Joseph Autilio, executive director of the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons, answers agents’
questions regarding real estate licensing in Massachusetts.
Changes to Pre-Licensing Education Requirements
Q. Have the licensure requirements changed to become a licensed real estate agent?
A. Yes there are additional pre-licensing education hours for those seeking licensure as a real estate salespersons and brokers and, also, a longer work affiliation requirement for salespeople as contained in the newly amended Section 87SS of Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 112. These changes in the relevant licensing law become effective June 1, 2011.
On June 1, the pre-licensing educational hours will increase from 24 to 40 for those seeking licensure as salespeople in the Commonwealth. Those pre-licensing hours will also increase from 30 to 40 for salespeople who seek licensure as real estate brokers in Massachusetts. Additionally, the salesperson affiliation (work experience) requirement with a licensed active broker will increase from one-year to three-years.
The increased pre-licensing educational requirements do not mandate additional subject-matter or topical areas to be covered. Rather, the increase is designed to provide more time for teaching the Board approved pre-licensing curriculum. Moreover, the current one-year affiliation requirement is simply inadequate for purposes of on the job training for salespersons and the expansion to three-years is designed to provide more experience time for salespeople who ultimately seek licensure as brokers.
The information on the increase in pre-licensing educational requirements, and the new three-year work affiliation requirement including an FAQ section on the new requirements can be found at the Board’s web page at www.mass.gov/dpl/boards/re .
Q. What happens if I satisfy the existing pre-licensing education and work experience requirement but have not become licensed before June 1, 2011?
A. The short answer is that you would have to satisfy new requirements of 40 hours of pre-licensing education and the three-year salesperson affiliation requirement with a licensed active broker. However the Board is mindful that come June 1, 2011 there may be candidates for licensure who have completed their pre-licensing education but have not been examined or passed both portions of the salesperson and broker examination yet still have time left in their education provider (school) certificates (good for two years from completion of the education) to take the requisite examination, pass it and pay for their license as a salesperson or broker in the Commonwealth. In these situations the Board will accept the current pre-licensing educational requirements. On June 1, 2011 candidates will, however, need to satisfy the three-year salesperson affiliation requirement. The statute does not allow for the grandfathering of the current salesperson affiliation requirement.
With the exception noted herein, starting June 1, 2011 everyone who newly seeks licensure as a real estate salesperson or broker in the Commonwealth would have to satisfy the new 40 hour pre-licensing education requirement and the three-year salesperson affiliation requirement.
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