Samuel Reed, Reed Training CenterSo you've decided you want to get your real estate license in Maryland. Maybe you've been thinking about it for a while. Maybe someone you know just closed their first deal and you thought — I could do that. Whatever got you here, you made a smart choice looking into it before jumping in.
This guide covers everything you actually need to know: the requirements, the steps, how long it takes, what it costs, and what most people get wrong the first time around.
Who Can Get a Maryland Real Estate License?
Let's start with the basics. To qualify, you need to:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Have a high school diploma or GED
- Be able to pass a background check
That's it. No college degree required. No prior real estate experience.A past conviction doesn't automatically disqualify you — it goes through a review with MREC. When in doubt, request a preliminary review before investing time and money in coursework.
Complete 60 Hours of Pre-Licensing Education
This is where most people start — and where the process either goes smoothly or drags on forever depending on where you take your course.
Maryland requires 60 hours of pre-licensing educationfrom an MREC-approved school before you're eligible to sit for the state exam. The coursework covers Maryland real estate law, contracts, financing, agency relationships, property management, environmental issues, and a mandatory 3-hour ethics component.
Your two main options:
Classroom (In-Person)
Traditional setting, scheduled class times, usually 4–8 weeks depending on how often class meets.
Live Online (Zoom) ⭐
Same curriculum and instructor, but you attend from home. Preferred by working adults. At Reed Training Center, classes run live — not pre-recorded videos.
Not all online courses are the same.Some schools sell access to a video library and call it a course. You click through slides and hope you retained enough to pass the exam. Live Zoom classes actually teach you. You'll feel the difference when you sit down for the PSI exam.
Cost: Typically $249 – $500 depending on the school and format.
Pass the Maryland Real Estate Exam
Once you complete your course, you'll receive a certificate. You'll need that certificate to schedule your licensing exam through PSI, the company Maryland contracts to administer real estate exams.
The exam has two sections:
| Section | Questions | Time | Passing Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| National | 80 questions | 105 minutes | 70% |
| Maryland State | 30 questions | 45 minutes | 70% |
You must pass both sections independently— you can't average them together. Score 90% national and 65% state? You failed the state section and need to retake it. The retake fee is $55 per attempt.
The pass rate in Maryland is around 60%.
That means roughly 4 out of 10 people don't pass on their first try — not because they aren't capable, but because they underestimated the state section. Don't schedule your exam until you're consistently scoring 75%+ on practice runs.
Get Fingerprinted & Pass a Background Check
After passing your exam, you'll complete a background check through the Maryland Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS). This involves getting fingerprinted at an authorized vendor — there are locations throughout the state.
Cost is typically ~$50. Results come back fairly quickly. If there's something in your background, it gets reviewed by MREC. It's worth doing this early if you have any concerns.
Find a Sponsoring Broker
This step surprises a lot of people. In Maryland, you cannot activate your real estate license without being affiliated with a licensed sponsoring broker. Their registration number goes on your license application — without it, your application is incomplete.
A sponsoring broker can be:
- A large national franchise (Keller Williams, RE/MAX, Coldwell Banker, etc.)
- A regional or boutique brokerage
- An independent brokerage
Important:You don't have to pick your forever broker here. This is just who sponsors your initial license. Start having broker conversations duringyour course — don't wait until after you pass the exam.
Submit Your License Application
With your exam results, fingerprint clearance, and sponsoring broker's information in hand, submit your application online through the Maryland Department of Labor's licensing portal.
The application fee is $90(includes a $20 contribution to the Maryland Real Estate Guaranty Fund). Once approved, you'll receive your Maryland real estate salesperson license. At that point — you're official.
How Long Does the Whole Process Take?
Most people complete the process in 8 to 16 weeksfrom start to finish. Here's a realistic breakdown:
Motivated students taking a live class can finish closer to 8 weeks. Working full-time on weekends only? Plan for 4–5 months. Either is totally fine.
What Does It Cost in Total?
Here's an honest cost breakdown so there are no surprises:
| Pre-licensing course | $249 – $500 |
| Course books / materials | $0 – $75 |
| PSI exam fee | $55 |
| Fingerprinting / background check | ~$50 |
| License application fee | $90 |
| Total Estimated Cost | ~$444 – $770 |
At Reed Training Center, the full salesperson package — course, books, and everything you need — is $450 total. No hidden fees, no upsells.
What Most People Get Wrong
They rush the exam.
Getting through 60 hours of coursework feels like an accomplishment — because it is — but don't schedule your exam the week you finish class. Give yourself at least a week of dedicated practice exam time. The PSI exam is not a formality.
They don't focus on the state section.
Make sure whatever school you use spends real time on Maryland-specific content. The state section is where unprepared students fail — Maryland has very specific rules around agency disclosure and dual agency.
They wait too long to find a broker.
Start having broker conversations during your course, not after you pass the exam. Some people finish their exam and then spend weeks in limbo because they haven't lined up a sponsor yet.
They pick the cheapest online course.
A self-paced video library for $99 sounds like a deal until you fail the exam twice and pay $110 in retake fees. A live instructor-led course where you can ask questions in real time is worth the difference.