How to obtain a real estate license in California

To obtain a real estate salesperson license, you must first qualify for and pass a written examination. Those who pass the examination are provided a license application which must be submitted to and approved by the California Department of Real Estate (DRE). Learn more about the requirements for licensure in California.

The Course

As a part of its pre-license requirements California requires the completion of the study and mastery of the following eighteen topics.

1. The Characteristics of Real Property
2. Estates in Real Property and Forms of Ownership
3. Transfer of Title to Real Property
4. Encumbrances
5. Government Rights and Limitations on Private Land Ownership
6. Contracts
7. Specific Real Estate Contracts
8. Real Estate Agency Law
9. Real Estate Finance
10. The Residential Lending Process
11. Real Estate Appraisal
12. Fair Housing
13. Escrow and Closing
14. Federal and State Income Taxes
15. Property Management and Landlord Tenant Law
16. California Real Estate License Law
17. Real Estate Residential Construction and Design
18. Real Estate Arithmetic

At the end of each chapter, a short review exercises will test your comprehension of the presented material. At the end of the course there is a final online examination of multiple choice questions. Successful passage of the final examination requires a score of 75% or better.

Course instructors

Upon registering for the pre-license course you will be assigned a primary instructor. This instructor will assist you with regard to any questions regarding course content or course navigation. Bonus material

Equipment required

The OnlineEd course is presented via the internet. The only thing you need to complete the course is a web browser and an internet connection

All of the course material may be read online. However, it is recommended that you print the course material and then file it in a three-ring binder. This will allow for use of the course material for future reference material and, in many cases, make review of the material prior to taking the state examination much easier. In order to print the materials the student should have:

• A printer compatible with the computer being used
• (2) reams of printer paper
• (1) 3 1/2 inch 3-ring binder notebook
• (7) Chapter divider tabs

Faculty contact and student support

You will be assigned a course instructor at the time of course enrollment. You are encouraged to contact your instructor whenever you feel contact will be helpful. You may contact your instructor by telephone, email, or US mail.

Completion and assignment timelines

This Pre-License Course may be completed at your own pace. The course is designed to take a minimum of 45 hours to complete. The time will be spent reading the course text materials, studying the text materials to ensure concept understanding, completion of the course exercise sets, and review of support material and successful passage of the course final examination. Depending on your education and prior experience, you may complete the course in less or more than the time allocated. Successful completion of the course is competency based and not based upon actual hours spent on the module. There is no required progress with respect to proceeding with the course materials. You are solely responsible for your own course progress, if any.

You will have 365 days from the time of initial course registration to complete the course material, chapter review exercises and pass the course final examination. At the end of the 365 days, you will be denied further access to the course materials and required to re-register and pay for any modules not completed, if you desire to proceed with the course.

Course prerequisites

There are no prerequisites required. However, you are advised to contact the California Real Estate Division to determine whether you will be eligible to sit for the California Real Estate Salesperson examination. There are age and other requirements that must be met. onlineEd is a course provider and makes no determination as you your ability to obtain a real estate license. The licensing process is between you and the California Real Estate Division.

The OnlineEd pre-license course entitled REAL ESTATE PRACTICE fulfills the 45 hour Real Estate Practice education requirement necessary for obtaining a real estate license in California. As a part of a course package, the price of this course may be less.

The student is advised to visit the California Department of Real Estate's web site at for license application requirements.

How to obtain a real estate license in California

To obtain a real estate salesperson license, you must first qualify for and pass a written examination. Those who pass the examination are provided a license application which must be submitted to and approved by the California Department of Real Estate (DRE). Learn more about the requirements for licensure in California.

Faculty Contact

Each student will be assigned a course instructor at the time of course registration. The student is encouraged to contact the instructor whenever the student feels that contact with the instructor will be helpful. The student may contact their instructor by e-mail, telephone or mail after enrollment.

Student Material / Equipment Required

The OnlineEd course is presented via the internet. In order to be able to access the course and in order to complete the course, the student will need a computer with internet access and a web browser. All major operating systems and web browsers are supported.

