Broker Licensing Program at RI REALTORS®

Real estate brokers are among the most influential members of the real estate industry. Earning your broker license with RI REALTORS® provides you with an education that builds a strong foundation for running a successful brokerage.

Upcoming Broker Approved Courses

Obtaining 90 hours with RI REALTORS®

The RI REALTORS® Professional Development Department has over 60 approved courses that qualify toward the required 90 hours of broker education, referred to as Broker 90.  Broker 90 classes are often made up of general education courses and nationally recognized designations and certifications. There is no set order for Broker 90 classes.

To help prepare you for the examination, RI REALTORS® offers a Broker Pre-License course that earns 27 of the 90 required hours. We recommend taking the Broker Pre-License only after completing a majority of the required 90 hours, as the course is specifically designed for exam preparation.

Important things to note:

• The RI Department of Business Regulation (DBR) will only accept “Live” versions (Zoom or in-classroom) courses for meeting the Broker 90-hour requirement.
• The RI REALTORS® approved list of “Broker 90” courses is exclusive to the RI REALTORS® Professional Development Center only.
• Broker 90 courses MUSTall be completed at the same school.
• Courses are valid for 4 years.
• The Sales Pre-License and Lead Paint classes do NOT count toward the 90 required hours.

What happens once you have completed all 90 hours?

Once completing the 90 hours with RI Realtors®, you must contact RI REALTORS® at [email protected] to receive a 90-hour certificate. DBR will not accept individual certificates adding up to 90.  

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to wait until I have two years of experience to take Broker 90 courses?

No.  You do not need to have 2 years of experience before taking broker 90 courses.  We do strongly recommend that you do not take the Broker Pre-License exam until the majority of Broker 90 courses have been taken as the course is preparing you for examination.

What is the Broker Pre-License course and when should I take it?

The RI REALTORS® Broker Pre-license course is a 27-hour course that prepares attendees for the broker licensure exam.   It counts for 24 hours toward the 90 required hours for broker licensure and license renewal.   We recommend waiting until you’ve taken the majority of your broker 90 before taking this course ahead of your exam.

Can past courses with RI REALTORS® for license renewal count towards the required 90?

Yes, if you took any of the classes on the approved broker course list with RI REALTORS® within the past four years, either through the Professional Development Center or any educator operating under the RI REALTORS® school license.

Can I apply classes that I completed more than four years before I file a complete application with the RI Department of Business Regulation (DBR)?  

No.  Commercial Licensing Regulation, Section 7(C) states, “…classroom hours completed more than four (4) years from the date the application will not be considered in meeting the 90-hour requirement.” DBR calculates the period of four years from the date that a complete application is filed.

Does the 45-hour Sales Pre-License curriculum count towards the Broker 90?

No.  Commercial Licensing Regulation, Section 7(C) states, “At no time shall the forty-five (45) classroom hours used to qualify for a salesperson’s license be used to qualify for the ninety (90) hours required for a broker’s license.

How do I find how many credit hours I’ve taken in the past four years with RI REALTORS®?  

Please email inquiries to [email protected] with the subject: Broker 90 Transcript. Please be advised RIAR will only be able to see classes completed under the RIAR school license.

I’ve taken courses with similar or the same titles at other schools, how do I apply those to my record at RI REALTORS®?

The approved list of courses are for RI REALTORS® only.   Because one certificate is issued for 90 hours, you must take all of the 90 hours at the school issuing the 90-hour certificate.

How long will it take to obtain the required education and what is the cost?

Classes are offered on an ongoing basis.  The amount of time it takes to obtain all 90 hours depends on the availability of courses and how they fit into your schedule.   Courses vary by cost based on continuing education (CE) hours and whether they are National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) courses.

How do I take the broker license examination?

For information regarding taking the exam through Pearson VUE, please visit https://home.pearsonvue.com/ri/realestate for the candidate handbook, schedule an exam, purchase practice exams, view content outlines and more.

Who do I contact with questions about the application or specific requirements?

RI REALTORS® Professional Development staff is on hand to help answer any questions you have about RI REALTORS® current offerings and/or your education history with us, however, we are not the state licensing bureau.   Please Contact the RI Department of Business Regulation at 401-462-9506, ext. 6 for general licensing questions or queries pertaining to schools other than the RI REALTORS® Professional Development Center.

Can I apply classes that I’ve taken online towards the 90-hour requirement for brokers?

Commercial Licensing Regulation 11, Section 7 (D) states, “All pre-licensing courses must be taken in a classroom, and taught by an instructor appearing in person. Online or distance education credits will not be accepted for new license applicants.” Since the pandemic however, monitored live broadcast classes are accepted. RI REALTORS® Zoom CE courses are therefore, accepted.

How much work experience do I need to obtain a broker’s license?  

An applicant for a broker’s license “must also submit satisfactory proof that he or she; (i) has been engaged full time as a real estate salesperson for at least two (2) years immediately prior to the date of application.”  A salesperson’s supervising broker(s) must certify in writing as part of the application that the salesperson meets this experience requirement.

I’ve been a real estate licensee for “_____”  amount of years, do I still need to have completed 90 hours of approved broker classes within the last 4 years?

Yes.  The required 90 hours applies to all regardless of how many years of licensure.

I’m taking classes toward the 90 but need to renew my Sales license before I complete.  Am I able to use CE’s I’ve taken?

Yes, provided that you obtained the CEs within the two years of licensure.  

I have my brokers license, what do I need to take to renew my license?

CE renewal requirements are the same for Broker and Sales Licenses.   24 hours of CE total with a minimum of 9 CORE and at least 3 of the CORE being in Fair Housing-related content.