Getting your Illinois real estate license doesn’t have to be hard; in fact, you can complete the required education in the comfort of your own home with an online real estate school. Let’s look at the requirements, the cost, and our top choices of online schools, so you can obtain your IL real estate broker license and begin your journey into the real estate industry.
Requirements for an Illinois Real Estate License
- Must be at least 18 years old
- Have a high school diploma or GED
- Complete 75-hours of broker pre-license coursework
- Pass the Illinois real estate license exam
- Apply for IL real estate license
- Be sponsored by a managing broker
Get Your Real Estate License in Illinois in 4 Steps
Step 1: Complete a 75-hour Pre-license Course
In Illinois, you will need to complete a total of 75-hours of online courses before you can take the real estate broker exam. Sixty of those hours are on broker pre-license topics, and 15 of those hours are an interactive applied brokerage principles course. So many people choose to complete their pre-license education online, and with so many schools to choose from, here are our top picks.
We’ve helped launch the careers of thousands of new real estate agents.
You won’t find a more convenient and effective online real estate course than PDH.
Kaplan Real Estate provides top-notch real estate licensing and continuing education courses.
All of our top real estate schools are approved by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation: Division of Real Estate. When you pick one of these schools, you will gain access to the required pre-license education, licensing exam prep, practice tests, flashcards, livestream classes, instructor support, live webinars, and more to start your new career as a real estate agent.
You can skip this step if…
- you practice law with the Illinois Supreme Court; you will need to submit a photocopy of your current Illinois attorney registration pocket card certificate.
- you hold an active broker’s license or equivalent by examination in a state that has a reciprocal agreement with the Illinois real estate commission.
Step 2: Pass the Illinois Real Estate Exam
After you have completed the 75-hours of real estate broker pre-license education and the course final exam from one of the approved real estate schools in IL, you will be ready to register for the Illinois real estate license exam. You will need to pay an exam fee of $58 for both the national and state portions. In addition, you will need to create an account and schedule your state exam online with PSI and follow the prompts.
The Illinois real estate exam consists of 140 total questions, with 100 for the national section and 40 for the state section. You will be given two and a half hours to finish the national portion and one and a half hours to finish the state portion. You will need to get 70% correct on the national section and 75% correct on the state section to pass the exam.
Bring This
1 form of ID* – 1 government-issued photo ID with your name and signature. (Driver’s License, ID Card, Passport, Military ID, Green Card, Canadian Government Issued ID, and Mexican Government Issued ID)
Calculator – Physical calculators are allowed for Test Centers but not for Remote Proctored exams.
*All identification must match the name you scheduled with.
Don’t Bring This
Do not bring any personal items!
- Your phone, watch, wallet, hat, and jacket must be left outside of the testing area.
- You will need to leave everything in your car or put them in a locker (electronics turned off) until the completion of the exam.
You will be given a piece of scratch paper and a pencil that must be returned at check-out.
Upon finishing the examination, you will be required to answer a series of candidate screening questions. You must answer these questions and provide any required documentation when applying for your license.
After you finish the broker license state exam, your score will be displayed on the screen in front of you and emailed to you. If you pass, you will be given instructions on how to apply for your Illinois real estate license on the IDFPR online services portal.
If you fail any portion of the licensing exam, you will receive a diagnostic report showing your strengths and weaknesses and instructions on re-testing. If you failed only one portion, you will have one year (from the date of passing) to retake the test. If you continue to fail after the fourth attempt, you will have to retake the 75-hour pre-licensing education and reapply for the exam.
Is the Illinois Real Estate License Exam Hard?
Getting your real estate license in Illinois isn’t easy, and many test takers fail their first attempt. However, we recommend checking out The CE Shop; they have a national real estate exam pass rate of an impressive 90%!
Step 3: Submit Your IL License Application
To being your real estate career, you will need to fill out the license application online through the Illinois Department of Financial & Professional Regulation. In addition, you will need to create an account and upload all necessary documentation. The application fee of $125, which must be submitted with your application.
After you have submitted your application, you will need to wait up to 10 business days for your application to be reviewed. Once you have been approved, you will receive your real estate broker license.
Congratulations, you are now a Licensed Illinois Real Estate Broker! Take time to celebrate your accomplishments and dream about your new future!
Step 4: Finding a Managing Broker Sponsor
You will be given an inactive broker license when you get your approval. You will need to find a sponsoring broker with a managing broker license to hire you in order to make your license active. You will log in to the online portal and either add your managing brokers information, pay the $25 fee, and submit a request, or you will find a request from your managing broker and approve the invitation. You are now an active, licensed Illinois real estate broker and can begin building clientele.
Frequently Asked Questions About Getting Your Illinois Real Estate License
How much does an Illinois real estate agent make?
The average real estate agent in Illinois will earn about $85K per year. This amount can be higher with experience. Some of the top real estate companies have great earning potential, with agents earning more than $100K per year.
Real estate agents are paid on a commission structure, whether you are a commercial real estate agent or a residential leasing agent. Most do not earn an actual salary or an hourly wage. Instead, they are paid a commission after helping clients sell or buy homes. Often, the commission will range from 1% to 3% of the purchase price, depending on the agreement with their sponsoring broker.
How long will it take me to get my real estate salesperson license in Illinois?
The actual process will only take about ten business days if you have a sponsor already. However, this doesn’t include finishing your pre-license coursework. This can take as long as six months or as little as three weeks. For most people, the process takes three or four months.
However, it’s possible to get your license even faster. Just be sure you are prepared for the exam the first time. If you don’t pass it, you will also end up with a longer process.
Is the real estate licensing exam in Illinois difficult?
Yes, it’s difficult; about one out of four people will fail it on the first try. While this means there is a better chance you will pass if you’re fully prepared with test preparation, you might not. However, you can pass on the first attempt with the right exam prep course.
What is the cost of getting a real estate license in Illinois?
You will pay $200 in fees to get your license in Illinois. This doesn’t include the cost of your pre-license education. The course you get can cost anywhere from about $250 to $1,000, depending on the package and the provider. Opting for a package with exam prep and post-licensing courses may cost a bit more.
Does Illinois offer license reciprocity with any other states?
Yes, the state of Illinois offers licensing reciprocity with Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin, Colorado, Florida, Connecticut, Georgia, and Nebraska.
Will I need to renew my Illinois real estate broker license?
When you first become a real estate agent, you will need to complete the 45-hour post-license course before you can renew your license. In addition, once the first renewal is completed, you will need to complete 12 hours of continuing education and one hour of sexual harassment prevention training.
You can renew your license up to three months before it expires. Then, as long as you have met the education requirements, you just need to pay the renewal fee.
Can I get my Illinois real estate license online?
Yes, you can complete everything you need to get your license online, except the exam. The self-paced pre-licensing course, application, and even the post-licensing course can all be done online at your own pace. However, you will need to take the real estate exam at an approved testing site.
If you want to enter into a career as a real estate broker in Illinois, you need to follow the steps above. Getting your license is the first step toward success as a real estate agent. You cannot work as a broker without a real estate license in Illinois.
Make sure you meet the minimum requirements before you start the pre-licensing course. Choosing a good online real estate school for your education is also important. Then, if you choose a package with the 45-hour post-licensing course, you will have all the educational resources you need to get started.
