VIRGINIA REAL ESTATE LICENSING GUIDE • 2026 EDITION
The complete, verified step-by-step guide to getting your Virginia salesperson license — from DPOR requirements and PSI exam details to fees, timelines, and reciprocity.
Starting a career as a real estate agent in Virginia is both rewarding and achievable. Virginia’s diverse housing market — from the high-demand Northern Virginia suburbs near Washington D.C. to the coastal properties of Virginia Beach and the historic neighborhoods of Richmond — creates strong, year-round demand for licensed agents.
This guide reflects current requirements from the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR) and the Virginia Real Estate Board (VREB), verified as of June 2026.
DPOR-APPROVED PROCESS
Follow these six VREB-required steps to earn your salesperson license and begin practicing real estate in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Enroll in and complete a VREB-approved 60-hour Principles of Real Estate pre-licensing course. This covers real estate principles, Virginia law, contracts, ethics, and industry regulations. MLS Campus offers this course fully online.
After completing the pre-license course, you must pass a proctored course final exam with a minimum score of 75%. This is required before registering for the PSI state licensing exam.
The PSI licensing exam has two sections: National (80 questions, 105 min, 70% to pass) and State-Specific (40 questions, 45 min, 75% to pass). MLS Campus submits your eligibility to PSI upon course completion.
After passing the PSI exam, be electronically fingerprinted. PSI centers (walk-in, $52) or Fieldprint Virginia (by appointment, $37.50, code: FPDPORRES). Processing takes 3–6 weeks.
Virginia law requires all new salespersons to work under a licensed Virginia real estate broker. Choose a broker who offers mentorship, training, and a commission structure suited to your goals. Your broker co-signs your license application.
Mail your Salesperson License Application to VREB with your course certificate, passing exam scores, fingerprinting documentation, and the $170 fee payable to the Treasurer of Virginia. Most applications process within 4 weeks.
Administered by PSI Exams Online, the Virginia salesperson exam has two sections that must both be passed:
Exam fee: $60 per attempt. Passing scores valid for one year from the test date. Register via PSI at (855) 340-3910 (Mon–Fri 8am–10pm ET, Sat–Sun 8:30am–6pm ET) after MLS Campus submits your eligibility.
| Cost Item | Fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-License Course (60 hrs) | From $115 | Varies widely by provider and format |
| PSI State Exam Fee | $60 | Per attempt; paid to PSI at registration |
| Fingerprinting — PSI Centers | $52 | Walk-in basis; includes state processing fee |
| Fingerprinting — Fieldprint VA | $37.50 | By appointment; faster processing. Code: FPDPORRES |
| State License Application Fee | $230 | Statutory fee paid directly to the DPOR. |
| Estimated Total | ~$440 – $685 | Using Fieldprint; more if retakes needed |
Fees approximate as of June 2026. Verify current fees directly with DPOR (804-367-8526) and PSI before applying
MLS Campus is VREB-approved with 15+ years of experience. Complete all 60 hours online at your own pace — starting from $98.
Most candidates complete the process in 2 to 4 months. Here is a realistic breakdown:
Since November 2022, Virginia offers full reciprocity with all U.S. states. Licensed agents from any state can apply without completing Virginia’s 60-hour course — provided they meet these conditions:
Virginia’s market is driven by strong demand in Northern Virginia/D.C. suburbs (Arlington, Fairfax, Alexandria), the Hampton Roads metro, and a growing Richmond market. With a median home price above $455,000, even a modest volume of transactions generates strong commission income. First-year agents typically earn $46,000–$60,000, with income scaling rapidly as you build experience.
Salary data: ZipRecruiter (May 2026) and Colibri Real Estate (January 2026). Commission rate: industry data, late 2025. Individual results vary.
Within your first year of licensure, all new Virginia salespersons must complete a 30-hour Post-License Education (PLE) course. This is required before your first license renewal. Failure to complete PLE results in an inactive license.
