How to Get Your Real Estate License in Ontario | Humber College Real Estate

So, you want to become a real estate agent in Ontario? Well, you have 6 exams, 2 years to complete everything, it’ll cost close to $5-6k… and oh yeah, most people never finish the program.

So, why read on? Getting into real estate is not easy, but by all means not impossible. Thousands of people become realtors every year in Ontario and once you get in, it opens a world of opportunities.

Below I’ll breakdown the exact steps that you need to go through to get your real estate license in Ontario including the application process, exam requirements, and the cost of the whole thing.

If you’re more of a visual learner, you might want to check out a video I posted about How to Get Your Real Estate License in 6 Months, where I go through everything in much more detail.

1. Apply to Get Your Real Estate License 

Before you begin, it’s crucial to understand the prerequisites for becoming a real estate agent in Ontario. You need to be at least 18 years old and have an Ontario Secondary School Diploma or equivalent. Additionally, being a Canadian resident or legally entitled to work in Canada is necessary.

If you meet these requirements, then head over to the Humber Application Site, where you’ll find details on how to apply for the real estate program. The application process shouldn’t take more than a few days and it’s going to cost you about $125.

You should hear back within a few days, and if everything checks out, you’re all set to go to begin the program.

2. Enroll in the Humber College Real Estate License Program

To get your license you’ll have to complete both the pre-registration phase and the post-registration phase, with the former consisting of several exams and courses and the latter consisting of 2 courses and no exams. To find more details, you can visit the Humber College website. You have two years to complete the entire program starting from the date of enrolment into the real estate program.

Howver, once approved to join the program, the first step in order to get your Ontario real estate license is enrolling in the pre-registration phase.

The program covers various aspects of real estate sales, marketing, law, and ethics, and tests you on various topics around both residential and commercial real estate. While these courses are helpful, truth is once you get licensed you’ll learn it’s a whole new ball game and a lot of this information won’t apply on a daily basis. So my advice is focus on getting through these courses and don’t worry too much if you pass with a low or high score because it does not correlate with your success in the field whatsoever.

So, the pre-registration phase requires approximately 208 hours of study (much less with the right techniques) and costs around $4,175, including a $75 application fee. Specifically, there are 7 courses and 6 exams.

Here’s the breakdown:

1. Course 1 – Real Estate Essentials
2. Course 2 – Real Estate Transactions
3. Course 3 – Additional Real Estate Transactions
4. Simulation 1
5. Course 4 – Commercial Real Estate Transactions
6. Simulation 2
7. Course 5 – Getting Started (no exam)

Each course touches on different topics, typically becoming more complex as you advance. There are a handful of materials you can use to support your learning both free and paid. The best free materials out there are typically found in real estate Facebook Groups and on YouTube, while the best paid materials typically consist of passit.ca which has a handful of practice questions as well as private and group tutoring sessions through which I’ve personally helped hundreds of students get licensed.

3. Get Your Real Estate License and Start Trading

After completing your coursework, the next step is to register with RECO so that you can get your real estate license and begin trading real estate. This involves obtaining employment with a registered brokerage and completing the registration forms, including a criminal record check and paying the required fees.

The cost for this step is about $590, plus $445 for Errors & Omissions Insurance. It’s important to complete this process within 12 months of finishing your pre-registration phase.

4. Keep Your Real Estate License

The journey doesn’t end with obtaining your license and you’ll need to complete the post-registration phase to keep your license. This phase consists of 5 courses that are much shorter, only take about 1-2 hours each to click through, and have no exams. They help to brief you on some of the more practical aspects of real estate.

This phase involves about 50 hours of additional education and costs approximately $770.

5. Bonus: Costs in Getting Your Real Estate License

Becoming a real estate agent in Ontario requires a significant investment of both time and money. The total cost just to get your real estate license is about $4k-$5k, not including any exam retakes and all the fees associated with getting registered with RECO once you obtain your license.

Below you’ll find a full breakdown taken directly from the Humber website:

The costs to getting your Ontario real estate license.

Conclusion

In total, getting your real estate license can be a long process but its a career that can be equally rewarding. If you’ve been debating getting started, there’s no time like the present!  For more detailed information and to begin your journey, visit the official Humber College Real Estate Program website and the Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO) website.