Common Questions About Licensing and Real Estate Careers in South Carolina

• Complete 90 Hours of Approved Pre-Licensing Education. To start, you must successfully complete an approved 60-Hr. Real Estate Fundamentals Course, followed by 30 hours of Advanced Real Estate Principles. You can complete this education online or in person, depending on the school you select.
  You may qualify for an education exemption if you have successfully completed course work related to real estate, or if you hold a current license in another jurisdiction. Please see the South Carolina Real Estate Commission's website for further information.

• Pass Your Course Final Exam. After completing your Pre-Licensing course, you’ll need to pass a course final exam. This exam must be taken in the presence of a proctor. Find out more about our online proctoring process.

• Complete Fingerprint and Social Security Background Checks. You’ll need to complete a background check. The state fingerprint-based criminal background check is conducted by the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED), and the national fingerprint-based criminal records check is conducted by the FBI. For both fingerprint-based background checks, information on getting fingerprinted for these background checks will be provided to the initial applicant once the Commission receives their complete application.

• Pass the South Carolina Real Estate Associate Exam. Once a completed application has been received and approved, you can take the examination. The South Carolina Real Estate Associate Exam is administered by PSI. Read all about exam registration and preparation procedures in PSI’s Candidate Information Bulletin

• Obtain Your South Carolina Real Estate Associate License. Upon receipt of your passed examination, the Commission office will send notice that the following is required prior to licensure issuance:

  • $50 Initial Licensure fee

You must take and pass 90 course hours from an approved education provider to get a Real Estate Associate license in South Carolina. If you treat your education like a 40-hour workweek, you can finish your coursework in as little as two weeks.

• Your Pre-Licensing education in South Carolina ranges in cost from $200 to $600, depending on the package you purchase.

• The initial license and new application fee for a South Carolina real estate associate is $50.

• The South Carolina Real Estate Associate Exam fee (through PSI) is $55.

*Note that licensing fees are subject to change.

You must be at least 18 years old to become a South Carolina real estate associate. You must also have earned a high school diploma or its equivalent.

It is possible to get a real estate license in South Carolina with a criminal record in certain cases. To qualify for an Associate license, the South Carolina Real Estate Commission requires that you complete a background check and fingerprinting. See this Criminal History Reporting PDF for more information and for instructions on disclosing felony convictions.

GREC contracts with PSI to facilitate and administer the Real Estate Associate Exam. The exam fee is $55. Learn all about registering and taking the licensing exam in PSI’s Candidate Information Bulletin.

South Carolina offers real estate license reciprocity with all states. This means licensed real estate agents in other states are eligible for expedited licensing in South Carolina if pre-licensing requirements are met. Reciprocal agents must hold an active license and be in good standing in their state of origin.

Learn more about South Carolina’s reciprocity rules in our License Portability and Reciprocity Guide. You can also review GREC’s real estate reciprocal application and learn more on the GREC website.

Yes. After becoming a licensed Associate, you are required to complete 10 hours of South Carolina Post-Licensing education within the first year of licensure. Failure to complete a post-licensing course during the first year of being licensed will cause the license to lapse.

South Carolina associates and brokers must complete at least 10 hours of CE coursework during each two-year license renewal period.

Both Associate and Broker licensees need a total of 10 hours of continuing education (4 hours must be the mandatory/core course and the remaining 6 hours may be elective course hours).

Active Broker-in-Charge licensees are required to complete the mandatory BIC Duties and Responsibilities course (4 hours), mandatory core course (4 hours), and 2 hours of electives.

To report your continuing education hours in South Carolina, first create an account on CE Broker. Then, you can enter your CE as you complete it.

South Carolina offers one Broker license and one Broker-in-Charge license. If you’re interested in owning and managing your own brokerage, you need to apply to become a Broker-in-Charge, only after you have earned your initial broker license.

You can do a LOT with a Broker or Broker-In-Charge (BIC) license in South Carolina, including:

• Help clients sell, lease, and buy properties

• Establish and manage your own real estate brokerage firm

• Supervise and hire other agents to work for you

• Become a property manager

The biggest advantage you’ll have as a South Carolina broker is the ability to hire associates to work for you — which can be financially rewarding!

Almost! The South Carolina Real Estate Commission requires that you complete a Broker-In-Charge application in order to establish your own brokerage firm, close your firm, reinstate your firm, and change your qualifying broker.

To earn a South Carolina Broker or Associate Broker license, you must:

• Be at least 21 years of age or older

• Have graduated high school or hold a certificate of equivalency recognized by the United States Department of Education

• Have five years as an actively-licensed South Carolina real estate associate within the last seven years

Then, you’ll follow these steps:

• Complete Broker Pre-Licensing Education. First, you must complete 60 hours of Pre-Licensing coursework before you’re eligible to apply to become a broker.

• Complete a Background Check. Just as you did when earning your Associate license, you’ll need to complete a background check. The state fingerprint-based criminal background check is conducted by the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED), and the national fingerprint-based criminal records check is conducted by the FBI. For both fingerprint-based background checks, information on getting fingerprinted for these background checks will be provided once the Commission receives their complete application.

• Pass Your Final Course Exam. Next, you’ll need to pass your course final exam with at least a 72%. This exam must be taken in the presence of an exam proctor. Learn more about exam proctoring.

• Pass the South Carolina Real Estate Broker Exam. Then, you'll need to pass the South Carolina Real Estate Broker Exam. The exam is administered by PSI. Learn all about preparing for your exam, scheduling it, and what to bring with you in the South Carolina Candidate Handbook.

• Submit Your Application. Finally, you’ll complete your South Carolina broker application, submit it to the South Carolina Real Estate Commission, and follow a few additional instructions if you’re interested in becoming a Broker-In-Charge.

According to ZipRecruiter, South Carolina brokers make more than $100,000 per year on average.* See the current average salary range here. Your average broker salary depends on your education, experience, and license level.

*October 2024 Data