How to Get Your Real Estate License in Everett, Washington

If you want to become a real estate professional in Everett, Washington, the process begins with obtaining a Washington real estate broker license. A structured online program such as LEAP Real Estate’s Washington pre-licensing course can help you complete the required education while preparing for the state and national licensing examinations.

Washington uses the title real estate broker for the entry-level license commonly associated with residential and commercial real estate sales. The licensing requirements are statewide, so applicants in Everett follow the same rules as applicants in Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma, or any other Washington location.

Washington Real Estate License Requirements

To qualify for a Washington real estate broker license, you must:

Be at least 18 years old.
Have a high school diploma or equivalent.
Complete 90 hours of approved real estate education.
Pass the required course examinations.
Pass both the Washington state and national portions of the broker licensing examination.
Complete a fingerprint-based background check.
Submit a license application and pay the required fees.

These requirements are established by Washington law and administered by the Washington State Department of Licensing, or DOL.

Washington does not require applicants to have a college degree or previous real estate experience for an entry-level broker license.

Complete the Required 90 Hours of Education

Washington requires 90 clock hours of approved real estate education. The education must include:

A 60-hour Real Estate Fundamentals course.
A 30-hour Real Estate Practices course.

The courses must be approved by the Washington Department of Licensing, and each course must be completed within the applicable eligibility period before applying for the broker examination.

The Fundamentals course includes instruction in subjects such as real estate law, contracts, ownership, financing, agency, property management, and fair housing. The Practices course focuses on applying those concepts in real estate transactions and brokerage activities.

Students must also pass an examination for each approved course used to meet the pre-licensing requirement.

Choose an Approved Real Estate School

When comparing schools, look for a provider that:

Offers Washington-approved courses.
Clearly provides the required 60-hour and 30-hour courses.
Includes course exams and completion documentation.
Provides exam preparation resources.
Offers a format that fits your schedule.
Explains what is included in the tuition price.

LEAP Real Estate’s Washington pre-licensing course is one online option for students who want to complete their required education remotely.

Online Real Estate Course Options in Washington

Washington applicants can select from approved education providers that offer classroom, livestream, or online learning formats, depending on the provider’s approval and course design. Before enrolling, confirm that the specific course is currently approved and satisfies Washington’s required clock hours.

Online education may be useful for Everett students who:

Work full time.
Need evening or weekend study flexibility.
Prefer self-paced coursework.
Live outside central Everett or regularly commute.
Want to review lessons more than once before taking course exams.

An online course does not eliminate the requirement to pass the official licensing examination. It is a preparation and education pathway; the state and national exams are separate from the school’s course examinations.

Apply for the Washington Broker Examination

After completing the required education, create an account with the examination vendor identified by the Washington Department of Licensing and schedule the broker examinations. Washington requires applicants to pass both the national and state portions of the broker examination.

The DOL states that applicants must apply for and complete their broker examinations within two years of completing the qualifying real estate education. The state and national portions must be passed within six months of one another; otherwise, both portions must be retaken.

Applicants should review the current examination handbook before scheduling. It explains registration procedures, identification requirements, examination policies, testing accommodations, scoring, and retake procedures.

Pass the Licensing Exam

The Washington broker examination has two required components:

The national portion, which covers general real estate principles and practices.
The Washington portion, which covers state-specific laws, rules, and procedures.

A strong preparation plan should include:

Reviewing every topic covered in the course.
Taking practice questions under timed conditions.
Studying Washington-specific terminology and regulations.
Reviewing contracts, agency, disclosures, fair housing, and license law.
Scheduling the examination only after consistently performing well on practice tests.

The current Washington DOL fee schedule lists the broker examination fee as $210, with the same listed fee for an examination retake.

Complete Fingerprinting and the Background Check

Washington requires a fingerprint-based background check for the broker license. You must pass the licensing examination before submitting your fingerprints.

The process generally involves:

Passing the required examination portions.
Scheduling an appointment with the state’s authorized electronic fingerprinting vendor.
Paying the fingerprinting and background-check charges.
Completing the fingerprint appointment.
Waiting for the results to be associated with your licensing record.

Fingerprinting and background-check charges are separate from the examination and license application fees. The amount may depend on the vendor and applicable processing charges, so confirm the current price when scheduling.

Washington requires licensees to renew fingerprint-based background-check results every six years.

Submit the License Application

After completing the examination and fingerprinting steps, submit the real estate broker license application through the Washington Department of Licensing’s process. The application requires payment of the applicable license fees.

The DOL states that an applicant must apply for the license within one year after passing the final examination.

The current DOL fee schedule lists the following broker amounts:

| Item | Current listed fee |
|---|---:|
| Broker examination | $210 |
| Broker examination retake | $210 |
| Original broker license | $233 |
| Broker license renewal | $233 |

The original license and renewal amounts listed by the DOL include a mandatory $20 research fee. Course tuition, fingerprinting, background-check charges, study materials, and other preparation costs are additional and vary by provider or vendor.

How Long Does It Take to Get Licensed?

Washington does not establish one universal number of days from enrollment to license issuance. Your timeline depends on:

How quickly you complete the 90-hour education requirement.
Whether you pass the course examinations on the first attempt.
Examination appointment availability.
Whether you pass both licensing examination portions.
Fingerprint appointment availability and processing.
Application processing by the Department of Licensing.
Whether the application requires additional information.

