Real Estate Continuing Education

What Continuing Education Covers

Real estate is an industry that involves no shortage of rules and regulations. Due largely to the fact that buying and selling a home is a transaction that often involves hundreds of thousands of dollars, there are a lot of laws designed to protect both buyers and sellers alike - and real estate agents have to be very familiar with the laws and regulations of the state where they are practicing. The frustrating part, though, is that these laws and regulations tend to change regularly. Continuing education, therefore, is a vital part of working as a real agent, even if it isn't always the most enjoyable task.

In addition to keeping real estate agents up to date on important laws and regulations, real estate continuing education courses are also designed to help agents keep their skills as sharp as possible. For this reason, continuing education is something that can offer real estate agents a lot of value that goes beyond simply keeping them out of legal trouble.

When Do Agents Need Additional Education?

As previously mentioned, the specific continuing education requirements for real estate agents will vary from state to state — this includes how often agents are required to complete continuing education courses. As for what happens when an agent fails to complete their continuing education requirements, this can vary from state to state as well. In Florida, for example, agents are required to complete 14 hours of continuing education before their license expires to have their license renewed. If these requirements are not met by the time their license expires, the license becomes "involuntary inactive," at which point the agent will have 12 months to complete their continuing education requirements and pay a late fee. If this is not done within 12 months, the agent will be required to complete 28 hours of "reactivation education" before their license can be renewed. Agents cannot continue practicing real estate while their license remains in an "involuntary inactive" status.

This, of course, is just the requirements and penalties for the state of Florida. In the next section, we will cover the continuing education requirements for each state.

Where to Find Continuing Education

A wide range of organizations offer education courses for real estate agents, and finding a course that meets the state's requirements is rarely a challenge. With that said, though, there are benefits in choosing the right course and provider. Continuing education provides benefits that go beyond simply meeting regulatory requirements, and choosing the best continuing education course is something that offers a lot of value to real estate agents.

The first choice that agents will need to make is whether to attend an in-person or online course. In recent years, online continuing education courses have risen in popularity thanks to their convenience. Some agents, however, learn better from in-person instruction and prefer to complete their continuing education in a classroom setting.

Next, agents need to ensure the course they are considering is approved by the state and meets all requirements. Once an agent has found a state-approved course, it's a good idea to check for feedback from other agents who have completed the course. This feedback can sometimes be found online in written reviews for the school. In other cases, an agent may need to ask around within their network to find feedback on the courses they are considering.

Continuing Education Requirements for Every State

Before agents can begin their search for the best continuing education course, they should be aware of their state's unique requirements. Here are the abbreviated continuing education requirements for all 50 states.

Alabama

Real estate agents in Alabama are required to complete 15 hours of continuing education every two years.

Alaska

Real estate agents in Alaska are required to complete 20 hours of continuing education every even-numbered year.

Arizona

Real estate agents in Arizona are required to complete 24 hours of continuing education every two years.

Arkansas

Real estate agents in Arkansas are required to complete seven hours of continuing education each year.

California

Real estate agents in California are required to complete 45 hours of continuing education every four years.

Colorado

Real estate agents in Colorado are required to complete 24 hours of continuing education every three years.

Connecticut

Real estate agents in Connecticut are required to complete 12 hours of continuing education every even-numbered year.

Delaware

Real estate agents in Delaware are required to complete 21 hours of continuing education every three years.

Florida

Real estate agents in Delaware are required to complete 14 hours of continuing education every year.

Georgia

Real estate agents in Delaware are required to complete 36 hours of continuing education every four years.

Hawaii

Real estate agents in Hawaii are required to complete 20 hours of continuing education every two years.

Idaho

Real estate agents in Idaho are required to complete 19 hours of continuing education every two years.

Illinois

Real estate agents in Illinois are required to complete 12 hours of continuing education every two years.

Indiana

Real estate agents in Indiana are required to complete 12 hours of continuing education every year.

Iowa

Real estate agents in Iowa are required to complete 36 hours of continuing education every three years. Only 24 of these hours may be completed online.

Kansas

Real estate agents in Kansas are required to complete 12 hours of continuing education every two years.

Kentucky

Real estate agents in Kentucky are required to complete six hours of continuing education every year.

Louisiana

Real estate agents in Louisiana are required to complete 12 hours of continuing education every year.

Maine

Real estate agents in Maine are required to complete 21 hours of continuing education every two years.

Maryland

Real estate agents in Maryland are required to complete 15 hours of continuing education every two years.

Massachusetts

Real estate agents in Massachusetts are required to complete 12 hours of continuing education every two years.

Michigan

Real estate agents in Michigan are required to complete two hours of continuing education every year and an additional 12 hours every three years.

Minnesota

Real estate agents in Minnesota are required to complete 15 hours of continuing education every year.

Mississippi

Real estate agents in Mississippi are required to complete 15 hours of continuing education every two years.

Missouri

Real estate agents in Missouri are required to complete 12 hours of continuing education every two years.

Montana

Real estate agents in Montana are required to complete 12 hours of continuing education every year.

Nebraska

Real estate agents in Nebraska are required to complete 18 hours of continuing education every two years.

Nevada

Real estate agents in Nevada are required to complete 24 hours of continuing education every two years. Only 12 of these hours may be completed online.

New Hampshire

Real estate agents in New Hampshire are required to complete 15 hours of continuing education every two years.

New Jersey

Real estate agents in New Jersey are required to complete 12 hours of continuing education every two years.

New Mexico

Real estate agents in New Mexico are required to complete four hours of continuing education every year and an additional 24 hours every three years.

New York

Real estate agents in New York are required to complete 22.5 hours of continuing education every two years.

North Carolina

Real estate agents in North Carolina are required to complete eight hours of continuing education every year.

North Dakota

Real estate agents in North Dakota are required to complete nine hours of continuing education every year.

Ohio

Real estate agents in Ohio are required to complete 30 hours of continuing education every three years.

Oklahoma

Real estate agents in Oklahoma are required to complete 21 hours of continuing education every three years.

Oregon

Real estate agents in Oregon are required to complete 30 hours of continuing education every two years.

Pennsylvania

Real estate agents in Pennsylvania are required to complete 14 hours of continuing education every two years.

Rhode Island

Real estate agents in Rhode Island are required to complete 24 hours of continuing education every two years.

South Carolina

Real estate agents in South Carolina are required to complete 10 hours of continuing education every two years.

South Dakota

Real estate agents in South Dakota are required to complete 24 hours of continuing education every two years.

Tennessee

Real estate agents in Tennessee are required to complete 16 hours of continuing education every two years.

Texas

Real estate agents in Texas are required to complete 18 hours of continuing education every two years.

Utah

Real estate agents in Utah are required to complete 18 hours of continuing education every two years.

Vermont

Real estate agents in Vermont are required to complete 16 hours of continuing education every two years.

Virginia

Real estate agents in Virginia are required to complete 16 hours of continuing education every two years.

Washington

Real estate agents in Washington are required to complete 30 hours of continuing education every two years.

West Virginia

Real estate agents in West Virginia are required to complete seven hours of continuing education every year.

Wisconsin

Real estate agents in Wisconsin are required to complete 18 hours of continuing education every two years.

Wyoming

Real estate agents in Wyoming are required to complete 45 hours of continuing education every three years.

Invest in Your Future With Continuing Education

Continuing education is an essential part of every real estate agent's career. By researching their state's requirements and choosing the right continuing education course, real estate agents can ensure that they keep their license up to date and keep their skills sharp.