Louisiana Real Estate School Online: Pre-License Courses

We’ve built the most affordable way for you to get your Real Estate License. All you have to do is attend at least 1 interview with one of our recruiters (+ provide feedback) after passing the state exam & before joining another brokerage, and we’ll reimburse you for the entire cost of The CE Shop course that you purchase from us.

That’s right – we’ll reimburse you whether you choose to join our team or not (but we hope you do!).  About 50% of our tuition reimbursement graduates choose to work for our team after interviewing with us.  The other 50% of our tuition reimbursement students that choose to join another brokerage still get their course costs fully reimbursed.

Below is a list of costs associated with getting your Louisiana real estate license:

Pre-licensing education and training costs:

The estimated cost for this is around $200-$400 or more depending on the school or online program you select. This involves finding an accredited and qualified real estate school to clock your hours. As stated earlier, the state of Louisiana requires you to finish 90 hours of education.

Real estate licensing and exam fees

The total fees are estimated to cost about $304. The breakdown of this cost is as follows: The exam fee is $90, and the fee for a first-time license is $165. The background check process will cost you an additional $49, and you must also take your E&O insurance policy cost into account.

Real estate broker fees

These fees are estimated to cost anything from $30 to $450 per month. The real estate broker fees are the fees that you have to incur when you want to become associated with a recognized and accredited broker. As it is your first year, there are some things that your sponsor broker will provide. These things, such as office supplies, photocopies, internet, and any other business expenses, are usually associated with the daily operation of your business. It is also likely that you will have to pay a desk fee every month to help reimburse some of these costs.

Real estate membership dues

Membership dues and feels usually cost around $200 or more each year. And while they can qualify as a tax break in the state of Louisiana, they are still a significant expense for many Realtors. This fee typically depends on how many associations you want to join. For instance, you can become part of your local and state real estate boards.

Every one of these boards comes with a membership fee that has to be paid monthly or yearly for you to be able to enjoy the numerous advantages and networking options they offer. The local MLS or Multiple Listing Service will also have fees associated with them. Depending on where you are in the state, you may have to pay your monthly dues either to your broker or to the association directly.

Continuing Education

Becoming a real estate agent does not mean you stop educating yourself once you have passed your licensing tests.  To stay an active agent, you have to meet the CE requirements. Some CE courses are offered for free through local boards of realty. Additional designations, though optional, may also come with fees.

Your education timeline is completely dependent on how fast your finish the 90 hour course. If you want to speed up the process, you can find an online course provider to study at your own pace or work in when you have time.

Applying for the exam and taking the exam itself can take 1-3 weeks, depending on how many candidates have applied.

The mandatory background check takes up the most time, as it takes around 8 to 10 weeks to get checked.

After you apply for your license, it can take anywhere between 1 week to 2 months for your application to be processed. Once LREC has checked and approved everything, you will receive your license.

The total time it takes to obtain a Louisiana Real Estate License depends on the person, but in general, can be completed in a few months.

The average salary for a real estate agent in Louisiana is around $35,860 per year.  That’s lower than the national average, but the top agents can earn around $$101,800 per year, while the bottom 20% of agents make around $21,400 per year.

However, you are in control of your salary. You can make as much or as little as you want. Just be sure to find a brokerage that has fair commission splits.

The Louisiana Real Estate Commission (LREC), sets certain standards that agents must meet before they are eligible for a real estate license. LREC determines the rules and policies of the industry, and also issues and oversees licenses.

To qualify for a real estate salesperson’s license in Louisiana, you need to check off these boxes:

• Be at least 18 years or older
• Must hold a high school diploma or equivalent (GED)
• Be lawfully eligible to work in the United States
• Have a valid social security number

This is the easy part, and you either meet these requirements or you don’t. If you have a prior record, or if your fingerprints have been taken before, first double check that you’ve paid all of your fines.

If you’re already a licensed real estate agent in another state and you’d like to expand into Louisiana, the state permits full reciprocity with current real estate license holders in:

• Alabama
• Arkansas
• Colorado
• Georgia
• Iowa
• Mississippi
• New Mexico
• Oklahoma
• Pennsylvania

Louisiana uses a license for a license basis to offer reciprocal licenses. This means that Louisiana will only offer you the same type of license that you currently hold in your state.