All of the course material may be read online. However, it is recommended that the student print the course material and put the material in binder notebooks. This will allow for use of the course material for future reference material and in many cases, will make review of the material prior to taking the state examination much easier. In order to print the materials the student should have:

• A printer compatible with the computer
• Printer paper
• Binder notebook
• 15 Chapter Tabs

How to Complete the Course

This pre-license course requires the completion of the study and mastery of fifteen topics. These fifteen topics are organized as follows:

1. Your Career in Real Estate
2. Fair Housing
3. Ethics
4. Trust Funds
5. Disclosure
6. Licensee Disclosure Issues
7. Business Development
8. Advertising
9. Working with Sellers
10. Working with Buyers
11. The Real Estate Sale Agreement
12. The Closing Process, Escrow and Title Insurance
13. Real Estate Financing
14. Taxation
15. An Overview of Property Management

At the end of each chapter there is a review exercise. The chapter review exercise must be done online and is automatically graded. The score on this review exercise is reported to the student's instructor for progress monitoring. The review exercise after each chapter is presented in a multiple choice format. The correct answers to this exercise will only be given to the student after the student has successfully passed the review exercise. Before a student may proceed to the next chapter, the student must receive a chapter review score of 70% or better. The student will also be encouraged to request help from their instructor regarding specific test material.

The student must follow the above described procedures for each of the fifteen course chapters.

Testing Information

A final examination is required for successful course completion. The final exam will not will not be made available to the student until a minimum of 18 DAYS after initial registration. Any time after 18 days after initial registration and only after the student has completed the coursework for all fifteen chapters will the student be given access to the final examination. This examination must be taken online. Upon entering the final examination web site area, the student will be asked to verify their identity prior to taking any final examination. If the system verifies the information given by the student, the student will be given access to the final examination questions. If access is denied, the denial will be reported to the student's instructor for investigation.

The final exam is not downloadable or printable. It is composed of 100 questions in a multiple choice format selected at random from a bank of final examination questions. The final exam may be taken "open book". If taken "open book" the student may only refer to the material provided as a part of this course. The final exam must be completed within 150 minutes. At the end of one 150 minutes the final exam will time out and the student will be graded on the number of questions answered. All unanswered questions will be considered as wrong answers. A score of 75% or better is required for passage. The student should answer all questions and then click on "grade test now". The OnlineEd system will instantaneously grade the test and return to the student the test score. If the student passed the final examination, then an e-mail notification that the student has passed the final examination will be forwarded to the student. An original course completion certificate will be mailed to the student within 15 days. If the student did not pass the final examination, the student will be required to retake the examination. The examination may be retaken 18 DAYS after the prior final examination was graded. The retake final exam will be composed of 100 questions selected at random from a bank of final examination questions.

OnlineEd File Cabinet

The OnlineEd file cabinet contains resource information organized as follows:

• California Civil Code
• California Administrative Rules
• Forms and Documents
• Glossary of Terms
• Articles and Support Reference Material

Throughout the course modules, the student will be asked to view/visit the OnlineEd file cabinet support materials. These support materials will give the student an opportunity to amplify the material presented in the course text material.

Completion and Assignment Timelines

This California Pre-License Course may be completed by the student at the student's own pace. The course is designed to take the student a minimum of forty five hours to complete. The time will be spent on reading the course text materials, studying the text materials to ensure concept understanding, completion of the course exercise sets, review of support material and successful passage of the module final examination. Some students, depending on their education and prior experience may complete the course in less than the time allocated. Other students may complete the materials in more time than is required. Successful completion of the course is competency based and not based upon actual hours spent on the module. There is no required progress with respect to proceeding with the course materials that is required of any student. Each student is solely responsible for their course progress, if any. However, the student should note that a minimum of 18 days is required from the time of initial registration until the first date the final examination may be taken.

Deadlines

The student has 365 days from the time of initial course registration to complete the course material and pass the seven module final examinations. At the end of the 365 day period, the student will be denied further access to the course materials. The student will be required to re-register and pay for any modules not completed, if the student desires to proceed with the course.

