Yes. Real Estate Institute is approved by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Education Provider #515.000001. We offer courses that are required as prerequisites for the Leasing Agent, Broker, and Managing Broker licensing examinations.

Our quality programs, dedicated and knowledgeable instructors, and outstanding service set our school apart. When you successfully complete our course, you will have all the knowledge you need to pass the state examination. Quizzes for each homework lesson allow students to see how they are doing as they progress through the course. Along with the reinforcing tools included with our programs, qualified instructors are available to provide additional assistance.

Real Estate Institute offers students all these additional resources for one simple reason: we want you to pass the state examination!

We recommend that you review our license comparison. We have designed well organized, high quality programs for each Illinois real estate license type. Please see additional FAQs for each license type.

We have partnered with Affirm, who offers financing options that enable our students to enroll today and pay later. This extends our traditional payment options, such as credit/debit cards and cash.

Click here to learn more.

No. We are an independent school, licensed and approved by the State, as is our coursework. We are not here to recruit you into the real estate business. We are here to help students obtain or meet their real estate education requirements.

No. To hold an Illinois real estate license, the state requires that you meet the age and education requirements, have a Social security number, and be of good moral character.

You will find a wealth of information throughout our website and frequently asked questions. Additional information may be available directly at Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation's website.

Illinois offers reciprocity if you are already licensed in some other states. Please view these details at the IDFPR website and contact the IDFPR to discuss your specific licensing requirements. IDFPR-approved coursework and examinations may still be required for you to earn a license in Illinois.

A managing broker license will be required for the following individuals:

• Any self-sponsored licensee. (So, any individual seeking to practice real estate brokerage as a sole proprietor sponsoring his or her own license must obtain the managing broker license.)
• Any broker who has supervisory responsibilities for licensees in one or, in the case of a multi-office company, more than one office and who has been appointed as a designated managing broker by the sponsoring broker.

All individuals seeking to become a real estate licensee in Illinois for the first time (other than those dealing only with the leasing of residential real estate) must apply for a broker license. After holding an active Broker license for at least two consecutive years, licensees may elect to complete additional education and apply for a Managing Broker license. Managing Brokers are permitted to perform all of the same activities as a Broker, but may also choose to sponsor their own license or those of other licensees (Residential Leasing Agents, Brokers, and Managing Brokers).

Individuals seeking to obtain a real estate managing broker license are required to complete a total of 45 credit hours of pre-license education. The 30 credit-hour pre-license course must be completed before attending the 15 credit-hour interactive course. Individuals are required to have first held a real estate broker license (or equivalent) for two of the past three years before applying for a managing broker license.

Brokers are required to be sponsored by a Managing Broker. Therefore, Brokers cannot work independently.

Managing Brokers can choose to be a self-sponsored licensee. (So, any individual seeking to practice real estate brokerage as a sole proprietor sponsoring his or her own license must obtain the managing broker license.) Also, Managing Brokers may sponsor other licensees (Leasing Agents, Brokers, and Managing Brokers).

Individuals are required to have first held an active real estate broker license (or equivalent) for two consecutive years of the past three years before applying for a managing broker license.

To apply for a Managing Broker license, you are first required to hold an active broker license (or equivalent) for two consecutive years of the past three years.

You are also required to complete a total of 45 credit hours of pre-license education.

Upon passing our school final exam, you will earn a 45 hour transcript and we will provide your with instructions to schedule your state licensing examination.

Yes, any any individual seeking to practice real estate brokerage as a sole proprietor sponsoring his or her own license must obtain the managing broker license.

Yes. We offer individual courses and discount packages that satisfy the state requirements and are designed to prepare licensees for the state exam.

After May 1, 2011 the state no longer permits purely self-study programs. A portion of the pre-license coursework may be completed via self-study, but all students are required to complete a 15 credit-hour interactive course that is attended live via webinar.

You may view our schedule of upcoming live webinars by clicking here.

Upon enrollment, you will have immediate access to course materials online. Additionally, we will ship printed copies of materials within one business day via First-Class Priority Mail. You may also pick up course materials at our office.

Please call if you wish to arrange for expedited shipping (such as FedEx) for an additional fee.

In general our programs are designed to aide students who are having any difficulties in our programs. A retake quiz or exam is part of most courses. Please call us or see the course instructions provided with your course materials for specific course requirements.

Yes. This is an area where our school really stands out. Students in our real estate pre-license programs are strongly encouraged to call for one-on-one instructor assistance throughout the program. We're committed to each student's success!

The complete 45 hour Managing Broker Pre-License course final exam consists of 50 multiple choice questions.

The passing score is 75%.

If you receive a lower score than 75%, you will be permitted one additional attempt to pass an alternate final exam.  A total of two attempts is included with your tuition.

If you do not pass the final examination on your second attempt, you can request a third and final attempt.  This is a $35 fee. 

Failing all your attempts at the final exam will result in failure of the course.

After you pass our pre-license course final exam, you will be issued a transcript that authorizes you to attempt the state examination. The state examination is offered daily at locations throughout the state. We will provide detailed information regarding the state exam upon your successful course completion.

All courses expire six months after the date of enrollment. In some cases, expired pre-license course enrollments may be extended for a fee within a year of original enrollment. Courses cannot be extended beyond the 1-year anniversary of the original enrollment.

Candidates are permitted to attempt the state exam four times within two years.

Yes. Applicants who are currently admitted to practice law by the Supreme Court of Illinois and are currently in an active standing are exempt from the education requirements. However, these individuals are still required to pass the state examination.

Note that ALL licensees are required to have been licensed as a Broker for two of the past three years before they may apply to become a Managing Broker. Attorneys are also subject to this requirement.

Each state has its own license requirements. Contact the state in which you are interested in being licensed. On occasion, a state may accept some of your real estate education from Illinois.

No. A sponsor is not required to complete the pre-license coursework or attempt the state exam. After passing the state exam, a Managing Broker licensee may choose to sponsor him or herself, or may be sponsored by another Managing Broker.

Managing Brokers may choose to sponsor their own license or continue to be sponsored by another licensee. 

You are required to earn 165 hours of Illinois state-approved education before attempting the state examination. Unfortunately, Illinois does not "transfer" and apply hours that you completed when earning your license in another state.

The 165 hour requirement is calculated by totaling the following course requirements:

1. Broker Pre-License (75 Credit Hours)
2. Broker Post-License (45 Credit Hours)
3. Managing Broker Pre-License (45 Credit Hours)

We have created a special, discounted course package for individuals who must satisfy this education requirement. Please call and speak with one of our customer representatives to learn more.

Yes. When applying for your license, a "Certification By Licensing Agency/Board Form" must be filled out by the state in which you currently hold a license. This form can be found here.

Real estate licensees have a two-year renewal cycle. Broker licenses expire April 30th of the even years; Managing Broker licenses expire April 30th of the odd years. Both of these licenses require continuing education for renewal.