How to Become a Real Estate Agent in Ohio (2026 Guide)

Ready to get your real estate license in Ohio?

It may seem a little overwhelming to go through the licensing and training to become a real estate agent in Ohio, but we are going to walk you through the entire process. So whether you are planning to do real estate part-time or are making it your new full-time career, we are going to share everything you need to know to get your license in the Buckeye state!

We’ll cover:

Woman who just became a realtor in Ohio

Steps to Get a Real Estate License in Ohio

The Ohio Department of Commerce – Real Estate Division requires that, in order to become a licensed real estate agent in the state of Ohio, you must be at least 18 years old, a US citizen or a lawfully qualified alien, and complete the following steps:

STEP 1 | Pre-License Real Estate Course

  • Complete 100 hours of real estate courses and pass a course exam with a score of 70% or higher. Course completions are valid for 10 years after the date of issuance.

STEP 2 | Background Check

  • We highly recommend starting the background check process as soon as possible, as it may take 4 to 8 weeks. You can have your fingerprints taken by Webcheck® user and then reviewed/approved by the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation (BCI&I). Webcheck® will send the results to the Ohio Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing within 30 days. The cost is usually between $50 to $90.

STEP 3 | Choose a Sponsoring Real Estate Broker

  • In order to submit your application to take the Ohio Salesperson Exam, you’ll have to select a real estate brokerage to work for. Learn more about what to look for when shopping for the best real estate brokerage firms below.

STEP 4 | Apply for Your Ohio Real Estate License

  • The Ohio Real Estate Commission will process your application and background check results and if approved, they will send your information to PSI, the company that manages all the testing. PSI will send you instructions on how to schedule your state examination.
    • Be sure to review the PSI Candidate Handbook for additional information and exam tips.
    • Learn more about how to make sure your application is 110% complete before you submit it

STEP 5 | Pass Your Real Estate Exam

  • There will be 120 multiple choice questions and you’ll just need a minimum score of 70% to pass. Once completed, you’ll be officially licensed and can start selling homes!

Understand How Long it Takes to Get a Real Estate License

Once you decide to become a real estate agent in Ohio, you’re probably excited and want to get started immediately.  Before you leave your current position, it’s important to understand how long the licensing process can take in Ohio. 

On average, it takes between 8 to 16 weeks to get an Ohio real estate license depending on how quickly you get through your pre-licensing course, pass the state exam, and complete all the application forms.

While you may not want to wait that long, 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 a few times each week, you can learn at your own pace online.  We would also highly recommend ordering your background check as soon as you start your course, as it could take 6+ weeks to complete and get approved by the licensing division.


Man using calculator to add up the cost to get a real estate license in Ohio.

Cost to Get a Real Estate License in Ohio

There are several fees involved when working to become a real estate agent in Ohio:

Licensing ExpenseEstimated Cost
Pre-License Real Estate Course$550–$1,300
Background Check and Fingerprinting$50–$90
Ohio Real Estate Exam$63
License Application$81
Exam Prep Materials (optional)$25–$150

Total Cost to Get Licensed: $744–$1,534

The $63 exam fee covers the initial exam. Retaking only the national portion costs $46, while retaking only the state portion costs $43.

More Expenses to Expect as a REALTOR®

Getting your Ohio real estate license is only the beginning. Because you are starting a new business, you should also prepare for association dues, MLS access, brokerage fees, marketing expenses and other professional costs.

Additional ExpenseEstimated Cost
Post-License Continuing Education$80–$200
License Renewal (every three years)$182
REALTOR® Association DuesApproximately $470–$1,420 annually
Multiple Listing Service (MLS)Approximately $150–$175 quarterly
SentriLock or Supra eKey$100–$150 annually
Brokerage Joining Fee$0–$500
Monthly Brokerage Fee$0–$350 per month
Business Cards and SignageVaries
Marketing and AdvertisingVaries

Examples of REALTOR® association costs in Ohio include:

REALTOR® AssociationEstimated Annual Cost
Springfield Board of REALTORS®$705
Cincinnati Area Board of REALTORS®$470
Columbus REALTORS®$1,420
Dayton REALTORS®$735
Northwest Ohio REALTORS®$1,403, including MLS

Estimated Total Cost to Become a Real Estate Agent in Ohio: $2,270–$4,110

Actual costs will depend on your real estate school, brokerage, local association, MLS and optional business expenses.

Find the Best Ohio Real Estate Schools

To get your real estate license, you’ll have to attend a school that’s approved by the Ohio Real Estate Commission. There are at least a dozen approved real estate schools throughout the state. Most are online, others in person, and a few do a combination of the two. Please note that 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:

GET THE FREE SCHOOL COMPARISON GUIDE >

PLEASE NOTE: As of April 2025, Ohio no longer requires real estate pre-licensing courses to come through a college or degree-granting institution — a reform under House Bill 238 that opened the market to more independent providers. Community colleges like Cincinnati State still offer accredited real estate certificate programs if you’d prefer that route, but it’s now optional rather than mandatory.


How to Select a Real Estate Broker in Ohio

In Ohio, you must affiliate with a real estate brokerage in order actively help home buyers and sellers. This is often referred to as the “sponsoring broker” or “managing broker.” Picking the right brokerage to work with can be key to your success as a newly licensed agent.

