Navigating Georgia Real Estate Continuing Education Requirements

Maintaining a real estate license in Georgia requires ongoing education to ensure professionals stay updated on the latest laws, regulations, and industry best practices. The Georgia Real Estate Commission (GREC) mandates specific continuing education (CE) requirements for both salespersons and brokers. This article provides a comprehensive overview of these requirements, renewal processes, and related information.

Continuing Education Requirements

To maintain an active real estate license in Georgia, licensees must complete continuing education courses approved by GREC. These courses ensure that real estate professionals stay informed about changes in the industry and maintain a high level of competence.

Credit Maintenance

The Georgia Real Estate Commission (GREC) maintains records of all Continuing Education (CE) credits earned by licensees.

Renewal Cycle

Georgia licensees must renew their licenses every four years. The renewal period opens 120 days (approximately four months) before the end of the licensee’s renewal period, which falls on the last day of their birth month every four years.

Required Hours

Salespersons and brokers in Georgia are required to complete 36 hours of continuing education during each four-year license cycle. Of these 36 hours, 3 must be dedicated to Georgia Real Estate License Law.

Post-License Education

If you hold a salesperson’s license, the first time you renew, you must complete a 25-hour GREC-approved post-licensing real estate course. AYPORealEstate and other providers offer options to fulfill this requirement. A Sales Post-License course is different than regular Continuing Education (CE) credit courses. It must be a course specifically approved by the Commission as a Sales Post-License course.

Approved Course Topics

Continuing education courses cover a variety of topics relevant to the real estate industry. Some examples include:

Georgia Real Estate License Law
Working with rural properties
Sales Post-License topics

Approved Course Providers

Several providers offer GREC-approved continuing education courses. These courses are available in various formats, including online and in-person classes. Some approved providers include:

AYPORealEstate
Geewhiz Real Estate School

Course Completion and Reporting

To receive credit for a continuing education course, agents must actively engage with the course material. Course completion is typically based on the Central Time Zone.

No Final Exam

Many providers, including AYPORealEstate, do not require a final exam for course completion.

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Reporting

Approved providers typically report course completions to the Georgia Real Estate Commission the next business day. Geewhiz Real Estate School also reports course completions promptly.

Repeating Courses

Students can repeat a course for credit if at least one year has passed since they last received credit for it.

Excess Credits

Excess credits cannot be carried over to the next reporting period.

License Renewal Process

Georgia real estate licenses must be renewed every four years. The renewal process can be completed online through the GREC online licensing portal.

Renewal Timeline

Real estate professionals can renew their licenses up to 120 days prior to the renewal date. To avoid lapsing and incurring a late fee, renewal must be completed by midnight on the renewal due date.

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How to Renew

To renew a license online, licensees will need their password. The online portal is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Renewal Fees

The renewal fee for a Salesperson, Associate Broker, or Broker license is $125. A $25 discount is available for online renewals.

Lapsed License

If a license renewal is missed, the license is considered lapsed. In such cases, the license must be reinstated.

Reinstatement Process

A lapsed license can be reinstated online, subject to a late fee. Prior to online reinstatement, licensees must submit a "secure and verifiable document" for identification purposes and a "notarized affidavit" as detailed in the Lawful Presence Verification form, if not already on file with GREC. It takes five business days from the submission of information for GREC to notate the license record, enabling online reinstatement.

Conditions for Active Reinstatement

A license will be reinstated to an active status only if:

It is less than 30 days past due.
The license was in an active status prior to the renewal date.
All required CE credits have been completed and posted to the licensee's record.

In all other situations, the license will be reinstated to an inactive status until all required CE credits have been completed and posted. To change the license status from inactive to active, a Change Application must be submitted.

Reinstatement After One Year

If a license has lapsed for more than one year, online reinstatement is not possible. A Reinstatement Application must be used, and a late fee will be charged. Furthermore, Georgia law requires that any licensee with a license on inactive status for more than two years complete six hours of education for every year the license was inactive prior to returning to active status. These courses must be taken no more than one year prior to the date of the reactivation of the license.

Reciprocity

Georgia may offer real estate license reciprocity with other states. Individuals currently licensed in another state, or who have previously held a real estate license in another state or jurisdiction, may be eligible to obtain a Georgia license without taking the examination.

Obtaining a Georgia Real Estate License

For those seeking to obtain a Georgia real estate license, the following steps are generally required:

Step 1: Meet the Requirements

Must be at least 18 years of age.
Provide proof of completion of at least 75 hours of prelicense course work approved by the real estate regulatory agency of another state or province of Canada. You must obtain a letter from that agency that verifies that the course work is approved in that state or province.

Step 2: Pass the Exam and Pay the Licensing Fee

Pass the Examination administered by AMP and approved by the Commission. The examination fee is $115. Persons applying for a salesperson's license must apply within 12 months of the date they took the examination. After 12 months have passed, they must retake the examination.

Pay the appropriate licensing fee as described below:

If you are applying within 3 months from taking your exam, the fee will be $170
If you are applying more than 3 months but less than 12 months from taking your exam, the fee will be $340

This amount covers all fees due for the first four years of licensure.

Step 3: Activate Your License/Place on Inactive Status

Any individual who successfully passes the salesperson licensing examination may apply to place his or her license on inactive status rather than activating it with a broker. Licensees with an inactive status are still required to pay the renewal fees as they are due.

Step 4: Complete the Post-License Education Requirements

Salespersons must take a 25-hour Salesperson post-license course in their first year of licensure. The course taken must be one specifically approved by the Commission. Failure to complete a post-license course during the first year of being licensed will cause the license to lapse.

Additional Information from Geewhiz Real Estate School

Geewhiz Real Estate School provides information as a courtesy to individuals who are subject to continuing education (CE). Although reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that the information provided here is accurate and current, neither Geewhiz nor its employees warrant or represent that this information is accurate and current.

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Available Courses

Several courses are approved by the Georgia Real Estate Commission to fulfill continuing education requirements:

52-hour Real Estate Continuing Education Complete Post-License CE package (meets requirements for salespeople renewing the first time)
25 hour Real Estate Continuing Education Post License course
12 hour real estate continuing education course
9 hour Real Estate Continuing Education course
8 hour Real Estate Continuing Education course
7 hour Real Estate Continuing Education course
3 hour Real Estate Continuing Education Law course (fulfills the Georgia license law requirement)

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