Licenses renew every 2 years. For licenses expiring June 30, 2026 or later, 16 CE hours are required (11 mandatory, 5 elective), including updated requirements on flood hazard areas and NFIP. Renewal fee: $180.
Yes. The Virginia Real Estate Board does require a high school diploma or its equivalent (such as a GED). You need to be at least 18 years old, complete the 60-hour pre-license course, pass the PSI licensing exam, and meet the character requirements set by DPOR.
The total estimated cost is approximately $440 to $685+, broken down as: a pre-license course starting from $115, a PSI exam fee of $60, fingerprinting at $37.50 (via Fieldprint) or $52 (at PSI centers), and the mandatory state application fee of $230. Optional exam prep may add to this total.
Your passing scores on both sections of the Virginia PSI exam are valid for one year from the test date. You must submit your license application to DPOR within that one-year window, or you will need to retake the exam.
Yes. Virginia offers full reciprocity with all U.S. states since November 2022. As a reciprocal applicant, you only need to pass the Virginia state-specific section (40 questions, 75% passing), provide a current certification of licensure from your home state (issued within 60 days), complete fingerprinting, submit a license application, and prove at least 60 hours of pre-license education from your original state.
All newly licensed Virginia salespersons must complete a 30-hour Post-License Education course within their first year of licensure. This is separate from the pre-license course and covers practical topics for new agents. If PLE is not completed before your first renewal, your license becomes inactive until PLE is finished and an activation application is submitted. MLS Campus offers an approved 30-hour post-license course for Virginia.
Two options: (1) PSI testing centers — walk-in basis, $52, available at most PSI exam locations; or (2) Fieldprint Virginia (fieldprintvirginia.com) — by appointment, $37.50, code FPDPORRES. Fieldprint is recommended for faster processing (typically 3 weeks vs 3-6 weeks). You must apply for your license within 45 days of DPOR receiving your fingerprint results.
MLS Campus is VREB-approved with over 15 years of experience helping students pass their Virginia real estate license exam. Complete your 60-hour course online, at your own pace, from $98.
Step-by-step guide to getting your Virginia real estate license. Learn DPOR requirements, exam details, fees, timelines, and how MLS Campus can help you pass.
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An honest 2026 look at what new Texas real estate agents really earn in their first year — the real commission math, the costs that shrink your take-home, why income is slow to start, and how to beat the odds.
Texas Real Estate Career Guide · 2026
Job sites promise first-year Texas agents $80,000 or more. Other data says new agents earn under $25,000. Both are technically true — and neither tells you what you will really take home. Here is the honest math on a Texas agent’s first 12 months in 2026.
2026 Texas median home price — your commission base
Commission-based — no salary, no safety net
To reach the roughly $62K Texas average income
Typical wait for your first commission check
Read This First
Search what a new Texas agent earns and you will get answers from $25,000 to nearly $94,000. The gap is not a mistake — it comes from how the numbers are built. Job-posting sites report averages skewed upward by experienced agents and team leads. State labor data leans lower. And almost none of it isolates a true first-year rookie.
Two more factors hide the truth. First, real estate is commission-only — an average yearly figure ignores that a rookie may earn nothing for months. Second, survivorship bias: the agents still reporting income are the ones who made it, not the majority who quit.
So treat headline salaries as the ceiling, not the expectation. The realistic first-year picture is lower, lumpier, and far more dependent on your effort and runway than any single number suggests.
Follow the Money
Before you can judge a salary number, you have to see how one commission is built — and how little of it reaches a new agent.
On a roughly $335,000 Texas home, a total commission pool is negotiated and split between the buyer and seller sides — more openly since the NAR settlement.
Each side commonly runs about 2.5 to 3 percent. At 2.5 percent on $335,000, that is roughly $8,375 in gross commission before anyone is paid.
As a new agent on a 50/50 to 70/30 split, your share of that $8,375 is roughly $4,200 to $5,900 — and that is still before costs and taxes.
