The Most Frequently Asked Arizona
Real Estate Career Questions

• Complete Your Pre-Licensing Education. Complete 90 hours of pre-licensing coursework, plus an additional 6-hour contract writing course. This course is included in most pre-licensing packages.
• Pass the Course Final Exam. Upon completion of your pre-licensing course, you’ll need to pass the final exam given by your education provider. This certifies that you’ve completed the course.
• Pass the Arizona Real Estate License Exam. This exam is administered by Pearson VUE, and you’ll schedule your exam appointment on their website. The fee to sit for this exam is $75. Passing the exam can be challenging, so you’ll want to consider using an Exam Prep Course.
• Join a Brokerage. To work as a real estate salesperson in Arizona, you’ll need find a sponsoring brokerage. Most likely, your sponsoring brokerage will be your employer, and they will oversee all of your real estate transactions. To prove your association with the brokerage, you’ll need to submit Form LI-202 on the department’s website.
• Complete the Arizona Real Estate License Application. Pearson VUE will provide access to the state application for licensing. Note that there is a $50 licensing fee due with your application. You’ll also need to submit the following documents to the department to complete your application:
  • Fingerprint Clearance Card: You can find the application for this on the Arizona Department of Public Safety website. ADPS provides an instructional video explaining how to apply for your fingerprint clearance card. The process can take up to 10 weeks, but you can begin this step before you sit for the exam.
  • Disciplinary Actions Disclosure Form (LI-214/244): You’ll need to submit for a background check. You can find the link to the Disciplinary Action Disclosures Form on the Arizona Department of Real Estate website.
    • Disclosure Document Checklist (LI-400): If you do have a criminal history, you’ll need to submit a Disclosure Document Checklist form for additional information on your convictions or history of discipline.
• Pre-Licensure Education Certificate: You’ll need a 90-hour certificate with the authorized signature from your provider.
• Contract Writing Course Certificate: Provide record of your completion of the 6-hour writing course.
• Proof of Legal Presence: Provide verification of residence to confirm status as a US resident.
• Submit Proof of Brokerage Affiliation: Submit Form LI-202 to prove you’re working under a surprising broker.

The time to get your Arizona Real Estate Salesperson license varies, with most completing the requirements within a few months. Completing the 96 hours of pre-licensing education can take a little over two weeks if you treat it like a full-time job. It’s more common to treat the pre-licensing education process as a part-time gig, and many individuals even enter real estate as a secondary career. If you commit 20 hours per week to pre-licensing, then you can have it completed in five weeks.

Once you’re ready to schedule the exam, the available appointment times will depend on Pearson VUE and your personal schedule. Then, you need to account for the license application and approval process. For fingerprinting alone, the process can take up to 10 weeks.

You must be 18 years old.

In Arizona, a license may not be issued to people convicted of a felony or a misdemeanor offense, such as theft, forgery, extortion, conspiracy to defraud, violence against another person, or crimes of moral turpitude.

If you have any history of adverse judgement or criminal activity, you must report it on Arizona’s Disclosures Form with your license application. License approvals are considered on a case-by-case basis.

Arizona has full reciprocity with all states. For more information on state reciprocity or obtaining nonresident licenses, check out our real estate reciprocity guide.

Continuing education is required coursework for all Arizona real estate agents even after they’ve completed pre-licensing education. This education ensures that real estate agents stay up-to-date on changes in the industry and continue their learning. This is common practice in many other industries, like medical and legal professions.

The ADRE continuing education requirement for real estate salespersons is 24 hours every two years: 18 mandatory hours and 6 general hours. The mandatory hours must be in:

• Agency law
• Contract Law
• Commissioner's standards
• Disclosure
• Fair housing
• Real estate legal issues

The ADRE requires designated brokers, self-employed brokers, and delegate associate brokers to complete 30 hours of CE every two years: 24 mandatory hours and 6 general hours. The mandatory hours must be in:

• Agency law
• Contact Law
• Broker management clinic 1 (Commissioner’s standards)
• Broker management clinic 2 (Commissioner’s standards)
• Broker management clinic 3 (Commissioner’s standards)
• Disclosure
• Fair housing
• Real estate legal issues

When you’re ready to report your completed CE requirements to the ADRE, log in to ADRE's real estate licensing system. You can report classes at any time before the end of your CE period, but you can only report 9 credit hours per day.

• Have three years’ experience as a Real Estate Salesperson. You’ll need to submit Broker Candidate Experience Verification Form Ll-226 to ADRE to prove you had an active Salesperson license three of the last five years. You can submit an application even if you were licensed in another state, but you’ll need to submit your license history from that state.
• Complete Your Pre-Licensing Education. You need to complete 90 hours of Real Estate Broker Pre-Licensing coursework, and an additional 9 hours of Broker Management Clinic courses.
• Pass the Arizona Broker License Examination. This exam is administered byPearson VUE, and you’ll schedule your exam appointment on their website. The fee to sit for this exam is $125. Passing the exam can be challenging, so it’s recommended that you complete an Exam Prep course.
• Complete the Arizona Broker License Application. Pearson VUE will provide access to the state application for licensing after you pass the exam. Note that there is a licensing fee of $125 due when completing your application. In order to satisfy all of the application requirements, you will need to provide various documents to the department:
  • Fingerprint Clearance Card: You can find the application for this on the Arizona Department of Safety website. ADPS provides an instructional video explaining how to apply for your fingerprint clearance card. The process can take up to 10 weeks, but you can begin this step before you sit for the exam.
  • Disciplinary Actions Disclosure Form (LI-214/244): You’ll need to submit for a background check. You can find the link to the Disciplinary Action Disclosures Form on the Arizona Department of Real Estate website.
    • Disclosure Document Checklist (LI-400): If you do have a criminal history, you’ll need to submit a Disclosure Document Checklist form for additional information on your convictions or history of discipline.
• Pre-Licensure Education Certificate: You’ll need a 90-hour certificate with the authorized signature from your provider.
• Broker Management Clinic Course Certificate: Provide record of your completion of the 9-hour Broker Management Clinic course.
• Proof of Legal Presence: Provide verification of residence to confirm status as a US resident.

As of April 2024, the averageReal Estate Broker’s salary in Phoenix is $103,165, compared to the U.S. average Real Estate Salesperson's salary of $45,725. That’s more than double the earning potential.

Designated brokers can own a real estate firm, oversee business activities, and supervise other brokers, real estate salespeople, and staff.

Yes. Real estate is a flexible career path, and many real estate salespeople begin with part-time work. Learn more about how to successfully work part-time in real estate.

Finding a sponsoring brokerage generally involves contacting local real estate brokerages to find one willing to sponsor you as you apply for your license. This is often the brokerage you will work for first.

To find the right brokerage for you, consider networking, researching local brokerages, and evaluating which one aligns best with your goals and values.

No. You must have a Broker’s license to start a real estate firm or business. You can find the steps for starting a real estate business in Arizona on the Real Estate Department’s website.

The skills every real estate salesperson needs include adaptability, negotiation skills, and strong interpersonal skills, among others. Not everyone enters the industry with these skills, but you can build real estate skills with practice over time.