How to Become a Real Estate Agent in Virginia (2026 Guide)
Ready to get your Virginia real estate license?
A Quick-Start Guide
Ready to guide clients through buying and selling property in the Old Dominion? Learning how to become a real estate agent in Virginia is one of the fastest licensing paths in the nation. Earning your license involves five simple steps: completing 60 hours of VREB-approved coursework (Principles of Real Estate), passing the PSI exam, getting fingerprinted for a background check, finding a sponsoring broker, and submitting your application to DPOR.
This simple guide breaks down the state requirements, startup costs, and expert tips so you can launch your new real estate career with confidence!
We’ll cover:
5 Steps to Get a Real Estate License in Virginia
The Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR) has a few requirements to become a salesperson. You must be at least 18 years old, have a high school diploma (or equivalent), and have a good reputation for honesty, truthfulness, and fair dealing. If you meet the prerequisites, you can complete the following steps:
STEP 01 | Complete the 60-Hour Real Estate Pre-License Course
- Virginia’s Principles and Practices of Real Estate for Salespersons course covers 60 hours split across two parts, addressing property law, contracts, financing, agency, and Virginia-specific regulations. You can take it online or in a classroom through a DPOR-approved school.
STEP 02 | Schedule + Pass the Virginia Real Estate Exam
- Once you complete your 60-hour course, you can schedule your state exam with PSI. The exam fee is $60.
- The exam has 120 questions. Virginia has a notable quirk here: the passing threshold is different for each section — you need 70% (56 of 80) on the national portion, but 75% (30 of 40) on the state portion. If you don’t apply for your license within 1 year of passing, your scores expire and you’ll need to retake the exam. See our FAQs section to learn more.
STEP 03 | Submit Fingerprints for a Background Check
- You’ll need to submit fingerprints for a criminal background check and disclose any misdemeanors or felony convictions. Virginia reviews criminal history on a case-by-case basis rather than an automatic disqualification.
STEP 04 | Find a Sponsoring Broker
- In order to activate your license, you’ll need to be affiliated with a licensed Virginia real estate broker. Keep reading below for tips on what to look for when picking a brokerage.
STEP 05 | Submit Your Virginia Real Estate License Application
Once you’ve passed your exam, cleared your background check, and lined up a sponsoring broker, submit your application to DPOR. The current application fee is $244.50. Once approved, you’re officially licensed! Within your first year, you’ll also need to complete 30 hours of post-license education, or your license will automatically move to inactive status.
How Long Does It Take to Get a VA Real Estate License?
Once you decide to become a real estate agent in Virginia, you’re probably excited and want to get started immediately. Before you leave your current position, it’s important to understand how long the process can take. Here is what an average timeline looks like:
- 3 to 8 weeks to complete your 60-hour Virginia pre-licensing course (full-time students can finish in as little as 3 to 4 weeks)
- 1 to 2 weeks to get your state real estate exam scheduled
- 1 to 2 weeks to submit fingerprints and get your background check cleared
- 1 to 3 weeks to interview and select a sponsoring broker
- 1 to 2 weeks for DPOR to process your license application
While this timeline may seem a little daunting, there are a few ways to expedite things. First, taking an online course is the way to go. Instead of attending scheduled in-person classes, you can learn at your own pace online. We also highly recommend interviewing brokerages while you are finishing up your real estate course, so you are ready to hang your license with a broker as soon you pass the state exam. All in all, Virginia’s 60-hour requirement is one of the lowest in the country, so it’s realistic to become a real estate agent in Virginia in about 6 to 10 weeks.
How Much Does It Cost to Get a Real Estate License in Virginia?
There are several fees involved when working to become a real estate agent in Virginia…
- Pre-License Real Estate Course – $300 to $700
- State Exam Fee – $60
- Fingerprinting / Background Check – $52
- License Application Fee – $244.50 (includes a new $7.25 annual Technology Fee, effective July 2026)
- State exam prep courses or materials – $25 to $150 (optional)
** Total Cost to Get Your License = $657 to $1,057
More Costs to Expect as a Brand New Realtor
Getting a license is just the beginning! What many aspiring agents don’t always realize is that there are several other expenses to consider when you become a real estate agent in Virginia. Keep in mind you are officially opening your own business, so there are always start-up costs involved.
| Expense | Estimated cost |
|---|---|
| 30-hour post-license education | Approximately $100–$250. Newly licensed salespersons must complete this education during their first license term. |
| Continuing education after the first renewal | Approximately $100–$250 for the 16 hours required during each subsequent two-year renewal cycle |
| Salesperson license renewal | $100 every two years, plus any applicable DPOR technology fee |
| Local, state, and national REALTOR® associations | Costs vary by location and organization. See the example below. |
| Multiple Listing Service (MLS) | Approximately $150–$175 per quarter, although access may be discounted or bundled with local association dues |
| SentriLock or Supra eKEY access | Approximately $100–$200 per year and may be included with certain association memberships |
| Brokerage joining fee | Typically $0–$500, with approximately $250 being common |
| Monthly brokerage fees | Approximately $0–$350 per month |
| Business cards and signage | Varies based on the brokerage and the materials purchased |
| Marketing and advertising | Varies based on how the agent chooses to promote their business |
Example of Virginia REALTOR® Association Dues
| Association | Estimated dues |
|---|---|
| Northern Virginia Association of REALTORS® (NVAR) | Approximately $685.75 for a new primary member’s first year, including NAR, Virginia REALTORS®, local dues, application fees, and a lockbox service fee |
Virginia also has local REALTOR® associations serving Richmond, Virginia Beach, Charlottesville, and other markets. Contact the association serving your area for current membership, application, MLS, and electronic-key fees.
