How to Get a Tennessee Real Estate License

If you want to sell or broker real estate in Tennessee, you will need to get a license from the Tennessee Real Estate Commission (TREC). The requirements for each license vary slightly. In general, you will need to meet a variety of age, background, education, and residency standards as well as pass the Tennessee real estate exam.

How to Get an Affiliate Broker or Broker License in Tennessee

To get an affiliate broker license, you will need the following:

• Completed application with photo
• Proof that you graduated high school
• Errors and omissions insurance policy
• Completed eligibility verification
• Electronic fingerprinting
• Proof of completing education requirements
• Payment for real estate license fees
• A passing score on the Tennessee real estate exam

The requirements to become a Tennessee real estate broker are similar. The two real estate license tracks are only different in the education requirement.

Meeting the Education Requirement

Education requirements for real estate licenses in Tennessee vary by the role you're seeking. In addition, there are pre-license course requirements, post-license requirements, and continuing education (CE) standards to meet.

Affiliate Brokers: Before you can get an affiliate broker license, you will need to take a prelicensing course that include the 60-hour Real Estate Principles Course and the 30-hour New Affiliates Course.

You will also need 16 hours of CE classes during your licensure to be eligible to renew your license, including the TREC Core Course.

Brokers: The education requirements to become a broker in Tennessee are higher. You will need 120 hours of coursework, including the Office and Brokerage Management Course, before you can apply for your broker license. After you obtain your license, you will need another 120 hours of coursework within your first three years. Then, once you complete those hours, you will need to meet CE standards, which includes the TREC Core Course.

Tennessee Real Estate Exam

Once you pass the exam, you have six months to apply for licensure. The Tennessee real estate exam for both brokers and affiliate brokers is made up of two sections. One is national and the other is state-focused. If you fail one of the sections, you will have the option to only retest on the section you failed. You can retest twice on a failed section in a six-month period before you’d have to start over.

Renewing Your Tennessee Real Estate License

Affiliate brokers in Tennessee have to renew their licenses every two years. If you miss that deadline, there is a 60-day grace period. There are several requirements for renewing your real estate license in Tennessee. The most important requirement is completing certain CE coursework before your current license expires. You need 16 CE hours, which includes 10 elective hours and the six-hour mandatory TREC Core Course.

Does Tennessee Offer Reciprocity?

Tennessee does not offer reciprocity for real estate licenses. If you have your real estate license in another state, you will need to complete TREC’s Worksheet A and a certified history of the states in which you have held a real estate license.

Getting a Tennessee Real Estate License

Becoming a real estate agent and working as a broker of any degree in Tennessee will involve a variety of coursework. Choose a real estate education center and continuing education provider that can meet your needs before you get your license and afterward. Aceable can help you complete the coursework to get a Tennessee Real Estate License on your schedule and at your own pace.