START YOUR CAREER IN REAL ESTATEA Handbook of What You Need to Know

to Get Your Real Estate License

IAR Licensing & Training Center

The IAR Licensing & Training Center is your trusted source for state-approved education.

Real Estate Licensing & Continuing Education

December 2015

Illinois Association of REALTORS® Licensing & Training Center, 522 S. 5th St. Springfield, Illinois 62701 www.illinoisrealtor.org/education education@iar.org 1-800-523-5077 1

Contents:

About the Illinois Association of REALTORS® ...................................... 2 About the IAR Licensing & Training Center ............................................ 2

Pre-License Steps: Start Here with State-approved Coursework ......... 3 Which Course Format is Right for You? ................................................. 4 How Much Do IAR’s Pre-license Courses Cost? .................................... 5 Financial Assistance is Available ............................................................ 5 Preparing for Proctored Exams ............................................................... 6

Preparing for the State Exam .................................................................. 7

Applying for a License ............................................................................. 7

Becoming a REALTOR® ........................................................................... 7 IAR Licensing & Training Center Advantages ........................................ 8

Where to Go from Here ............................................................................. 8

Illinois Association of REALTORS® Licensing & Training Center, 522 S. 5th St. Springfield, Illinois 62701 www.illinoisrealtor.org/education education@iar.org 1-800-523-5077 2

Congratulations on choosing a profitable and fulfilling career in real estate! We realize it can be

difficult to know where to start, and we would like to help. The Illinois Association of

REALTORS® (IAR) will be your partner and your trusted source for the education and support

you need to complete your goals.

About the Illinois Association of REALTORS® Founded in 1916, the Illinois Association of REALTORS® (IAR)

is one of the largest trade associations in the state,

representing 43,000 REALTORS® in all aspects of the real

estate business. Its mission statement is “To be the premier

real estate resource and advocate for the public, Illinois

REALTORS® and the communities they serve.” IAR has

always focused on three priorities: advocacy, education and ethics. The IAR Licensing &

Training Center fulfills the education mission of IAR.

About the IAR Licensing & Training Center The IAR Licensing & Training Center offers state-approved courses

(pre-license, post-license, continuing education and professional

designation), as well as educational events such as IAR’s annual

conference.

IAR Licensing & Training Center provides

• Home Study (print) courses through the IAR REALTOR® Store

• eStudy (downloadable) courses through the IAR REALTOR® Store

• Online courses through IAR education partners RECampus and Hondros

• Online test preparation through CompuCram

• Online exams through ProctorU

• Live webinar courses through Webex

• Classroom courses

• Resource and study guide materials

• Test preparation tools

• Prompt exam grading and transcript submission

Illinois Association of REALTORS® Licensing & Training Center, 522 S. 5th St. Springfield, Illinois 62701 www.illinoisrealtor.org/education education@iar.org 1-800-523-5077 4

Which Course Format is Right for You? We recommend that you choose a course type that matches your learning style:

• Self-study courses (e-Study and Home Study and Online courses) are ideal for people

who want to direct their own learning and those who learn best by remembering what

they see or read (visual learners). • Webinars are a good option for people who prefer guided study and those who learn

best by remembering what they (auditory learners). • Classroom courses are suitable for people who like interaction and structure and those

who learn best when they are part of a group (social learners).

Illinois Association of REALTORS® Licensing & Training Center, 522 S. 5th St. Springfield, Illinois 62701 www.illinoisrealtor.org/education education@iar.org 1-800-523-5077 5

How Much Do IAR’s Pre-license Courses Cost?

IAR’s pre-license course options are listed below along with registration links and course fees. If

you have questions after reviewing the products, please email education@iar.org or call 1-800-

752-3274.

