Educational Resources: Take Michigan Real Estate Sample Tests, Application Steps and Tips

It could take you three to six months to satisfy the state’s mandatory 40-hour coursework and the testing requirement to jumpstart your real estate agent career in the state. However, the state allows applicants up to 12 months to fully satisfy all of the requirements needed to become a licensed real estate salesperson or broker.

Becoming a real estate agent can allow you to learn how to source your own business deals, create and maintain your own business network, and earn additional income streams via commissions.

Here is what you need to know.

Real Estate Exam in Brief

The real estate exam has 115 questions and you will be granted 180 minutes to take it. While you can take the 40-hour pre-licensure courses online you will have to take the real estate exam in person at an approved PSI center.

The questions in the real estate exam cover state-centric and national real estate laws, real estate terms, real estate market volatility, market analysis, valuation, housing regulations, land use controls, various ways to invest in real estate, and more.

It will cost you $79 per test attempt to take the real estate exam.

You will have to register at the PSIEXAMS website to gain access to sample test question prompts and real estate exam study modules and sign up to take the test.

Completing Your Michigan Real Estate Brokers & Salespersons License Application: Five Steps

The official guide, issued by the Michigan Realty Commission, for gaining a real estate license in the state details everything that you need to do to gain such a license.¹

Step 1: Apply for a Michigan Real Estate License Online via MiPLUS

To start things off, you need to fill out the official real estate license online credentialing application on MiPLUS.² MiPLUS is the state’s online regulatory and licensing database that you can use to fill out an application to become a real estate agent, keep track of your application process, receive instant notifications electronically, modify or renew your real estate license, and more.

After the successful submission of your MiPLUS application, you will receive an Exam Candidate ID number via email. Keep your Exam Candidate ID number handy as you will need it for registration purposes to take the official Michigan real estate exam as administered by the state’s testing partner PSI.

Step 2: Pay the Application Fees

You must pay an application fee and a few other application-based fees to get the process started.

Currently, the real estate processing fee for new MiPLUS applications is $88. Real estate licenses are only valid for 36-month cycles, so you must pay $78 to renew the license for 36 months.

If you need to renew your real estate license for a new 36-month cycle or renew an expired license, then you must pay $108 to process a re-licensure application.

If you are new to applying for a real estate license application, then you might pay less than $200 for the application processing,

If you are a non-Michigan resident who is legally allowed to transact as a real estate agent, then you may need to pay extra fees based on your experience and out-of-state credentials.

Step 3: Good Moral Character Affirmation

As previously mentioned, you will be required to check off a box that attests to you, the applicant, being of good moral character while applying for a real estate license.

You can apply for a real estate license if you have a prior criminal conviction, but you should supply a copy of such prior convictions along with your application.

Checking the Good Moral Character question on the real estate license application officially verifies that even if you, the applicant, do have a prior criminal conviction it is not a conviction that would negate your eligibility to attain a real estate license.

In addition to checking the Good Moral Character box on the application, you will also be required to supply your Social Security number and a consent to service of process form if you are a non-Michigan resident for legal summons deliverance efficiency purposes. Such data can be easily used to perform basic background criminal checks if necessary, so be honest about such issues when applying.

While Drug Recognition Enforcement authorities, or DRE, have created a list of the most common disqualifying convictions for state employees, prior convictions for embezzlement or fraud will automatically negate your eligibility to apply for a real estate agent license.

Step 4: Complete 40 Hours of Michigan Pre-Licensure Coursework and Study

Before taking the real estate licensing exam you must take a 40-hour real estate pre-licensing course. Such courses include the need to study equal opportunity and civil rights law relative to real estate work and housing.

You will find a continually updated list of education partners and facilities that offer 40-hour real estate pre-licensing coursework programs at the MiPLUS application portal.

After you successfully complete your 40 hours of real estate pre-licensure coursework and study you will receive a certificate of completion that attests to the fact that you completed your courses. Keep it handy as you will need it to take your official real estate exam.

Step 5: Take the Michigan Real Estate Salesperson Exam as Administered by PSI

After successfully completing your application and taking the 40-hour pre-licensing real estate classes and credentialing requirements, you will have to schedule an in-person appointment to take the Michigan real estate salesperson exam at an official testing site as administered by the state’s official testing partner, PSI.

To take one of the in-person real estate classes offered by PSI, you must visit their website and make an appointment.

The test is a 115-question test and you will have three hours to complete it. Currently, it costs $79 per attempt to that the test via the in-person testing facilities and auspices of PSI.

You can make an appointment for the in-person real estate exam by logging on at the PSIEXAMS website or by calling PSI representatives at 1-800-733-9267.

Be sure to have the Exam Candidate ID number that you received after the successful submission of your MiPLUS application as you register for your in-person exam. You won’t be able to register or take the exam without it.

You will also have to provide a copy of the completion of your 40-hour pre-license coursework.

After successfully completing the Michigan real estate exam you will be given a 10-digit number that denotes your license to act as a real estate agent.

Real estate agents must work under the auspices of real estate brokers or brokerage firms. So, keep that 10-digit Michigan real estate license number handy to present as proof of your passing the exam as you present your credentials to real estate brokerage firms for hiring.

Financial Requirements for Michigan Real Estate Brokers & Salespersons Membership

It will cost you $88 to process your initial MiPLUS application. You will then have to pay $78 to keep your real estate license valid and renewed for 36-month cycles.

Your Michigan real estate license is only valid for 36-month cycles at a time and will need to be renewed at such intervals.

You could pay anywhere between $200 to $300 for the initial application fees and processing. These initial costs can then range anywhere between $500 to $700 when you factor in the costs of the mandatory 40-hour pre-licensing coursework, exam fee, and the potential need to take the exam multiple times before passing it.

Deciding To Apply for National Association of Realtors® (NAR) Membership

A realtor® is a term that applies to a real estate agent who has an above-average work ethic, skill set, experience, and non-criminal record and is a member of the National Association of Realtors®, or NAR, which is also a trademarked term.³

Becoming a NAR member means joining an exclusive and competitive membership club where NAR members are differentiated by their work record, don’t have criminal records related to embezzlement or bankruptcy, and have been fully vetted by other members.

There are nine NAR-affiliated councils, societies, and institutes throughout the country to supply continuing education, certification, and skills to its members. The difference between being a NAR member and a real estate agent is that NAR members usually have years or decades of experience and the esteem of exclusive membership to a club with exacting standards for entry as a professional selling point.

You should probably focus on building your reputation as a real estate agent, working with a reputable brokerage firm, creating and expanding your professional list of contacts, and honing your operational and people skills as an agent before you start your initial steps to becoming a NAR member.

How Much Time Does the Real Estate Application Process Require?

You could successfully complete the real estate application process in a matter of a month or two if you have the time, and processing and scheduling times allow. However, there is no specified requirement for when you must complete the application process.

What you must worry about as a real estate agent applicant is the fact that there is a 12-month validation term for successful completion of the online MiPLUS application and passing the exam.

In other words, once you successfully complete the online MiPLUS application, your completion status will only be valid for 12 months from the date of application acceptance. So, you should endeavor to take the PSI exam within 12 months of satisfactorily completing the MiPLUS application.

If you successfully pass the PSI real estate exam, then you will get a certificate of completion and a 10-digit ID license number that will help you find work under a real estate broker. The validation of passing the PSI examination is only valid for 12 months

Once you attain your real estate license and work under a real estate broker, you will have to renew the license every 36 months.

The initial and mandatory 40-hour pre-licensure coursework and education you complete to qualify for the exam will be valid for 36 months starting from the date you complete the course.