Withdrawal and Refund Information

The following is the cancellation and refund policy which applies to OnlineEd's Real Estate Principles course:

1. You may cancel enrollment by giving e-mail notice to mail@OnlineEd.com within five business days after the date of enrollment. If cancellation occurs during that five day period, all monies paid to OnlineEd by the student shall be refunded.
2. If cancellation occurs after five business days, the following schedules of maximum charges may be assessed by OnlineEd:
   1. If termination occurs in the period between the delivery of lesson materials and receipt by the school of the first completed lesson materials, OnlineEd may charge an amount equal to 15 percent of the total tuition cost, or $50, whichever is less. This sum shall represent OnlineEd's stated course enrollment fee.
   2. If termination occurs after receipt by OnlineEd of the first completed chapter review exercise and up to 50 percent of the completed lesson assignments, the student shall be entitled to a pro rata refund of the total tuition cost of the distance learning portion of the program. This refund calculation shall be based upon dividing the total number of chapters the student has completed by the total number of course chapters not completed by the student. OnlineEd may also retain the established enrollment fee.
   3. If termination occurs after receipt by OnlineEd of 50 percent or more of the completed lesson assignments OnlineEd may retain 100 percent of the total tuition costs plus the established registration fee.
3. No refund will be given after forty-five days from initial course registration for any reason.

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites required prior to taking the California Real Estate Practice course. However, the student is advised to contact the California Department of Real Estate, Licensing Division to determine whether the student will be eligible to sit for the California Real Estate Exam. There are age and other requirements that must be met.

The OnlineEd pre-license course entitled LEGAL ASPECTS OF REAL ESTATE fulfills the 45 hour Real Estate Elective education requirement necessary for obtaining a real estate license in California. The price of the complete course is $139.00. As a part of a course package, the price of this course may be less.

The student is advised to visit the California Department of Real Estate’s web site at http://www.dre.ca.gov for license application requirements.

Faculty Contact

Each student will be assigned a course instructor at the time of course registration. The student is encouraged to contact the instructor whenever the student feels that contact with the instructor will be helpful. The student may contact their instructor by e-mail, telephone or mail after enrollment.

Student Material / Equipment Required

The OnlineEd course is presented via the internet. In order to be able to access the course and in order to complete the course, the student will need a computer with internet access and a web browser. All major operating systems and web browsers are supported.

All of the course material may be read online. However, it is recommended that the student print the course material and put the material in binder notebooks. This will allow for use of the course material for future reference material and in many cases, will make review of the material prior to taking the state examination much easier. In order to print the materials the student should have a printer compatible with the computer, Printer paper, Binder notebook, and optionally 15 Chapter Tabs.

How to Complete the Course

This pre-license course requires the completion of the study and mastery of fifteen topics. These fifteen topics are:

1. The Foundation of Real Estate Law and Its Enforcement
2. Agency Law
3. Characteristics of Real Property
4. Estates in Real Property and Forms of Ownership
5. Contract Law
6. Real Estate Contracts of Employment
7. Transaction Agreements
8. Transaction Disclosures and Documentation
9. Transfer of Title
10. Liens and Encumbrances
11. Real Estate Security Instruments and Finance Documentation
12. Escrow and Closing
13. Government Rights and Limitations on Private Land Ownership
14. Landlord and Tenant Law
15. Real Estate License Law

At the end of each chapter there is a review exercise. The chapter review exercise must be done online and is automatically graded. The score on this review exercise is reported to the student’s instructor for progress monitoring. The review exercise after each chapter is presented in a multiple choice format. The correct answers to this exercise will only be given to the student after the student has successfully passed the review exercise. Before a student may proceed to the next chapter, the student must receive a chapter review score of 70% or better. The student will also be encouraged to request help from their instructor regarding specific test material.

The student must follow the above described procedures for each of the fifteen course chapters.

Testing Information

A final examination is required for successful course completion. The final exam will not will not be made available to the student until a minimum of EIGHTEEN DAYS after initial registration. Any time after eighteen days after initial registration and only after the student has completed the coursework for all fourteen chapters will the student be given access to the final examination. This examination must be taken online. Upon entering the final examination web site area, the student will be asked to verify their identity prior to taking any final examination. If the system verifies the information given by the student, the student will be given access to the final examination questions.

If access is denied, the denial will be reported to the student’s instructor for investigation.

