Starting a real estate career in Washington
How licensing works in Washington, and how our team helps new brokers get from license to first closing with confidence.
Always confirm with DOL. This is a general summary of Washington's broker licensing path based on the Department of Licensing's published steps and state law. Requirements, fees, and processes can change; the DOL website is the authority.
The licensing path, step by step
Meet the basic requirements
Washington requires broker applicants to be at least 18 and to have a high school diploma or the equivalent. See the Department of Licensing (DOL) license page.
Complete 90 hours of prelicensing education
The required coursework is a 60-hour Real Estate Fundamentals course and a 30-hour Real Estate Practices course from DOL-approved providers. Fundamentals includes instruction on fair housing and consumer protection. Courses must be completed within two years before you apply for the exam.
Pass the state and national exams
Exams are administered by DOL's testing vendor, PSI. According to DOL, you must pass the state and national portions within six months of each other. See DOL exam information.
Submit fingerprints for a background check
After you pass, you submit fingerprints for state and national background checks; in Washington this is done electronically through DOL's fingerprinting vendor. See fingerprinting and background checks.
Choose your firm and apply for your license
A Washington broker is licensed to one firm at a time and is supervised by a designated or managing broker, so you'll choose a firm before your license is issued. DOL says to apply within one year of passing your final exam. This is where joining our team at McConnell Group comes in.
Plan for your first renewal
Under RCW 18.85.101, the first renewal of a broker license requires 90 hours of courses, including real estate law (with fair housing and consumer protection), advanced practices, and continuing education. Plan for these early.
For a more detailed walk-through, read how to get your real estate license in Washington.
While you're studying
You're welcome to talk with us before you're licensed. Many people find it helpful to understand how a team works, what the first months look like, and what to focus on in class. A conversation now doesn't commit you to anything.
Getting started on the team
How a new broker gets started (training, mentorship, support, and when and how you'd begin working with buyers) depends on your experience and goals. Rather than a fixed program on paper, we walk through it together on a first call. See what to expect to discuss on our first call.
Why start with buyer work?
Buyer representation teaches the fundamentals: understanding clients' goals, reading a market, writing and negotiating offers, and managing a transaction from start to finish. With a team, you get to practice those skills on real deals with support. Read more in what a buyer's agent actually does.
Thinking about getting licensed?
Let's talk about what the work is really like and how the team supports new brokers.