A student studying consistently may complete the education in a shorter period than someone attending part time, but no specific completion timeline should be assumed. The legal deadlines that do apply are the two-year education-to-examination period, the six-month period for passing both examination portions, and the one-year period for applying after passing the final examination.

Find a Sponsoring Broker or Designated Broker

Passing the examination does not by itself create an independent real estate business. A new broker typically begins by affiliating with a Washington real estate firm and working under the supervision of the firm’s designated broker.

When interviewing firms in Everett, compare:

Training for newly licensed brokers.
Commission structure and transaction fees.
Desk, technology, marketing, and administrative fees.
Mentoring and transaction-coordination support.
Lead-generation expectations.
Office culture and geographic coverage.
Property types and neighborhoods served.
Requirements for maintaining an active license.

Ask each firm how it handles the affiliation process and what information the Department of Licensing needs to activate the license. The firm’s designated broker is responsible for the firm’s brokerage supervision, so the quality of training and oversight matters.

First-Renewal and Post-License Education

Washington imposes additional education requirements when a broker renews an active license for the first time. The first active renewal requires at least 90 hours of continuing education, including:

A 30-hour Advanced Practices course.
A 30-hour Real Estate Law course.
A 3-hour Current Issues in Washington Residential Real Estate course.
At least 27 additional hours of approved continuing education.

The Washington DOL identifies these requirements as part of the first active broker renewal.

This first-renewal education is sometimes described informally as post-license education because it follows initial licensure. It is different from the original 90-hour pre-licensing education required before the examination.

Because first-renewal rules can be detailed, new brokers should track course completion carefully and confirm that every course is approved for the applicable renewal requirement.

Continuing Education After the First Renewal

After the first active renewal, Washington brokers generally must complete at least 30 clock hours of approved continuing education during each two-year renewal cycle.

The required education includes:

A 3-hour Current Issues in Washington Residential Real Estate course.
At least 27 additional hours of approved continuing education.

At least 15 hours must generally be completed within the 24 months immediately preceding the renewal date. Washington law also permits up to 15 excess hours to be carried forward under the conditions established by law.

Active-license renewal also includes fair-housing education requirements. The exact number of fair-housing hours can depend on whether the broker previously completed the initial Washington fair-housing and consumer-protection training.

Brokers must renew their licenses every two years. An inactive license does not require continuing education for renewal, but the license still must be renewed and the fingerprint record kept current as applicable.

Potential Earnings in Everett

Real estate income in Everett is usually commission-based rather than a guaranteed salary. Earnings can vary substantially based on:

Number of completed transactions.
Sales prices and transaction volume.
Commission arrangements.
Brokerage splits and fees.
Referral business.
Specialization.
Experience and local market knowledge.
Marketing and lead-generation performance.
Whether the broker works full time or part time.

No reliable, official Everett-specific earnings figure is provided in the licensing authorities cited here. Prospective students should therefore avoid treating a salary estimate as guaranteed income.

A realistic financial plan should account for education, examination, licensing, fingerprinting, association, marketing, transportation, technology, insurance, and brokerage-related expenses. New brokers may also experience an uneven income pattern because commissions are generally received when qualifying transactions close.

Career Opportunities for Everett Real Estate Brokers

An Everett broker may pursue several career directions, subject to the scope of the license, brokerage supervision, and applicable Washington law. Potential areas include:

Residential home sales.
Buyer representation.
Listing and seller representation.
New-construction sales.
Relocation services.
Condominium and planned-community transactions.
Commercial real estate.
Leasing and property-related services permitted by the brokerage.
Investment property transactions.
Referral-based real estate business.
Real estate team operations.
Future advancement toward a managing broker license.

Everett’s local career environment is distinct from Washington’s statewide licensing system. Licensing rules are set at the state level, while professional opportunities depend on local brokerage offices, client demand, property inventory, transportation patterns, and the communities a broker chooses to serve.

New brokers should learn the local market areas they intend to cover, including Everett neighborhoods and nearby communities in Snohomish County. They should also understand fair housing obligations and avoid making unsupported claims about neighborhoods, schools, demographics, investment performance, or future property values.

A Practical Step-by-Step Plan

Confirm that you meet Washington’s age and education prerequisites.
Enroll in an approved 90-hour Washington broker pre-licensing program.
Complete the 60-hour Fundamentals and 30-hour Practices courses.
Pass both required course examinations.
Register for the Washington broker examination.
Pass the national and Washington state examination portions.
Complete the required fingerprint-based background check.
Submit the broker license application and required fees.
Select a Washington real estate firm and designated broker.
Complete the required first-renewal education.
Renew the license every two years and complete continuing education.

For students seeking a flexible education format, LEAP Real Estate’s Washington licensing course can be evaluated alongside other approved providers based on format, support, pricing, and exam-preparation resources.

Final Checklist for Everett Applicants

Before applying, confirm that you have:

A high school diploma or equivalent.
Completed 90 hours with an approved education provider.
Passed both course examinations.
Passed both portions of the Washington broker examination.
Completed fingerprinting after passing the examination.
Reviewed the current DOL fees.
Submitted the application within the required deadline.
Identified a prospective sponsoring firm or designated broker.
Planned for first-renewal education and ongoing continuing education.

Requirements, fees, vendors, and agency procedures may change. Always verify the current information with the Washington State Department of Licensing before making enrollment or application decisions.

Authoritative Sources