The final exam is not downloadable or printable. The final exam is composed of 100 questions in a multiple choice format selected at random from a bank of final examination questions. The final exam may be taken “open book”. If taken “open book” the student may only refer to the material provided as a part of this course. The final exam must be completed within one hundred and fifty minutes. At the end of one hundred and fifty minutes the final exam will time out and the student will be graded on the number of questions answered. All unanswered questions will be considered as wrong answers. A score of 75% or better is required for passage. The student should answer all questions and then click on “grade test now”. The OnlineEd system will instantaneously grade the test and return to the student the test score. If the student passed the final examination, then an e-mail notification that the student has passed the final examination will be forwarded to the student. An original course completion certificate will be mailed to the student within 15 days. If the student did not pass the final examination, the student will be required to retake the examination. The examination may be retaken EIGHTEEN DAYS after the prior final examination was graded. The retake final exam will be composed of 100 questions selected at random from a bank of final examination questions.

Test scores are reported to the student’s instructor for possible follow-up.

OnlineEd File Cabinet

The OnlineEd file cabinet contains resource information organized as follows:

• California Civil Code
• California Administrative Rules
• Forms and Documents
• Glossary of Terms
• Articles and Support Reference Material

Throughout the course modules, the student will be asked to view/visit the OnlineEd file cabinet support materials. These support materials will give the student an opportunity to amplify the material presented in the course text material.

Completion and Assignment Timelines

This California Pre-License Course may be completed by the student at the student’s own pace. The course is designed to take the student a minimum of forty five hours to complete. The time will be spent on reading the course text materials, studying the text materials to ensure concept understanding, completion of the course exercise sets, review of support material and successful passage of the module final examination. Some students, depending on their education and prior experience may complete the course in less than the time allocated. Other students may complete the materials in more time than is required. Successful completion of the course is competency based and not based upon actual hours spent on the module. There is no required progress with respect to proceeding with the course materials that is required of any student. Each student is solely responsible for their course progress, if any. However, the student should note that a minimum of eighteen days is required from the time of initial registration until the first date the final examination may be taken.

Deadlines

The student has 365 days from the time of initial course registration to complete the course material and pass the seven module final examinations. At the end of the 365 day period, the student will be denied further access to the course materials. The student will be required to re-register and pay for any modules not completed, if the student desires to proceed with the course.

Withdrawal and Refund Information

The following is the cancellation and refund policy which applies to OnlineEd’s Real Estate Principles course:

(1) You may cancel enrollment by giving e-mail notice to mail@OnlineEd.com within five business days after the date of enrollment. If cancellation occurs during that five day period, all monies paid to OnlineEd by the student shall be refunded.

(2) If cancellation occurs after five business days, the following schedules of maximum charges may be assessed by OnlineEd:

(a) If termination occurs in the period between the delivery of lesson materials and receipt by the school of the first completed lesson materials, OnlineEd may charge an amount equal to 15 percent of the total tuition cost, or $50, whichever is less. This sum shall represent OnlineEd’s stated course enrollment fee.

(b) If termination occurs after receipt by OnlineEd of the first completed chapter review exercise and up to 50 percent of the completed lesson assignments, the student shall be entitled to a pro rata refund of the total tuition cost of the distance learning portion of the program. This refund calculation shall be based upon dividing the total number of chapters the student has completed by the total number of course chapters not completed by the student. OnlineEd may also retain the established enrollment fee.

(c) If termination occurs after receipt by OnlineEd of 50 percent or more of the completed lesson assignments OnlineEd may retain 100 percent of the total tuition costs plus the established registration fee.

(3) No refund will be given after forty-five days from initial course registration for any reason.

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites required prior to taking the Real Estate Law course. However, the student is advised to contact the California Department of Real Estate, Licensing Division to determine whether the student will be eligible to sit for the California Real Estate Exam. There are age and other requirements that must be met.

The Exam Prep Pak will assist the student in preparation for the state real estate exam. The exam preparation materials consist of Points to Remember and Practice Exam Questions. The Points to Remember are a summary of the points contained in each course chapter that are necessary for exam passage. The Practice Exam Questions are a series of practice questions, organized by course chapter topic, that are very similar to those that may appear on the state real estate exam. A good working knowledge of the Points to Remember and the Practice Exam Questions will prepare the student for the successful passage of the real estate examination.