How to Become a Real Estate Broker in South Carolina

Becoming a real estate broker in South Carolina allows you to work completely independently. With your broker’s license, you won’t need to work under the supervision of another broker. Once you qualify to become a real estate broker in South Carolina, you’ll also have the option to become a “broker in charge” which allows you to establish your own real estate firm and hire real estate agents to work under you.

5 Steps to becoming a South Carolina Real Estate Broker:

1. Start with your South Carolina real estate salesperson license
2. Gain some experience
3. Complete your broker courses
4. Pass your broker exam
5. Apply for your broker license

1. Get Your South Carolina real estate license as a salesperson

Before you can become a real estate broker in South Carolina, you must be a licensed real estate salesperson. Real estate sales are the best way to learn the business before you strike out on your own or start your own real estate firm. To get your South Carolina real estate license, you’ll need to complete the following steps:

1. Meet the SCREC’s basic requirements: be at least 18 years old, have a high school diploma, or GED, and be legally authorized to live and work in the US.
2. Pass a background check.
3. Complete the first course of your pre-licensing education. This 60-hour course will teach you the basics of real estate.
4. Apply to take your South Carolina real estate exam.
5. Pass the exam.
6. Complete the second course of your pre-licensing education. This 30-hour course will teach you advanced real estate concepts.
7. Find a sponsoring broker.
8. Apply for your South Carolina real estate license.

Once you have your South Carolina real estate license, you’re able to represent buyers and sellers in real estate transactions, and you’re well on your way to becoming a South Carolina real estate broker.

2. Gain some experience

According to the SCREC, “You must have three (3) years of "Active" licensed salesperson experience within the last five (5) years prior to attempting to qualify for a broker license.” This three-year period gives you plenty of exposure to real-world situations so you’ll be prepared to work alone or supervise other agents once you’re a broker.

3. Complete your broker coursework

To qualify to sit your South Carolina broker exam, you’ll need to complete two broker-specific real estate courses, known as Broker IIIA and Broker IIIB, which total 60 hours. This educational requirement may be waived if you have a four-year university degree in real estate.

Upon completion of your broker-specific coursework, you’re ready to take your broker exam.

4. Pass the broker exam

The South Carolina broker exam consists of 80 national questions and 35 state questions. You’ll have three hours to complete the exam.

To pass, you’ll need to correctly answer at least 60 of the national questions and 25 of the state questions. Once you pass, the exam proctor will provide you with an application for your broker’s license.

5. Apply for your broker’s license

To apply for your South Carolina broker’s license, you just need to complete and submit the application along with the new license fee to the SCREC. The process is the same whether you’re applying to be a broker or a broker in charge, but the fees are different. Currently, the broker fee is $125 and the broker-in-charge fee is $250. These fees cover two years of licensing.

Being a real estate broker in South Carolina allows you to be your own boss or oversee an entire real estate firm. And even if you’re brand new to real estate, you can still become a real estate broker in less time than it would take to earn a four-year degree (and most of that time is spent working as a licensed real estate agent, earning money instead of accumulating student loan debt).

Don’t wait another day to start your new career. Enroll in your real estate courses and get started today!