Do you want to start a career as a real estate agent in Nebraska? If so, there are many requirements and guidelines that you will need to adhere to if you want to obtain a Nebraska real estate license. As a real estate salesperson in Nebraska, the average salary is around $50,000 per year. The average salary doubles to just under $100,000 per year if you’re able to become a real estate broker. Before you get started earning a real estate license in Nebraska, it’s important that you understand the steps needed to get this license.
License Options Available to You
There are two separate real estate license options in Nebraska: the real estate salesperson license and the real estate broker license. The salesperson license allows you to engage in every facet of real estate as long as you are properly employed and supervised by a licensed broker.
As for the real estate broker license, this license gives you the ability to engage in every facet of real estate when in the role of a self-employed broker, an associate broker, or an independent broker. If you decide to become an associate broker, a licensed broker must supervise you whenever you’re operating as a broker.
How to Get a Real Estate Salesperson License
A real estate salesperson license requirements are much easier to obtain when compared to a broker license. To start working towards a salesperson license, you will need to be at least 19 years old with a GED or high school diploma. If you were homeschooled, you must provide evidence of enrollment in a program.
The Nebraska real estate course that you must take for this license involves 66 hours of coursework. This coursework is divided into two separate 30-hour real estate courses and professional conduct and ethical practice courses that last for around six hours. Once you have completed this coursework, you’ll obtain a Certificate of Completion that shows you have completed the necessary Nebraska real estate school work.
With a Certificate of Completion in hand, you can apply for a real estate license. The application itself is a few pages long and is relatively easy to fill out. The fee that must be provided with this application is $135. At this time, you will also be required to go through a background check with fingerprinting. If there are any misdemeanors, felonies, or convictions in your past, you must deliver a written statement explaining what these charges entail. Finally, you must pass a licensing exam with a total score of at least 75 percent.
How to Get a Real Estate Broker License
To apply for a real estate broker license, you must also be at least 19 years old with a GED, high school diploma, or evidence of being homeschooled. Along with 66 hours of coursework via two 30-hour courses and a six-hour course for professional conduct and ethical practice, you will also need to have two years of full-time experience as a real estate salesperson. Keep in mind that the two 30-hour courses you take must be different from those you completed for your salesperson license.
You will be given a Certificate of Completion after all of the educational requirements have been met. From here, you must submit an application and complete a standard background check. The fee for applying for a broker license is $135. A written statement will need to be provided if you have any convictions in your past. This process’s final step involves passing a broker exam with a total score of at least 75 percent.
Details of State Licensing Exam for Nebraska
To prepare for the real estate licensing exam, make sure that you look through the Nebraska Candidate Handbook, which offers extensive instructions. You will need to make an appointment at a testing center, which you should do at least two weeks in advance. Once you have arrived at your exam location, you will be provided with a tutorial on how to use the exam program.
The Nebraska Candidate Handbook that will help you prepare for the exam can be found at this link. When you select this handbook, you will be provided with an outline of the kinds of questions you can expect when taking the exam. The basic portion of the exam will cover real estate practice and law throughout the United States. Information about this aspect of the exam can be located within the General Content Outline section of the handbook.
The second portion of the license exam focuses on real estate rules and regulations throughout Nebraska. Information about this section of the exam can be found within the State Law Content section of the handbook. The license exam that you will be tasked with completing when applying for a salesperson or broker license will need to be finished within 3.5 hours after the testing period begins. You can use a calculator when taking this exam.
Steps to Take If You Fail the Licensing Exam
You will receive your score for the licensing exam immediately after you have completed it. Whether you’re working towards a salesperson license or a broker license, you will need to have a score of at least 75 percent to pass. If you don’t pass the exam, you must fill out a retake application, which must be submitted alongside an examination fee to the commission office.
If you’re taking a salesperson exam and only passing the national or state-specific section, you will gain credit for the portion of the exam you passed. As such, you would only need to retake the portion of the exam that you failed. However, you will only have credit for the section of the exam that you passed for a period of six months. Once this time has passed, you must retake the entire licensing exam. It’s also important to note that the exam fee must be paid even if you’re only completing one section of the exam.
Costs Associated With Nebraska Real Estate License
There are several different fees that you will be required to pay during the real estate licensing process. The application fee is $135 for the salesperson and broker licenses. The examination fee is $150. Keep in mind that this fee must be paid each time you take the exam. Once you receive the license, you must also pay a $100 fee for a broker license or an $80 fee for a salesperson license.
What to Know About Criminal Background Check and Fingerprinting
As touched upon previously, anyone who wants to get a salesperson or broker license will be required to complete a full criminal background check, which comes with fingerprinting. This background check will be completed by the Nebraska Real Estate Commission, which means that they have the power to approve or deny your application.
If a felony charge is present on your record, make sure that you get through the background check and ask for an initial opinion before taking a real estate course. Fingerprints must be submitted with the Nebraska State Patrol. Once you have submitted the background check, it should be completed within 17 days.
If you believe that you’re ready to get your real estate license in Nebraska, it’s first important that you understand what this process entails. All of the requirements mentioned above will need to be completed before you can start working as a real estate salesperson or broker.
