New York Real Estate Licensing- Frequently Asked Questions
The sales examination currently is comprised of two parts, the uniform portion, and a state-specific portion. The State exam is a written based exam, which is based on the curriculum from the 75-hour real estate salesperson course. It consists of 75 multiple choice questions. A passing grade of 70%. You must complete the exam within 90 minutes.
The examination is offered weekly at various locations throughout the state.
Applicants are required to schedule their real estate salesperson exam on our Occupational Licensing Management System, eAccessNY. In order to schedule your examination, you must have an account on eAccessNY. If you do not have an account, you should go to the eAccessNY overview page and click on "Create my Account".
Persons with disabilities who require accessibility information should call 518-474-4429.
Persons who require testing modifications should not schedule an exam and, should instead, call 518-474-4429.
$15 - Written Exam
Each state sets its own criteria for licensing and required education. One must contact the Real Estate Commission in a particular state to determine current standing. A call to your Howard Hanna office will assist you in obtaining specific answers. Below are states that share real estate reciprocity with New York State.
All need current certification (dated within six months, from the Real Estate Commission where license was obtained), completed application, irrevocable consent form, and the appropriate fee.
Applicants seeking a reciprocal real estate salesperson's license must be sponsored by their home-state broker who must hold a current New York State broker's license.
Applicants seeking a corporate real estate broker's license must file said corporation in the New York State Corporations Bureau (One Commerce Plaza, 99 Washington Avenue, suite 600 Albany, NY 12231) as a foreign corporation.
Reciprocity States |
Minimum Qualificiations |
| Arkansas | Broker only—two years licensure and current. (Business and Residence must be in Arkansas.) |
| Colorado | Broker and Associate Broker. Current licensure. (Business and residence addresses must be in Colorado). Colorado Associate Brokers must submit a salesperson application and $50 fee, along with their certification and irrevocable consent form. |
| Connecticut | Broker and Sales—current licensure only. (Business and Residence must be in Connecticut.) |
| Georgia | Broker and Sales—current licensure only (business and residence must be in Georgia). Must have obtained their license by passing Georgia exam. |
| Massachusetts | Broker only—two years licensure and current. (Business and Residence must be in Massachusetts.) |
| Mississippi | Broker only—two years licensure and current. (Business and Residence must be in Mississippi.) |
| Oklahoma | Broker and Sales—two years licensure and current. (Business and Residence must be in Oklahoma.) |
| Pennsylvania | Broker and Salesperson —current licensure only. (Business and Residence must be in Pennsylvania) |
| West Virginia | Broker and Sales—current licensure only. (Business and Residence must be in West Virginia.) |
Individual circumstances and processing procedures make a definite answer impossible. Most applicants can be licensed in three months. This time frame would permit one month for examination, license application and receipt.
Within one year of receiving your license, you must complete 20 hours of post-licensing. Post-licensing is available online and through the Howard Hanna Education department. You will also be required to complete 22.5 hours of continuing education every two years.
The state renewal period is every two years from the date you initially applied.
If a licensee fails to submit their continuing education by the required due date, their license is automatically suspended. The licensee will then have 12 months to reactivate their license or it will be revoked.
Applicants choose their broker after taking and passing the New York State exam.
No, you would be considered an independent contractor. Your income will be commission only and there would be no company-paid benefits. There are, however, group benefit programs available for your participation, if needed.
In real estate, independent contractor status means that for tax purposes, you would be considered an entrepreneur in business for yourself. There will be no taxes taken from your commission income and you will be responsible for filing your own quarterly taxes. Actually, you will be operating as a “business within a business.” As an associate of a broker, the responsibility for your conduct lies with that broker. Therefore, in your interaction with customers and clients, you will not be acting independently of the broker.
