas across the state from Virginia Beach to Norfolk. This is creating new opportunities for employment in Virginia. There will be an increased need for qualified individuals with a Virginia real estate license as the real estate market continues to improve. Earning a Virginia real estate license is not as complicated as you might think. In fact, you could be on your way to a career in Virginia real estate in under a month.
Qualifications are simple for the Virginia real estate license examination. The Virginia Real Estate Board requires 60 hours of real estate courses to complete the pre-licensing educational requirements. When you have completed the real estate training you can submit your application to take the Virginia real estate license exam. Once the application has been received and processed, you will be issued a test date and location of an approved third party testing facility. You must be at least age 18 and earn a passing grade on both the state and national examinations, and that’s it! It’s that easy to get your Virginia real estate license.
Maintaining your license takes a little more work. After you have received your Virginia real estate license, you must complete 30 hours of post-licensing education within the first year for your license to remain active. The state of Virginia requires that anyone issued a Virginia real estate license must choose a specific area of real estate to concentrate on. Newly licensed agents can choose one of three available tracks, residential real estate, commercial real estate, or property management. If you should change your mind about the path you choose, you can be change tracks by notifying the Education Administrator in writing with either a notarized or original track change request form.
Half of the post-licensing education hours must be in courses for the track that you have chosen, and the remaining hours can be in elective courses approved by the Virginia Real Estate Board. Post-licensing education is not the same as the continuing education needed between the two-year renewal cycles. After the initial post-licensing education, eight hours of continuing education per year will be required for a total of 16 hours biannually, to be submitted before the expiration of your Virginia real estate license every other year. The 16 hours of continuing education will not be necessary at the first renewal, the successful completion of the post-licensing classes will cover the requirement.
Now that the housing market has started its recovery, the need for individuals with a Virginia real estate license will grow. In just a few short weeks, you can be have a Virginia real estate license and be ready to take advantage of the opportunities that are available in the Virginia real estate market. You can give yourself and your family the gift of financial security this year by starting a career in Virginia real estate.
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About David Goldstein — David Goldstein is an Owner and Founding Partner of Colibri Real Estate, LLC. which operates online education providers Colibri Real Estate, Insurance License Express and License Tutor. Follow him on Twitter.
