Estate License in
Montana
As the job market bounces back post-pandemic and new business registration hit a record high in 2021, there’s a strong demand for housing in Montana today. This growing economy makes Montana a popular place for investors and homeowners. Now is the perfect time to start considering a real estate career in Montana.
Whether it’s been your goal to become a real estate agent for a while now or you’re just now considering it as a new career option, the real estate business can offer you everything you want in a career.
So, you want to know how to get your real estate license in Montana? The overall licensing process and education requirements are typically pretty similar across the U.S., although some of the specifics may change, depending on your home state. Let’s take a look at the list of basic requirements you’ll need to meet to become a licensed real estate salesperson in the state of Montana.
- Meet the Montana State licensing prerequisites
- Complete 70 hours of state-approved pre-licensing education
- Pass the Montana Salesperson Real Estate Salesperson Exam
- Get a sponsoring broker
- Submit the Montana Real Estate License application
1. Meet the Montana state licensing prerequisites.
To start working towards a real estate license in Montana, you must be 18 years old and have at least a 10th grade education from an accredited high school.
2. Complete 70 hours of state-approved pre-licensing education.
The Montana Board of Realty Regulation (MBRR) requires all prospective real estate agents to complete 70 hours of pre-licensing education before taking the real estate licensing exam. In Montana, pre-licensing education includes information on contract law, listing agreements, real estate finance, closings, Montana laws and much more.
Most pre-licensing courses in Montana can be taken online. Montana does not require the final pre-license exam to be supervised by a proctor. Note that you cannot utilize your book or notes during the pre-license exam.
Please note that passing these education courses does not guarantee that you’ll pass your real estate exam. Take advantage of practice tests and review hours to make sure you’re fully prepared. Practice exams for the national portion of the test are available through PSI.
3. Schedule and pass the Montana Real Estate Salesperson Exam.
PSI administers The Montana Real Estate Salesperson Exam. When you’re ready to take the exam, you can schedule an appointment from their website. Unlike your pre-licensing coursework, the final exam must be taken in person at an approved PSI testing facility. The fee to take the exam is $106 per attempt.
The Montana Real Estate Salesperson Exam contains 113 questions – 80 for the National section and 33 for the State section. You’ll be given four hours to complete the exam, with 150 minutes allotted for the National section and 90 minutes for the State section.
On your exam date, you’ll need to present two forms of identification. One must be a signature-bearing, valid form of government issued identification, such as a driver’s license, state ID, or passport that has your photograph. The second ID must have your signature and preprinted legal name, like a credit card, debit card, or wholesale membership card. NO personal items are allowed at testing centers, but you may have a basic-function calculator and scratch paper.
In order to pass the Montana Real Estate Salesperson Exam, you must obtain a score of at least 70%. You’ll be notified of your test results upon completion. If you did not pass, you’ll receive a scoring document with a breakdown of your score for review. But don’t worry, you’re allowed to retake the exam an unlimited number of times. The $106 exam fee applies each time.
Completing these steps does not make you a Montana Realtor, however. This is because “Realtor” is a copyrighted term owned by the National Association of Realtors (NAR). NAR has its own list of requirements to join, and each member of NAR is bound to specific ethical standards.
4. Select your sponsoring broker.
When you first receive your license document, you’ll have an inactive license status. In order to activate your license, you’ll need to find a sponsoring real estate broker to work under, so they can submit the license activation paperwork to the Montana Board of Realty Regulation. In Montana, a new salesperson doesn’t actually have the legal authority to complete real estate transactions on their own. A broker, however, operates their own real estate company, and can oversee salespeople in real estate activities.
Even if the state didn’t require you to work through real estate brokerage services at first, I would still strongly recommend it to any new real estate agent. When I first started, I didn’t join a team, and I look back on that as one of my biggest mistakes. If I could give you one piece of advice on how to pick the right broker to work with, it’s this: Make sure that the broker you’re considering matches your needs, and don’t worry about the other way around.
I recommend researching each brokerage you’re considering before you commit to anything. Start with their reputation. Does this broker seem to be on solid ground with a good reputation in the state? Ask them about how much room you’ll have to grow at their brokerage. What kind of training program or further education do they offer? What is their commission structure like? Do they charge desk fees to work at the brokerage? If so, do they offer any technological advantages, such as a multiple listing service (MLS)?
Once you’ve found the right broker, your license can be updated to active status. Congratulations on earning the right to practice real estate!
5. Submit a Montana Real Estate License application.
Once you have successfully completed the pre-licensing education and real estate licensing exam, it’s time to gather up the documents you’ll need to submit in addition with your Montana Real Estate License application:
- Completion certificate for 70 hours of pre-licensing education
- Montana Real Estate Salesperson Exam results (state & national portions)
- A detailed explanation of any disciplinary actions taken against you, including documentation, from either federal agencies/programs or civil/criminal proceedings
You can submit your application to the MBRR completely online along with the $185 licensing fee. Applications are valid for one year.
Applications are reviewed within 5-10 business days, and you’ll receive an email from MBRR with a license document. If you have any questions at this point, you should contact MBRR at (406) 444-6880 or [email protected].
FAQs
Does Montana have license reciprocity with other states?
No. The state of Montana does not have real estate license reciprocity with any other states.
How much time does it take to get your real estate license?
This is really a question for yourself more than it is for anyone else. How long do you want it to take? Driven students who treat their course hours like a job can complete real estate school within a few weeks. The longest process for them will likely be waiting on their fingerprints card. On average, most students take 3-6 months to complete everything.
There are only two things about this that I can tell you for sure. The best time to start working toward your initial license is right now, and you have the ability to control your own pace after you start.
Is there anything aspiring real estate professionals can do to get an advantage?
You bet there is! In fact, I’ve created the training program that I wish I had when I first started my journey into real estate. With the Sell It Like Serhant: Pre-Licensing Accelerator, you’re getting a full state-qualifying education combined with my own sales system that my team and I use at my brokerage.
In addition to getting all the course hours you need from our state-approved program, this package includes plenty of unique benefits. You’ll have support from state-approved expert instructors, the ebooks that you’ll need to succeed including Principles of Real Estate Practice, The Real Estate Math Handbook, and my own “Quick Start Guide”. Each helps you prepare for your state exam with the latest information and tips.
Speaking of exam prep, this course package contains 10 progress exams, five practice exams (three state and two national) and flashcards to get you ready for test day. We’re so confident you’ll pass your exam the first time that Utah students even get our Pass or Don’t Pay guarantee. If you don’t pass your state exam on your first attempt, we’ll refund all your money!
The good news doesn’t stop there, either. I’ll continue to help you out even after you’ve activated your license. How? This course package also includes a membership to additional resources from SERHANT. to help you start achieving success from your first day in the business. Perhaps the most notable of these is my Sell It Like Serhant: Real Estate Core video course. This is a 42-video online course that teaches you the same techniques that I use with my team to generate leads, create markets, close deals, and much more.
More from Sell It Like Serhant
You already have the potential to get your license and build a successful real estate career inside you. Let us help you unlock that potential today!
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