How to become a real estate agent in Nevada

Becoming a real estate agent in Nevada is no doubt a win-win idea because it helps you to ensure your prospective career opportunities. Of course, the most prospective real estate property niche in the area is offered to Las Vegas realtor license applicants, yet, other counties and areas offer no less important job benefits and wealth to agents and brokers, who work with residential and commercial property sales and rentals.

Of course, you cannot simply start your career as a realtor in Nevada just when you wish it. As a real estate salesperson, you need to get specific skills and experience which help you further obtain the reputation of a bona fide RE salesperson and attract customers to your service. Thus, we decided to enclose how to get a real estate license in Nevada in our blog and provide you with useful content full of relevant information, pieces of advice and tips on this topic. We are going to discuss all the parts of becoming a real estate broker/agent in Nevada from submitting documents to getting your license eligible and activated. Let’s read and learn about that!

6 Steps to getting a real estate license

Once you decide to become a real estate agent in Nevada, you’ll have to complete 6 steps in a row. Only after them, you are welcome to begin working as an aspiring real estate professional and earn considerable money.

In general, the basic steps to take for pursuing your goal and learning how to become a real estate agent in Nevada are as follows:

  • Meet the state requirement list;
  • Complete the VE requirements;
  • Apply and take the state exam;
  • Get your notarized criminal background report which includes fingerprinting;
  • Apply for a license from local authorities;
  • Contact a broker company or an independent broker to sponsor you.

That’s a brief review which needs to be clarified. So, let’s consider each step separately and inspect all the information and sources of it.

1. State of Nevada real estate license requirements

First, you should evaluate your chances of becoming a real estate agent. That is, do you meet state requirements for a real estate salesperson? They are quite standard and easy to fit.

Be of the age of 18 years old and more.
Be an eligible resident of Nevada either a US citizen or a foreigner with a valid visa or permit for residence.
Provide your high school diploma or another education certificate as an equivalent.
Provide your ID card or your national security number, or a similar document for your personality verification.

Well, now you can be sure that your first step is completed.

2. Complete 120 hours of required pre-licensing education

For a real estate agent, a pre-licensing education course is a cornerstone. It is not an easy thing to deal with home sellers and buyers, and a portion of special skills is a must to help them with their operations with properties. Typically, a real estate agent or broker should know laws and state-specific conditions, finance, history, marketing and market analysis, math calculations, property management principles, and lots of other things included in special course packages.

Recommended education and training providers
The best courses for pre- and post-licensing in real estate.

See License Courses

You’ll get them all in your real estate division-approved courses.

This pre-licensing education course in Nevada consists of the following types of classes.

  1. 45 hours of Real Estate Principles education;
  2. 45 hours of Real Estate Law courses (18 of them are devoted to Nevada state laws);
  3. 15 hours of Real Estate Contracts education;
  4. 15 hours of courses to practice in the broker company with a part devoted to relationship foundation and a part dedicated to risk management principles.
 

Also, some additional instructions are studied at the discretion of a chosen training center, i.e. insurance courses. After the completion of coursework, you need to get proofs of each section completed to attach them to your real estate licensing application form and your exam application form.

Your submission for real estate courses vary as you can pick up an offline in-premise course of any learn ing intensity, apply for a pre-recorded online course to free your hands and study when it’s convenient to you, or take part in livestream real estate courses which also are held online.

The price for your real estate education also is different and it depends on the school policy and reputation and the type of studies. Take note that pre-recorded courses are the cheapest and they start from $199 while a personal course cost you over $450.

3. Pass the Nevada real estate examination

Current requirements for real estate license application oblige you to pass a state exam. These exams are a result of your prep activities. Typically you need to undergo the exam in a state-wide examination agency, Pearson VUE. Your application for the exam can be submitted online. You need to create your exam account on the website and choose a proper date and time for managing your examination. Yet, passing the exam is allowed only in person. Besides, don’t forget to pay technical exam fees which are $100 per each try.

How hard is the Nevada real estate exam?

The exam you have to pass in Nevada might not to be among the hardest ones. Yet, it requires you to prepare thoroughly. As usual, students of real estate courses succeed with the exam with no problem but you may require additional materials and resources as your helpers.

How many questions are on the Nevada permit test?

The exam for a real estate broker/agent’s license consists of 120 questions which form two divisions – the National exam division is of 80 tasks and the State exam is of 40 tasks. You have time limits to pass the exam. Only 240 minutes (4 hours) are available as a time period for completing all exam tasks.

For your consideration:
– The real estate market in Nevada is consistently growing with the prices for homes increased up to 9.5% in February 2024. Besides, the median price for local property options is higher than average US pricing. Thus, your commission as a real estate agent also is higher than the median.
 

What score do you need to pass the NV real estate exam?

In Nevada, a passing score for the real estate exam is 75%. It is calculated separately for each section of tasks, so, if you pass the National exam division and fail with the State one, you’ll have rights to retake only the last exam section.

What happens if you fail the real estate exam in Nevada? The main terms for retake

It’s OK and is not a disaster. Just ensure that you are ready, master some knowledge and try again. The number of times to retake the examination test is unlimited if you try to undergo it within 12 months since your first attempt. Each time you might pay a fee.

4. Submit fingerprints and pass a criminal background check

As Nevada has quite a strict policy for felony hiring, each real estate broker or agent has to pass a criminal background check to enter their career. Multiple crimes might ban you from a career in the real estate industry, so your background check is a must-do. You can submit fingerprint scans and apply for a background check report directly in the list of services provided on the NVSOS site or right on the Nevada Department of Public Safety resource.