We would recommend shopping for the best broker once you’ve completed the pre-licensing course and are waiting to take your state exam or while Ohio is processing your application. There are a few ways to do this:

  • Ask around. Find out which brokerages your friends and family have worked with in the past and see what they liked most about them. Don’t hesitate to reach out to local agents in your area to see what they like most about their broker.
  • Research online. Once you’ve narrowed down your choices to 3 to 5 companies, do some research online. There are always dozens if not hundreds of YouTube testimonials and feedback from real estate agents.
  • Check out Facebook/Meta. There are quite a few Facebook groups for aspiring agents and you’ll get lots of (honest) feedback from agents at different brokerages.
  • Schedule interviews. We highly recommend meeting (in person, phone or a zoom) with two or three brokerages, because the benefits and commission splits can be dramatically different from one firm to the next.
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN INTERVIEWING BROKERS >>


New Ohio real estate agents getting help from Mentor

Commonly Asked Questions About Becoming a Real Estate Agent in Ohio

How is Ohio’s 100-hour pre-licensing education structured, and can I complete it online?

Yes, you can complete all 100 hours online through a provider approved by the Ohio Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing (ODRE). The mandatory 100-hour curriculum is broken into four distinct courses:
Real Estate Principles and Practices (40 hours)
Ohio Real Estate Law (40 hours)
Real Estate Finance (10 hours)
Real Estate Appraisal (10 hours)
State regulations allow students to complete these courses via self-paced online learning, live virtual webinars, or traditional in-person classrooms. Once you complete all four courses and pass your school’s final exams, your completion certificates remain valid for up to 10 years to apply for your license.

How many questions are on the exam?

The Ohio exam has 120 questions, 80 on the national portion and 40 questions on the state-specific portion. You’ll have 180 minutes (3 hours) to complete the Ohio real estate exam.

How difficult is the Ohio real estate exam?

Most agents will describe the real estate licensing exam as “not easy.”  There are 120 multiple choice questions for both the state and national portions of the exam and you must answer at least 70% of them correctly. We highly recommend taking lots (and lots!) of practice tests and if you still aren’t feeling confident, enroll in an exam prep course.

What if I fail the Ohio real estate exam?

It’s not uncommon for people not to pass the exam on the first try. If you fail one or both portions of the exam, you can submit an application to retake the exam along with a new $81 application fee (the same fee you paid the first time), plus the retake exam fee itself: $46 if you’re only retaking the national portion, $43 for just the state portion, or $66 if you need to retake both. You can take the Ohio real estate exam multiple times, as you’ll have a one-year period to pass the exam after receiving your scheduling information from PSI.

Do I need a sponsoring broker before applying for the exam in Ohio?

Yes, you must have a sponsoring broker sign your initial application before you can sit for the exam. Ohio does not allow candidates to register for the licensing exam independently. The required application sequence is:

– Complete all 100 pre-licensing education hours.
– Choose an active Ohio Principal Broker to sponsor you and sign your Salesperson Examination Application.
– Submit your application, proof of education, and state fees to ODRE.
– Complete State (BCI) and Federal (FBI) fingerprint background checks via a Webcheck provider.
– Wait for ODRE to process your file and issue a Candidate Information Bulletin, which authorizes you to schedule your test with PSI.

How do I become a real estate broker in Ohio?

To become a real estate broker in Ohio, you must hold an active salesperson license for two (2) of the last five (5) years and comply with the education requirements outlined on the Ohio REALTORS website.

Can I get an Ohio real estate license if I have a felony or misdemeanor?

Having a criminal record doesn’t automatically disqualify you, but Ohio does have a specific bar: you cannot be currently licensed if you’ve been convicted of a felony or a crime of moral turpitude, or if you’ve violated real estate civil rights laws within the past two years. That said, in some circumstances a past conviction or violation can be disregarded, which would still allow you to sit for the exam. If you have concerns about your background, it’s worth contacting the Ohio Division of Real Estate directly before investing in the 100-hour course.

How much do real estate agents make in Ohio?

According to Indeed.com, the average is $89,309 in the state of Ohio. When trying to figure out how much money you could make as an Ohio real estate agent, you’ll need to look at the time you’re willing or able to invest in your new business, the home prices in your area, and what your broker commission splits will be.

According to Realtor.com and Redfin, the average sales price in Cincinnati in 2026 is around $280,000. If you sold four homes in your first year, you would gross about $28,000. If your broker split is 70 / 30, you would keep $19,600. Factor in your expenses (i.e. MLS, board dues, broker fees, marketing, etc) and you’re probably going to make a profit of about $16,000.

I have a real estate license in another state. Does Ohio offer reciprocity?

Ohio offers full reciprocity with Arkansas, Connecticut, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, West Virginia, and Wyoming. The good news is that if you are licensed in these states, you do not have to take OREC’s pre-licensing course, but you do still have to complete a background check, take the Ohio Real Estate Law course and submit both an Ohio Reciprocal Application as well as a Consent to Service form.

What are the requirements for Continuing Education?

Within 12 months of your license issuance date, ODRE requires all new salespersons to complete a mandatory 20-hour Post-Licensing Education course. This coursework builds on basic licensing concepts, focusing on practical transaction workflows, advanced contract drafting, risk management, and local disclosures.

After that, Ohio requires that all real estate agents do 30 hours of continuing education every three years. They make it easy to remember because it is due by the real estate licensee’s birthday. Of the 30 hours, it has to include 9 hours of mandatory core courses.



Kerry Lucasse and the Building Better Agents team talk with hundreds of newly licensed real estate agents each year. Most have no idea how challenging the first year or two can be and how much you need to learn to be successful. This business is not as easy as it looks on TV! Real estate can be a rewarding and profitable business if you are a self-starter who is 110% committed to being successful and you have the support of a great mentor and brokerage.