Reaching the ~$62K Texas average takes about six closed deals. Most rookies close far fewer in their first twelve months.
Run the Numbers
Say you close four homes at the ~$335,000 median in your first year. At 2.5 percent per side, that is about $33,500 in gross commission. On a 60/40 new-agent split you keep roughly $20,100. Now subtract MLS and association dues, E&O insurance, a CRM, marketing, and gas — easily $3,000 to $6,000 — then set aside self-employment tax on what remains.
Your real take-home from four deals might land near $12,000 to $15,000. Close eight deals instead of four and the picture changes dramatically. The lesson is not that Texas pays poorly — it is that year-one income is back-loaded and built entirely on your deal count.
The Deductions
Gross commission is not income. These four deductions stand between your closings and your bank account.
New agents commonly keep 50 to 70 percent of each commission. The rest funds your broker's training, supervision, and overhead.
MLS and association dues, E&O insurance, a CRM, a website, signage, and marketing run $3,000 to $6,000 or more in year one.
You are an independent contractor. No employer withholds tax, and you owe self-employment tax on net earnings — reserve about 25 to 30 percent.
Your first closing often lands three to six months in. Texas's slower 2026 market and ~80-day sale times stretch that timeline further.
Every dollar of that first-year income depends on getting licensed first. MLS Campus delivers Texas's full 180-hour, TREC-approved pre-license course online, at your own pace.
The Hard Truth
Industry estimates suggest that the large majority of new agents — commonly cited near 75 to 87 percent — leave the business within their first few years. The first twelve months are the hardest, and the reason is rarely a lack of talent.
Most who wash out simply ran out of money before their business ramped. They underestimated startup costs, lacked a steady prospecting habit, or had no mentor to guide them through early deals. The math is survivable — but only if you plan for the gap between starting and earning.
Common Causes
Your Game Plan
The agents who survive year one tend to do these four things. None require talent — only planning and consistency.
Have savings or part-time income to cover living costs until commissions arrive. This single factor saves more careers than any other.
In year one, mentorship and deal support outweigh a high split. Choose support over the biggest percentage.
Consistent lead generation — your sphere, open houses, follow-up — is what turns month four into your first closing.
Track every cost, set aside taxes, and reinvest early commissions into your pipeline instead of spending them.
The Upside
The honest first-year grind is real — but so is the opportunity. Texas pairs a ~$335,000 median price with enormous transaction volume across the Texas Triangle of Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, and Austin. Add steady in-migration and no state income tax, and the agents who survive year one are positioned to scale income fast.
Top Texas producers close twenty or more deals a year and clear well into six figures. The first twelve months are a filter, not a forecast. Get through them with a plan, and the ceiling is genuinely high.
Key Takeaway
FAQ
Honestly, far less than job-site averages suggest. Many rookies net well under $25,000 in their first twelve months once the broker split, business costs, and the slow ramp are factored in. A motivated agent who closes six or more deals can reach or beat the roughly $62,000 state average.
No. Almost all Texas agents are independent contractors paid only by commission. There is no base pay, no benefits, and no tax withholding — you earn when a deal closes.
Commonly three to six months. You need time to build a pipeline, and a Texas transaction in 2026 takes roughly 80 days from contract to close, on top of the time it takes to find the client.
At the ~$335,000 median and a typical split, about six closed deals gets you near the state average income. Your exact number depends on your price point, commission split, and business costs.
Beyond licensing, expect MLS and association dues, E&O insurance, a CRM, and marketing — commonly $3,000 to $6,000 or more — plus self-employment taxes on your net earnings.
Yes, for the right person. Texas has high transaction volume, strong in-migration, and no state income tax. The first year is a test of runway and consistency, but agents who get through it can scale their income quickly.
Start Smart
A realistic view of year one is your biggest advantage. Get licensed with the MLS Campus TREC-approved 180-hour course, line up your runway, and build the business that outlasts the agents who quit.