5. Complete the real estate license application

You may get your professional license when you complete the conditions for applicants provided by the Nevada Real Estate Division. For this, skip to the main menu on the site, download and fill in the application form, and attach your package of docs which includes:

  • Your real estate education proof;
  • The score you gained on the final exam;
  • Your background check and fingerprint report;
  • Your brokerage sponsorship details.

Do not hurry and provide a double check for all the information you provide so as not to make mistakes you cannot change further. Besides, you’ll have to pay an application fee of $140.

When to expect a real estate license to be approved and how to get it

The average time to wait for your license application processed and results provided for your license issue is 2-4 weeks since the process is started.

6. Find a brokerage firm or a sponsoring broker

Finding a broker to supervise your career as a novice real estate agent is a must. Besides its being a mandatory factor for your licensure, it’s also an additional help and support which comes in handy while you are making your first step in your professional career.

A broker who becomes your sponsor should fit your expectations. The best thing is to consider the following requirements:

The type of fees your broker will take from your deals. The difference is it can be a flat fee or a percentage split.
Alignment to your professional career values is also important.
The type of market a chosen broker works with.
Whether your broker takes care of your continuing education and skill improvements?

Only when you consider these requirements, you choose the best broker to sponsor you. Consider, that the company or a broker can be from top-rated Nevada brokers, yet, even if they are not, their help can be indispensable for your launching the real estate industry.

Nevada real estate license renewal: terms and timelines

There are three main principles for the successful renewal of your real estate agent’s or broker’s license in Nevada.

  1. The license renewal is provided every four years since its approval in the NV Real Estate Division. Feel free to apply for a licensing renewal online.
  2. The date of your licensing renewal should be no later than the month of its issuing i.e., if you were qualified in October, you have to renew the license no later than October 4 years after.
  3. To apply for renewal, applicants must complete post-licensing CE courses. The CE is required every two years to get 24 hours of course related to agency law, contracts, corporate ethics, and law.
  4. Take into account that your continuing education course must be no less than 12 hours of the CE coursework taken in person in training facilities and 12 hours can be taken online.

Besides, it is better to keep at least 2-4 weeks reserved to wait for the renewal process. After that, you can pick up your updated license either via mail or in your broker’s office.

How much does it cost to get a real estate license in Nevada?

The question about possible expenses, of course, raises concerns about how much should a candidate pay for their real estate license. Let’s calculate costs and find them in the table below.

Cost item Prices
Pre-licensing course for agents From $299 to $599
Exam fee $100
Fingerprinting services $41.95
Agents’ license application fee $140
Total: From $580.5 to $880.5
For your consideration: do you know how much realtors in Nevada earn?
– An average income, according to the Indeed resource’s data, is $100,783 per year, and beginners get from $47,908 while a valuable professional is eager to make more than $212,016 annually.
 

Nevada real estate license reciprocity

If you are not a resident of the state we are talking about yet you are interested in how to become a real estate agent in Nevada if you are a licensed broker or salesperson of another state, this division is for you.

Today, Nevada offers reciprocity agreements for agents from the following states:

  • Arizona,
  • Colorado,
  • Delaware,
  • Idaho,
  • Kentucky,
  • Louisiana,
  • Minnesota,
  • Texas,
  • Utah,
  • West-Virginia.

As for the brokers, their licenses remain reciprocal with the following states:

  • California,
  • Connecticut,
  • DC,
  • Florida,
  • Maine,
  • Maryland,
  • Michigan,
  • NewJersey,
  • NewMexico,
  • NewYork,
  • Ohio,
  • Pennsylvania,
  • RhodeIsland,
  • Virginia.

Nevada Department of Business and Industry (NDBI)

The main institution responsible for issuing and renewing real estate brokers’ licenses in Nevada is the Nevada Department of Business and Industry or shortened NDBI. It is a guide which provides the most relevant and necessary information for businesses of various niches and combines the duties of a licensing center, training center, educational program platform, news provider, and business support provider. If you want to contact NDBI, we offer you the next methods:

  • Visit the official website of the agency where you can find the info using a roadmap for your start;
  • Follow NDBI on social media including corporate Facebook page, X account and LinkedIn profile.
  • Visit the NDBI office next to your residence place or call it by phone – the list of NV locations of the regulator can be found there.

Below we’ve gathered the most ubiquitous questions about the process of RE licensing based on reviews and queries from people interested in how to obtain a real estate license in Nevada.

Becoming a real estate agent in NV: FAQs

Can I get my Nevada real estate license online?

Typically, you can make almost every step on your license-obtaining way online. Yet, the state exam for the real estate broker’s license is taken only in person. Please note that.

How long does it take to become a real estate agent in Nevada?

It takes on average from three to six months to get a real estate broker’s license in this state. The duration of the process depends on how quickly you pass your pre-licensing education and manage to take the exam.

How much money can I make as an NV real estate agent?

Although some consider the real estate market in Nevada as overpriced, for a real estate salesperson, it’s a true Eldorado. The average salary of a RE agent in this state is $100,783 per year and this is higher than the median salary in the industry state-wide.

Can a felony be a real estate agent in Nevada?

Unfortunately, it is unlikely to obtain a real estate license for people with criminal backgrounds unless they have paid the final restitution, and finished their parole or probation terms at least three years prior to their application. The NDRE provides a thorough check and provides a licensing waiver for people with a range of crimes in their history. The full info about criminal denial reasons is available here.

Resources:

Pre-Licensing Courses
About the author
Michael Baker is a journalist with over 5 years of experience in the real estate industry. His knowledge of licensing processes, procedures and requirements makes her an expert in the field.