How to Get A Tennessee Real Estate License

A real estate agent is a great career for someone who is hardworking with great communication skills. You don’t need a college degree to become a real estate agent, and it is much less expensive than most professional courses of study. This post will explain all of the costs and steps involved to get a Tennessee real estate license.

family with real estate agent in front of a house

How Much Does It Cost to Get A Real Estate License in Tennessee?

Course $375
PSI Exam Fee $39
30 Hour New Affiliate Course $185
Real Estate Application $91
Fingerprinting $35
Errors and Omissions Insurance $235
Board Membership (approximate) $550
Realtracs $142 ($100 new user fee, $42 per month)
Sentrilock $131.10

Total cost: $1,783.10

Step 1: Meet the Basic Requirements

Before you can begin the process of receiving your Tennessee real estate license, you must meet the following requirements:

You are at least 18 years old.
You are a U.S. Citizen or a lawfully admitted alien.
You’ve been a resident of Tennessee for at least 45 days prior to obtaining the license.
You have a high school diploma or a GED.

Step 2: Complete the 90 Hours of Pre-Licensing Courses

You need to take 90 hours of pre-licensing courses before getting your real estate license in Tennessee. These courses include 60 hours for real estate fundamentals and 30 hours for affiliate brokers.

Wouldn’t it feel awful to have all this time put into studying for the Tennessee affiliate broker exam go down the drain? With a less than 50% passing rate, you will need to make sure you’re ready to take the real estate licensing exam. Using a good test prep course can ensure you’re fully prepared.

Step 3: Pass the Exam

You will have 240 minutes (4 hours) to complete the entire Tennessee real estate exam. The National section time is 160 minutes (2 hours and 40 minutes) and the State section time is 80 minutes (1 hour and 20 minutes). A passing score for the Tennessee Real Estate Affiliate Broker Exam is 56/80 on the National section and 28/40 on the State section.

If you pass one section, but not the other, you will only need to retake the section you failed. A passing score for one section of the exam will stay valid through two retakes of a failed section or for 6 months, whichever comes first.

If you have failed on your first attempt at the exam, you may retake it as soon as you want, after waiting 24 hours to schedule. After a second failed attempt, you will need to wait 30 days between any subsequently failed examinations to retake the real estate license exam.

Step 4. Fingerprinting and Background Check

You will be fingerprinted and required to pass a background check before receiving your Tennessee real estate license.

You may not be eligible for a Tennessee real estate license if you have a criminal offense. If this is the case, you will need to submit a copy of your conviction record as well as an affidavit providing details of each charge.

Depending on your criminal history, you may need to appear before the Tennessee Real Estate Commission in order for them to determine whether or not it’s grounds enough for denial. They will also decide if they’ll move forward with licensing process after reviewing information regarding convictions and arrests made during an applicant’s lifetime.

Step 5: Obtain Errors and Omissions Insurance

The Tennessee Real Estate Commission requires that all candidates for an affiliate broker license obtain a errors and omissions insurance policy before applying.

The Tennessee Real Estate Commission (TREC) selected RISC to provide the state group E&O insurance policy, which is issued by Continental Casualty Company, a CNA insurance company. The program is designed specifically for Tennessee licensees and exceeds state minimum requirements.

Step 6: Apply For Your Tennessee Affiliate Broker License

Once you have completed all of the previous steps, it’s time to apply for your Tennessee real estate license. You will need to apply within 6 months of passing the state licensing exam via the Tennessee Comprehensive Online Regulatory & Enforcement System (CORE) page.

You will need to include the following in your application:

License application with your photo. This is the photo that was taken at the PSI testing center after passing the state licensing exam.
High school graduation proof.
Proof that you have satisfactorily completed the 30-hour course for new affiliates.
Proof of your errors and omissions insurance policy.
Proof that you have had your fingerprints done.

You will need to wait for your real estate license to be issued once you’ve completed your application. After this, you should receive an email from TREC with a license document.

Step 7: Choose A Real Estate Company

When you receive your initial Real Estate License in Tennessee, your license will be in an “inactive” status, which means that you cannot transact real estate yet.

You will need a sponsoring brokerage to activate your license to practice real estate in Tennessee. Make sure to choose a broker you like that will work best for your specific needs.

If you plan on working in Middle Tennessee, you should consider joining The Bernie Gallerani Team.

In 2018, 2020, and 2021 The Bernie Gallerani Team was the #1 team in the MLS for both dollar volume and number of transactions. Consistently ranking among the top 20 RE/MAX teams in the nation and the top 50 in the world. Currently in the top 1% of all real estate teams in the state of Tennessee.

Bernie has been in business for over 17 years and has been a team owner for 8 of those years.

The Bernie Gallerani Team was founded with one mission… to coach real estate agents to their highest level of potential. With proven methodologies, scripted systems, and accountability standards your growth here is inevitable.

You will never have to spend $1 on leads since Bernie provides leads for all of his real estate agents at no extra cost.

If you are interested in joining our team or want to learn more, head over to this page to set up a time to talk to our Director of Recruiting.

Step 8: Get Your Board Membership

Once you have received your real estate license from the state, join your local board of realtors. There are several different options so the price will vary depending on which board you decide to join.

Realtracs is the largest MLS in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Alabama. An MLS system is a database that allows brokers to see one another’s listings of properties for sale with the goal of connecting homebuyers to sellers.

Sentrilock offers the only combined lockbox, showing service, and experience management solution. It will allow you as an agent to show homes without the hassle of arranging contractor access.