A Guide To Becoming a Real Estate Agent In Seattle

Ready to make your mark on the Seattle real estate scene? Better Properties Eastside is looking for personable, ambitious people to join our team. If real estate is where you see yourself thriving, here’s a succinct guide for becoming a real estate agent in Seattle.

Educate Yourself

In order to become a real estate agent in Washington, you need to pass the state’s real estate exam. Prior to taking the test, you must complete 90 hours of coursework within a two-year time period. Here’s how this 90-hour block breaks down:60 hours for real estate fundamentals (i.e. contract laws, listing agreements, and property ownership rights). Also, a large amount of basic real estate vocabulary is learned, and you’re provided with a comprehensive overview of the buying/selling process.30 hours covering real estate practices, business skills, and procedures. These courses teach prospective agents how to effectively price and market a property, along with a host of effective negotiation and sales approaches. Real estate math and an analysis of the closing process are also included here. These courses are available online and at various in-person universities and community colleges. Price varies, but what’s most important is that the courses you enroll in are approved by the Washington State Department of Licensing.

Exam Preparation

After completing your 90 hours of coursework, it’s time to prepare for the exam. The test is difficult and quite thorough, and it’s essential that you prepare before taking it. There are several options for this: Free online practice exams (note: these are not the same as paid pre-test courses) Many online universities offer prep courses for the Washington state real estate exam A variety of study guides and pre-exams are available on Amazon or your local bookstore You can purchase self-guided exam prep guides online

Taking The Test

When you’re ready to take the test, you must contact a testing vendor and register as a student. This must be done before your 90 hours of coursework is completed, so that your school can electronically submit your completed work to the testing vendor and confirm that you are clear to proceed with the exam. Once your coursework is submitted, you can register for the exam online – visit www.goAMP.com and click “schedule examination”. Note that you may encounter up to a two-week delay before a spot opens up. The exam fee, which is around $135, must be paid during registration. The test consists of 140 questions. 100 pertain to general real estate topics and 40 are specific to real estate in Washington.

Apply For a License

You’ll find out at the testing site whether you passed the exam. Assuming you pass, you’ll receive a fingerprint card that you’ll take to an authorized facility and have your fingerprints taken. This is standard policy for all Washington real estate agents. When you’ve finished this step, you’re ready to apply online for your license, courtesy of the Washington State Department of Licensing. The fee is around $145.

What To Do Next

After you receive your license, contact our Seattle real estate agency so we can discuss bringing you on board. There are lots of great benefits to working with Better Properties Eastside, and we look forward to sharing them with you