Starting a Real Estate Career in Virginia

You’re about to enter an exciting and unique real estate market. As a real estate agent in Virginia, your day can shift from showing a late 1800s Victorian to a new construction modern in just a short drive. Ensuring a dynamic and fun career.

To make things better, Virginia’s licensing requirements are even less strenuous than those of some neighboring states. Although the process is still extensive.

This guide details each step, streamlining your journey and bringing you closer to that first closed deal—and the big commission check that follows.

Virginia Real Estate Licensing Requirements

The Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, or DPOR for short, oversees real estate licensing in Virginia. The extensive application process ensures prospective agents are knowledgeable, trustworthy, and prepared to help Virginians buy and sell homes.

Before starting, Virginia has some basic prerequisites, such as:

• Must be 18 years of age
• Possess a Social Security number
• Have a high school diploma or GED
• Pass a background check

So long as you meet the basic requirements, it’s time to tackle the difficult steps.

Pre-Licensing Education

Virginia mandates 60 hours of pre-licensing education offered through approved instructors for a real estate salesperson license. Classes can be completed online, covering topics from property law to ethics and preparing agents for the responsibilities of selling real estate and passing the real estate exam.

Aceable Agent has a 91% national pass rate and offers a 60-hour DOPR-approved licensing course starting at $135. The basic plan includes instructor support and exam prep with a pay-over-time option.

The Virginia Real Estate Exam: What to Expect

With the pre-licensing education completed and fresh in your mind, It’s time to pass the big exam.

The 120 multiple-choice question real estate exam covers national real estate principles and practices plus Virginia state laws and rules and requires a passing score of 70%. PSI Exams sponsors the real estate exam in Virginia.

Virginia Real Estate Exam details:

• Number of Questions: 120 multiple-choice questions. 80 National and 40 State.
• Passing Scores: A minimum score of 70%
• Question Types: multiple-choice, testing your understanding of real estate principles and laws
• Duration: 2.5 hours total. 1 hour and 45 minutes on the National portion and 45 minutes on State.
• Cost: $60
• Real Estate Exam Booklet 

The exam is challenging but fair; passing it will be a new badge of honor.

Fingerprints and Background Checks

Congratulations! You crushed the big exam, but don’t run out of the testing center and celebrate yet. Fingerprinting is required for a criminal history record check.

The Virginia DOPR encourages having your fingerprints completed at the Virginia PSI testing center to expedite the background check process. But the clock is ticking; fingerprints are suitable for only 45 days from when the Board receives the results, so your application process must continue.

Real estate agents are trusted advisors, so the Virginia DOPR requires a background check. When completing the salesperson application, you must answer questions on convictions or guilty sentences for any felony or “a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude, sexual offense, non-marijuana drug distribution or physical injury” within the past five years. The fingerprint results will verify your answers.

Find a Sponsor Brokerage

Which realty firm do you plan to join? Have you chosen your field?

Agents must have a sponsored broker before a real estate license is issued. With the exam behind you, it’s time to make vital career decisions, including finding a brokerage. 

Choosing Your Specialty

Real Estate is a field with diverse possibilities. Reflect on whether your passion lies in helping families find their dream homes, assisting businesses in securing the perfect commercial space, or managing properties for investors. 

Each specialty has its own set of demands and skills:

• Residential Real Estate: Focus on individual or family dwellings, selling single-family homes, condominiums, and townhouses.
• Commercial Real Estate: Specialize in business properties, including leasing and selling office spaces, retail locations, and more.
• Property Management: Manage the leasing of residential, commercial, or industrial properties for investors.

Real estate agents have the added decision of becoming a REALTOR®. Agents are not REALTORS® until joining the National Association of REALTORS®, a membership most prevalent in the residential industry that provides access to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS)® and benefits like discounted healthcare and legal support.

Finding the Right Brokerage Fit

Choosing a brokerage can significantly influence your career direction and growth. New agents should interview several realty firms and speak with local brokers for market intel.

Take advantage of platforms like Agent Nook to delve into the cultures and strengths of different brokerages. Finding a brokerage that complements your chosen specialty and supports your career goals and development will provide a better path to success.

Bring your salesperson application along. It requires a signature from the principal brokerage.

Salesperson Application

You completed your education, passed the big exam, and found the ideal brokerage. Now, you can file your application. 

Virginia does NOT provide an online filing option. Instead, the Salesperson Application must be completed in full and mailed to the DPOR with a check or money order payable to the TREASURER OF VIRGINIA or a completed credit card form.

The application requires a signature from a principal or supervising broker, so bring the application when meeting with brokerages.

Documents to have prepared

• Certification of Licensure/Letter of Good Standing (if licensed in any other state):
  • Must be original and dated within 60 days of the application receipt.
  • These certifications are valid for 60 days after the application is received.
• Educational Documentation:
  • Original or certified transcript or documentation verifying completion of all required real estate courses.
  • This can include Education Certification, Certification of Completion, License Certification, etc.
• Disciplinary Action Reporting Form:
  • Required if subject to disciplinary action by any local, state, or national regulatory body.

Post-Licensing Education Requirements

For new salesperson licensees, Virginia requires completing a post-license education of 30 hours within the first year. The topics and hours required include:

• Fair Housing, ADA, and Civil Rights (2 hours)
• Real Estate Law and Regulations (6 hours)
• Ethics and Standards of Conduct (3 hours)
• Current Industry Issues and Trends (2 hours)
• Agency Law (3 hours)
• Contract Writing (6 hours)
• Risk Management (3 hours)
• Escrow Requirements (3 hours)
• Real Estate-Related Finance (2 hours)

For Continuing Education, all Virginia real estate licensees, including those beyond their first year, must complete 16 hours of continuing education every two years.

Are You Licensed in Another State?

Virginia offers a streamlined process to obtain licensure through reciprocity for real estate professionals licensed in other states. 

This pathway acknowledges the qualifications already achieved in another state while ensuring compliance with Virginia’s specific regulations. Here’s how the reciprocity process differs from the route taken by new agents:

Reciprocity Applicant details:

• State Exam Requirement: You’re only required to pass the state portion of the Virginia real estate exam, unlike new agents who must pass both state and national portions.
• Proof of Current Licensure: Submit original Certification(s) of Licensure or Letter(s) of Good Standing from the state where you are currently licensed. These documents should be dated within 60 days of your application in Virginia.
• Education and Experience Verification: Provide evidence of your real estate education, which may include transcripts or certificates. Brokers need to submit proof of relevant experience in real estate.

Final Thoughts

The list of must-dos seems daunting when starting your real estate career. And it is extensive.

A real estate agent becomes a key figure in many people’s most stressful and exciting journey. A job well done earns new close friends and even spots at the Christmas dinner table.

Selling real estate is a lifestyle career unlike any other, offering unique freedoms and unlimited earning potential. Plus you get to tour a lot of fun houses. 

Take the first step and commitment today. Lock in your pre-licensing education and repost this guide to tell your friends and family who their new go-to real estate agent will be.

Real estate is all about marketing yourself, and there’s no better time to start than right now.

Good luck and welcome to the industry.