Chicago Real Estate Pre-Licensing Course

This pre-licensing course mainly covers the basics of real estate practices and policies in Chicago and is offered in both online and physical/offline classroom environments.

Whether you choose to go the online or classroom route, be sure you’re learning at a real estate school approved by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR).

There are two sections of the pre-licensing course;

A theoretical first part of 75 credit hours covering book topics and an interactive 15 credit hours section that seeks to apply the theoretical aspects of your real estate education to practical, real-life scenarios.

Pre-licensing courses come in different formats. You could choose from programs with self-study options that allow better flexibility depending on your schedule as well as accelerated fast-paced courses if you’re keen on finishing this as soon as you can. The live classroom programs are also mostly taught in the evenings and weekends although there are some with daytime lessons too.

It used to be that exams were required during the courses but that is now optional so long as attendance can be proven. The IDFPR changed the structure of these courses in 2018 to make class examinations optional, but exams are still required in self-study options before the participants can receive credit for the classes.

You’ll be issued an official transcript after successfully completing the pre-licensing course. That transcript qualifies you to take the state exam. This will be valid for four years.

Passing the Illinois real estate state exam

With your official transcript issued after completing your pre-licensing course, this qualifies you to attempt the Illinois state exam.

The Illinois real estate state exam comprises 150 multiple-choice questions drawn from state and federal real estate topics that must have been taught during your pre-licensing course.

Every student is required to score at least 75% to pass the exam.

You’ll have four attempts to write the state exam before undergoing another round of the Chicago pre-licensing course. The Chicago real estate exam costs $55.00, which you must do every time you register.

Upon completing the examination, students will be issued a 45-day sponsor card. You can now begin the next step of your real estate license application at this point. Those who fail the exam will have three more attempts on different days.

Obtaining your Illinois real estate license

You can apply for a real estate license if you pass the state exam. The real estate license application costs $125. The application must be submitted to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR).

In Illinois, real estate agents are required to work under the management and supervision of a managing broker. Because of this, you’ll need a broker to sponsor your license application. The $125.00 license application fee, your new 45-day sponsor card, and the transcript issued from your pre-licensing course should be submitted to your sponsor broker, who will then have to forward this to the IDFPR. The IDFPR will email your broker license. This can take six (6) to eight (8) weeks from your application date.

Should you get your Chicago real estate license?

Most definitely!

If you’re sold on pursuing a career in real estate, you’ll need a license to practice.

Believe it when I say that Chicago is one of the best states to start a real estate career. Don’t mistake that to mean being a realtor here is fun. However, the real estate market here is hot and buzzing, and licensing is also relatively easy. Knowledge of the critical Illinois real estate requirements discussed here will make the process of becoming a realtor in Illinois much easier!

A career in real estate carries excellent potential.

There’s a lot of freedom and flexibility in working as a realtor. And there’s a certain kind of joy, for some of us, that comes with helping others and getting paid in the process. If any of these seems like something you’ll want to live for, congrats! You can be sure to find great real estate courses and programs both online and offline. You can also rest assured you’ll find one that fits your current schedule, no matter what it looks like.