START YOUR CAREER IN REAL ESTATE A Handbook of What You Need to Know to Get Your Real Estate License
IAR Licensing & Training Center Real Estate Licensing & Continuing Education The IAR Licensing & Training Center is your trusted source for state-approved education. December 2015
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
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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
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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
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eStudy (downloadable) courses through the IAR REALTOR® Store
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Online courses through IAR education partners RECampus and Hondros
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Online test preparation through CompuCram
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Online exams through ProctorU
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Live webinar courses through Webex
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Classroom courses
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Resource and study guide materials
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Test preparation tools
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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
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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).
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Webinars are a good option for people who prefer guided study and those who learn best by remembering what they (auditory learners).
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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).
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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
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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 1-800752-3274.
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
IAR/Hondros Online: 75-hour Pre-license Topics
$485
online + print textbook
$540
online + print textbook and CompuCram exam prep
$609
Online (Hondros)
Webinar
Classroom
IAR’s Webinars: 15-Hour Pre-license Applied Real Estate Principles
$159
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.
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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
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Preparing for Proctored Exams The State of Illinois requires that final exams for pre-license courses be supervised by a stateapproved 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.
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Student schedules the course exam with an approved proctor AND notifies the IAR Licensing & Training Center;
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IAR sends the course exam to the proctor to administer;
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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.
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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
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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
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Illinois Real Estate Exam Prep Guide
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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®.
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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
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IAR Licensing & Training Center Advantages •
25 years of experience providing state-approved coursework
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A variety of affordable course options and formats
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Experienced instructors who are accomplished real estate professionals
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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/
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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
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