How to get your San Antonio real estate license

Chris Heller, Licensed Agent12/27/2022

Real estate is a fast-paced, flexible, and rewarding industry, and San Antonio is one of the hottest zip codes in the country. Home listings in San Antonio have been reported to be viewed up to 8x more and tend to sell up to 9 times faster than the national average.

Real estate in San Antonio is quite cheap and fast selling with a house going for an average price of $356,071. An average San Antonio real estate agent makes more than $78,000 annually and a high earner average gets about $103,000 annually.

Becoming a realtor in San Antonio is not difficult, but it takes planning and dedication. This article gives an insight on the information and requirements needed to become a San Antonio real estate agent.

Requirements for San Antonio real estate license

• Age: you must be of legal age (18 years old) to acquire a real estate license in San Antonio. A valid I.D can be used to verify your age.
• Residence: to become a real estate agent in San Antonio you must be a resident of Texas.
• Level of education: you must have completed high school or have earned your GED to get a Texas real estate license.

One you have met the preliminary requirements above, follow the steps below to get started.

• Real estate education: 180 hours of Texas real estate commission approved college-level real estate course is required to apply for the Texas real estate license exam.
• Sponsor: to practice as a real estate salesperson, sponsorship by a licensed Texas real estate broker is needed. An online sponsorship request is to be completed by both you and your sponsor.
• Forms and fees: submit all education documents, including real estate school certificate are to Texas real estate commission and pay the application fee.
• License examination and fingerprint: after receiving your approval letter, you can schedule your exam. Directions will also be given on how to submit your fingerprints for review.
• Active Salesperson License: After taking and passing the state exam, you will receive an Active salesperson license from Texas real estate commission. An inactive salesperson license is given if you do not have a broker.
• License renewal: once you get your license, you have a 2-year window period within which you need to have completed the next stage. An additional 90 hours of the Sales Apprentice Education (SAE) coursework are required, and 8 hours of the Texas Real Estate Commission Legal updates is required to continue being a real estate agent in San Antonio.

Additional information can be found on our Texas real estate license guide.

Choosing a Real Estate School

When choosing a school to attend you have to be sure the school is up to the TREC standard, and they have an educational package in line with your ambition.  Some school provide the necessary material needed to pass, some gives your further insight and heads up before going into the real estate business. The school success rate is also something to consider.

Here are some of the best real estate schools in San Antonio:

Real Estate Express

Real Estate Express is one of the biggest online real estate schools and it’s one of the largest in Texas. The school was established in 1996 and gives aspiring or newly licensed real estate agents a platform to grow and scale the careers. Real Estate Express is still a highly regarded school providing pre-licensing courses in up to 39 states and post-licensing training in 10. Real estate express is both ARELLO and IDECC accredited.

Real estate express has both online and one on one teaching method. They currently offer four pre-licensing coursework bundles; The basics for motivated students at $557, Exam Preparation (all benefits of the basics bundle plus pass or don’t pay guarantee) at $647, Exam Preparation plus (all the benefits of the previous packages including the 90 hours of post-licensing coursework needed for renewal of your license) at $747 and Ultimate Learning (all previous packages alongside a year of  professional development, a textbook and a 3 month bootcamp to get you prepared as an agent) at $847. Real estate express has a pass rate of 59.03%.

The CE Shop

The CE Shop is one the most popular and highly rated real estate schools in Texas with a student pass rate of 70.64%. The CE Shop offer several packages from the basic package to the more detailed package. All packages include not only text but video descriptions and interactive features to easy study process. The basic package runs for $400, middles package for $500 and the most advanced for $700. The CE also offers tuition assistance, helping students split into multiple payments.

Kaplan

Kaplan is one of the longest standing real estate schools in Texas having been around for over 80 years. Kaplan is an accredited real estate school that provides hundreds of courses, textbook and other study materials for different industries. Kaplan has a pass rate of 70.61% and offer about three pre-licensing packages. Home study (access to text-based lesson, a PDF textbook, and online learning activities and quizzes) at $389/$589, on demand solution (access to teaching videos, PDF textbook, online learning activities, quizzes, and instructor office hours) at $449/$649 and live online (live online classes and materials) at $889/$1,089.

Champions School of Real Estate

Champions School of Real Estate is one the oldest and the largest reals estate schools in Texas, opening in 1983 and registering over 20,000 students between January 2018 and July 2020. Champions school offers both physical and online classes, releasing their online class in June 2021. Champions school offer a number of pre-licensing bundles ranging from $980 to $ 1,944. They have a success rate of 59.94%.

Top Real Estate Brokerages in San Antonio

After you pass the real estate test, you will be able to start your career. The brokerage will give you the guidance you need to get your career off on the right foot and they will provide you with a strong client base.

When choosing the brokerage, you want to work with, there are many factors to consider including the training available, marketing materials offered, the commission split, desk fees, company reputation and more. Here are a few companies that make the cut.

Alamo Real Estate Brokers

The Hesles Agency

Located: Cibolo Canyons
Address: 20770 U.S. Hwy 281 N Ste #108-257, San Antonio , TX 78258

The Hesles Group has been ranked in the Top Real Estate Teams in San Antonio for 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 & 2020 by the San Antonio Business Journal.

Many of their agents are also bilingual which gives clients the fullest understanding and appreciation of their needs. The majority of their business is by referral and past clients, which is a direct indication of the TRUST they have earned from previous clients and sales.

What they promise you’ll get:

• Lots of buyer leads ( with real phone numbers)
• Lots of seller leads ( with follow up direct mail campaigns automatically mailed for you)
• A sophisticated IDX/CRM package that’ll save you lots of time and help you close more deals, almost on autopilot

What Local Associations are Best for San Antonio Realtors?

When you move forward in your career, you may decide you would like to join a realtor’s association. Doing so will look impressive to your clients, and it will provide you access to the perks the association offers. It will also get you armed with even more tools that will fuel your success.

There are several real estate associations available in the San Antonio area. Here are some you might want to consider joining pretty soon if you haven’t already. Many of the best associations in the SA area have presentations and conferences that can help real estate agents further their career early on.

San Antonio Board of Realtors

The San Antonio Board of Realtors is the largest professional trade organization in San Antonio and represents over 14,000 members. SABOR is one of over 1,600 local boards and 54 state and territory organizations of Realtors nationwide. SABOR’s jurisdiction covers Bexar, Kendall, Frio, Medina, Karnes, Wilson, La Salle, Uvalde, McMullen, and Atascosa counties.

The San Antonio Board of Realtors (SABOR) was organized in 1910, by twenty-two members of the city’s real estate community who felt San Antonio would benefit from a collective membership of Realtors. Shortly thereafter, SABOR became affiliated with the National Association of Realtors (NAR), and in 1920 the Texas Association of Realtors was formed under the guidance of SABOR.

SABOR is your primary resource when it comes to finding an agent and buying and selling in the San Antonio area. All members are pledged to a strict Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice. They can help you determine your buying power and have access to many resources to assist you in the buying and selling process.

Need A Hand?

Need more hands on advice and information on becoming a real estate agent in San Antonio? We provide you with career empowerment, and (like our name says) sound professional advice. Let’s set you up on your journey to becoming a Real Estate Agent in San Antonio.