Most careers that offer the respectability and income potential of real estate require a substantial upfront investment. These other career paths require expensive degrees or require you to pay the expenses of launching a company out-of-pocket.
To become a real estate agent in South Carolina is comparatively inexpensive. In fact, you can completely recover the cost of becoming a real estate agent in South Carolina with your very first real estate deal.
Let’s look at the different costs to become a real estate agent in South Carolina and total them up.
Average Fees for Becoming a Real Estate Agent in South Carolina?
Pre-License Courses - $400-$600+
Your real estate education will be the biggest expense on your way to becoming a real estate agent in South Carolina. But your courses are well worth the money since they’ll provide the educational foundation for your new career.
You can take your required real estate courses from any SCREC-approved real estate school. Your 60-hour basic course will need to be completed before your real estate exam, and your 30-hour advanced course will need to be completed before you apply for your license. Make sure your budget includes both courses.
While cost is a factor for most of us in choosing a school, it’s important to focus on finding a school that will prepare you to pass the South Carolina real estate exam. You’ll also want to consider these additional factors:
Access to the course materials. Do you have to attend on-campus classes on a set schedule? Can you access online coursework from your cell phone or tablet?
Student support. Are there real estate professionals available to answer your questions?
Exam prep. Do practice tests and/or other test prep materials come with your courses?
You should generally expect to pay between $400 and $600 in total for your two required courses if you choose an online program. On-campus programs will cost more, perhaps around $700-$900.
Background Check Fee - $40
South Carolina requires a background check on all real estate licensees. SR&I conducts the background check for around $40.
Exam Application Fee - $25
Once you pass your first real estate course, you can apply to take your South Carolina real estate exam. There is an application fee of $25 charged by the SCREC for processing your application.
Exam Fee - $63 per attempt
The exam proctor charges a fee of $63 per exam attempt, which covers both the national and state portions of the exam. While no one wants to take the exam more than once, it’s comforting to know you can retake the exam if needed. If you only need to retake the state portion, the exam proctor charges just $55.
License Application Fee - $50
Once you pass your real estate exam, you can apply for your South Carolina real estate license. Your exam proctor will give you the license application. You just need to submit that with a $50 application fee to the SCREC.
The Total Cost to Become a Real Estate Agent in South Carolina - $580-$780+
With all these costs added together, you should expect to pay somewhere around $580 to $780 in total to become a real estate agent in South Carolina. Add a couple hundred dollars more if you feel you need on-campus real estate classes.
You may also want to budget a little extra for start-up expenses once you have your real estate license. While you’ll get to take advantage of systems already in place through your Broker, there will naturally be a few upfront expenses you’ll need to cover on your own. Here are some of the most common:
Business cards - around $50
Optional dues for associations like the National Association of Realtors® - $150 for the NAR, plus similar fees for your local and state branches
Marketing materials. You can start marketing for free on social media. For your print needs (like property flyers and open house sign-in sheets), Etsy has templates under $10 that you can edit and print to keep these costs low.
Considering these added expenses, you will likely need to spend a total of around $880-$1,080 to truly launch your new
When you consider the fact that real estate allows you to be your own boss, work a flexible schedule, and enjoy unlimited income potential, this investment in your new career is a bargain. You can get started today for just the cost of your real estate education, and save for the other expenses as you study. So why wait? Launch your new career today by enrolling in your first real estate course!