Estimated Total Cost
When you combine the expenses required to earn your license with the most common costs of launching your real estate business, you should plan to spend approximately $1,543–$2,943. Because MLS access and electronic-key service may be bundled with association dues, check with your brokerage and local association before adding every expense separately.
This estimate does not include ongoing monthly brokerage fees or optional marketing expenses.
Total estimated cost to become a real estate agent in Virginia: $1,543–$2,943
What are the Best Real Estate Schools?
To get your real estate license, you’ll have to attend a school that’s approved by the Virginia Real Estate Board. There are dozens of approved real estate schools throughout the state. Most classes are online, others in person, and a few do a combination of the two. Some of the school links below are affiliate links. If you enroll through one of these links, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
Here are a few of the most popular:
- The CE Shop – online
- Aceable Agent – online
- Colibri Real Estate – online
- Moseley Real Estate School – online and in person classes
- MLS Campus – online, Virginia-focused
- Advanced School of Real Estate – online, livestream (i.e. zoom) and in person
When shopping for the best online real estate schools, you’ll want to compare pricing, but there are a few other things you will need to consider:
- Do they share their “pass rate”? This will tell you what percentage of their students passed the state exam on the first try.
- Does the school offer any guarantees if you don’t pass? For example, one school will pay the fee for you to retake the state exam.
- Are practice tests given to the students or is there any additional charge?
- Do they offer a separate exam prep course or a weekend cram course? If they don’t we would recommend purchasing one through another school like Prep Agent or Real Estate Scholar.
How to Select a Virginia Real Estate Broker
In Virginia, you must affiliate with a real estate broker in order to actively help home buyers and sellers. Picking the right brokerage to work with can be key to your success as a newly licensed agent.
While many newly licensed agents are looking for the best commission splits when shopping for brokers, we would highly recommend that you make that #2 or #3 on your list. The most important thing you should look for in a brokerage is how they support brand new real estate agents. Do they have a formal training program? Will you have at least 3 people you can reach out to if you have questions? Are they available outside traditional business hours? Do they have mentors – and what exactly will the mentors do to assist you? All important things to consider when you are ready to become a real estate agent in Virginia!
How to Become a Real Estate Agent in Virginia: FAQs
Total initial costs typically fall between $600 and $1050, depending on your chosen school provider. Learn more about the different costs in the section above.
The exam has 120 questions, and Virginia is one of the few states with different passing thresholds for each section: 70% (56 of 80) on the national portion, but a tougher 75% (30 of 40) on the state portion. Because the education requirement is only 60 hours — lighter than most states — expect to do more self-study on your own, especially for the state-specific section.
Administered by PSI, the exam consists of 120 total questions split into two sections. You must pass both portions:
National Section: 80 questions (105-minute limit)
State Law Section: 40 questions (45-minute limit)
If you fail one section, you only need to retake the section you missed, though each retake requires paying the $60 exam fee.
You must score at least 70% on the National portion (56/80) and 75% on the Virginia State portion (30/40). The two sections are scored independently. If you pass one section but fail the other, you only need to retake and pay for the portion you failed.
It’s not uncommon for people not to pass the exam on the first try, so don’t be too hard on yourself! You’ll need to reschedule and pay the $60 exam fee again for the section (or sections) you didn’t pass. Just remember your passing scores expire if you don’t submit your license application within 1 year.
Yes. The Virginia Real Estate Board (VREB) allows you to complete the required 60-hour Principles of Real Estate course 100% online, self-paced, or via live virtual webinars. As long as the provider is state-approved, you can complete the coursework on your own schedule.
Most candidates complete the entire process in 3 to 8 weeks. Fast-paced students can finish the 60 hours of online coursework in as little as 2 to 3 weeks. Scheduling your PSI exam, completing fingerprinting, and getting your application approved by DPOR typically takes an additional 1 to 3 weeks.
Once you receive your license, Virginia requires all new real estate salespersons to complete 30 hours of Post-Licensing Education (PLE) within their first year of licensure. This specialized training covers practical topics like contract writing, risk management, and escrow handling. Failure to complete the 30 hours within your first 12 months will result in your license being placed on inactive status.
Yes, but it requires approval. Having a misdemeanor or felony conviction does not automatically disqualify you. You must submit to a state and national fingerprint background check and disclose your record to the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR). DPOR reviews prior convictions on a case-by-case basis, evaluating the nature of the crime, time elapsed, and evidence of rehabilitation.
Virginia does not have full automatic reciprocity agreements with other states. However, if you hold an active, clean real estate license in another state, Virginia offers a simplified license-by-reciprocity pathway. Out-of-state agents can usually bypass the 60-hour pre-licensing education requirement but must still pass the Virginia State-specific portion of the PSI exam.
If you submit your license application to DPOR without an affiliated sponsoring broker, DPOR will issue your license in an “Inactive” status. You cannot legally practice real estate or collect commission until an active managing broker signs off on your application to activate your license. Learn more about what questions to ask when selecting a brokerage.
According to Indeed.com, the average Virginia real estate agent makes about $108,562 a year — one of the higher state averages in the country, largely driven by high property values in the Northern Virginia/D.C. suburbs. Keep in mind real estate agents are commission-based, so your actual earnings depend heavily on how many homes you sell and the price points in your market.
PRO TIP: To calculate how many homes you’ll need to sell, look up the average home sales price in your city (just google it!). For example, if the median sales price in your area is $500,000 and you earn 2.5% commission on a sale, your gross commission would be about $12,500 per sale (before commission splits with your broker). To earn the Virginia average, you’d have to sell about 10 to 12 homes each year.
Yes, if you close at least 1–2 deals per year. With Virginia’s average home prices around $400,000, closing just one deal yields roughly $7,000+ after brokerage splits—more than double your typical $2,000–$3,500 annual expenses for MLS access, licensing, E&O insurance, and desk fees.
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