Course Format Course Type Cost

e-Study IAR’s e-Study: 75-hour Pre-license Topics $365

Home Study IAR’s Home Study: 75-hour Pre-license Topics $385

Online (RECampus) IAR/RECampus Online: 75-hour Pre-license Topics $480

Online (Hondros)

IAR/Hondros Online: 75-hour Pre-license Topics online + print textbook online + print textbook and CompuCram exam prep

$485 $540 $609

Webinar IAR’s Webinars: 15-Hour Pre-license Applied Real Estate

Principles $159

Classroom IAR’s Classrooms: 15-hour: 75-hour and 90-hour Courses varies

Financial Assistance is Available

The Illinois Real Estate Educational Foundation (REEF) awards scholarships to students of real

estate and related fields of study. Available scholarships and application requirements are listed

on the REEF website: www.ilreef.org. Of particular interest to pre-license students is the Illinois

Education and Training Grant. This scholarship is for eligible individuals who are pursuing a real

estate degree or license in the state of Illinois. The grant may be used toward an IAR 75-hour

pre-license topics course (Home Study, eStudy or classroom) or an IAR 90-hour pre-license

package. Information about this and other scholarships is available on the REEF website and

inquiries may be directed via email or by phone call to 866-854-7333.

Illinois Association of REALTORS® Licensing & Training Center, 522 S. 5th St. Springfield, Illinois 62701 www.illinoisrealtor.org/education education@iar.org 1-800-523-5077 6

Preparing for Proctored Exams The State of Illinois requires that final exams for pre-license courses be supervised by a state-

approved proctor. A proctor is an approved person that administers an exam and agrees to

verify a student’s identity and ensure academic integrity during the exam. The proctor is

responsible for verifying that students use no notes, textbooks or outside assistance during the

exams.

On-Site Exam Proctoring

IAR has 60+ pre-approved proctor locations available.

Students may select their own location. Each student

schedules his or her own proctored exam. Acceptable

proctors for most courses include: high school principals

or counselors, directors of educational services at

universities and certified librarians.

• Student schedules the course exam with an approved proctor AND notifies the IAR

Licensing & Training Center;

• IAR sends the course exam to the proctor to administer;

• The proctor returns the completed exam to the IAR for grading (this is done

electronically if you use an IAR proctor location).

Online Exam Proctoring The IAR Licensing and Training Center also has convenient

Online CE courses which include "Anywhere Online

Proctoring." With online proctoring, students may complete

some requirements without ever leaving home.

Illinois Association of REALTORS® Licensing & Training Center, 522 S. 5th St. Springfield, Illinois 62701 www.illinoisrealtor.org/education education@iar.org 1-800-523-5077 7

Preparing for the State Exam Before scheduling the state exam, it is important for

all students to read the Applied Measurement

Professionals (AMP) Real Estate Examination

Program Candidate Handbook. AMP administers the

state exam. Students must contact AMP to schedule.

The state exam has two parts: a 100-question

national section and a 40-question Illinois section. A

score of 75% or higher is required to pass each section. Up to three retakes are allowed (on

different days). Students who fail only one portion of the exam need to retake only the portion

that was failed, however the full exam fee must be paid for each re-take.

For students who wish to test their knowledge before scheduling the state exam, the IAR

Licensing & Training Center exam offers these tools and resources:

• Your Guide to Passing the AMP Real Estate Exam

• Illinois Real Estate Exam Prep Guide

• Online State and National Exam Prep – IAR/Hondros/CompuCram)

Applying for a License Upon passing the state exam, students may apply to the Illinois Department of Financial and

Professional Regulation and pay the appropriate licensing fee. All new licensees need a

sponsoring broker to sponsor them in order to practice.

Becoming a REALTOR® The REALTOR® designation signifies that a real estate professional

adheres to a higher standard of ethics than that required by state

regulations. REALTOR® membership unlocks a wealth of resources,

products and services that are available only to REALTORS®. Members

who join at the local association level simultaneously gain membership in

the state level (Illinois Association of REALTORS®) and national level

(National Association of REALTORS®). Learn more about the benefits of

becoming a REALTOR®.

Illinois Association of REALTORS® Licensing & Training Center, 522 S. 5th St. Springfield, Illinois 62701 www.illinoisrealtor.org/education education@iar.org 1-800-523-5077 8

IAR Licensing & Training Center Advantages

• 25 years of experience providing state-approved coursework • A variety of affordable course options and formats • Experienced instructors who are accomplished real estate professionals • Fast exam grading

Where to Go from Here IAR’s Learning & Training Center specialists are available Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

(CST) to answer questions.

Phone: 1-800-523-5077

Email: education@iar.org

Website: http://www.illinoisrealtor.org/education

IAR REALTOR® Store: http://shop.illinoisrealtor.org/