Before applying for your affiliate broker license in Tennessee, you must meet the following requirements:
1) At least 18 years of age.
2) Able to provide proof of high school diploma or equivalent.
3) If you have a prior conviction, and are currently on parole or probation, the Tennessee Real Estate Commission requires that at least two years must have passed from the date of expiration of probation, conviction or release from incarceration, whichever is latest, before you can be scheduled for the state licensing exam.
If you meet these three requirements, you will need to follow six steps to get your Tennessee Affiliate Broker real estate license:
1. Complete your 90-hour pre-license education requirement. The 90-hour pre-license education requirement consists of two courses:
· 60-Hour Basic Principles of Real Estate
· 30-Hour Course for New Affiliates
Applicants have the option of taking these courses online or in-person. Most applicants prefer the convenience of online courses and also find they can complete the courses more quickly than if they attended class in-person.
The 60-hour Basic Principles of Real Estate coursework must be completed before applying to take the state licensing exam. However, you can complete the 30-hour Course for New Affiliates any time prior to applying for your Tennessee affiliate broker license.
Each course concludes with a closed-book, non-proctored exam. You must achieve a passing grade of at least 70% on both of the exams. The 60-hour Basic Principles of Real Estate consists of a 60-question multiple-choice final exam, while the 30-hour Course for New Affiliates final exam consists of 50 multiple-choice questions.
Once you pass the final exam for a course, you will receive its certificate of completion.
2. Schedule your state exam. RealEstateU will submit your course completion information to PSI, the state’s testing center, once you have passed the final exam for the 60-hour Basic Principles of Real Estate course. This information is required before you will be allowed to schedule your state exam. When you log into the PSI website to schedule your exam, you will be inputting your social security number and other identifying information that will allow the system to locate your course completion information.
You can schedule your state exam date and location once your course completion information is processed by PSI. Exams may be scheduled by calling 1-800-733-9267 or through PSI’s website. Cost of the state exam is $39 per attempt, paid directly to PSI. You will need to provide payment via Visa or Mastercard at the time of scheduling. Payment by personal check is not permitted.
3. Pass the state exam. The next step to getting your affiliate broker’s license is to pass the state exam. You’ll find that the Tennessee Affiliate Broker’s state licensing exam includes two distinct parts: a national section and a state section.
The national portion of the test is made up of 80 multiple-choice questions. You will have a time limit of 160 minutes and must achieve a passing grade of 70%, or 56 out of 80 questions correct.
There are 40 multiple-choice questions on the state portion of the exam. You will have 80 minutes to complete the 40 multiple-choice questions and must get a passing grade of at least 70%, or 28 out of 40 questions correct.
Your grade will be available to you immediately after completing the exam. Once you have passed, your picture will be taken by the PSI testing center for use as part of your license application.
4. Get fingerprinted. Your next step in getting your affiliate broker’s license is to get fingerprinted. The Tennessee Real Estate Commission requires all applicants to get fingerprinted. Fingerprinting can be completed at an IdentoGO location.
If you live outside of Tennessee or are physically unable to go to an IdentoGO location in-person, you can make use of IdentoGO’s card scan service. The cost of fingerprinting is about $35, depending on location and whether you need to use the card scan service. It is paid directly to IdentoGO. Once complete, your fingerprints will be digitally transmitted to the FBI and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) for conducting a criminal history background check.
5. Aquire errors and omissions insurance. Once you have gotten fingerprinted, it’s time to get your errors and omissions insurance. The Tennessee Real Estate Commission requires that all candidates for an affiliate broker license obtain an errors and omissions insurance policy before applying for a license.
6. Apply for Your Affiliate Broker’s License. Now that you’ve met all requirements and completed all steps, it’s time to apply for your Tennessee affiliated broker’s license. You will need to apply within 6 months of passing the state licensing exam, including the national and state portions. The Tennessee Real Estate Commission charges an application fee of $91. You will need to apply for your license online.
In making your affiliate broker’s license application, you will need to include the following:
· License application with your photo. This is the photo that was taken at the PSI testing center after passing the state licensing exam.
· Diploma or other proof of high school graduation (or equivalent).
· Proof that you have satisfactorily completed the 30-hour Course for New Affiliates. You will need to download your certificate of completion from your RealEstateU account as soon as you pass the final course exam. This information is not automatically reported for this course.
· Proof of your errors and omissions insurance policy.
· Eligibility verification, if applicable.
· Proof that you have had your fingerprints taken (submitted through IndentoGO).