Becoming a licensed real estate broker in the state of Indiana is often only the beginning of a long and fulfilling journey in the world of real estate. After being licensed, real estate brokers in the state of Indiana have an exciting career ahead of them—granted they complete certain post-licensing and ongoing education requirements. The world of real estate can be complex, and as multifaceted as it is rewarding. Though real estate is an exciting career, and many real estate brokers love their work, there’s also a lot to learn.
In Indiana, real estate brokers must complete certain educational requirements before becoming licensed. This education can help prepare them for a real estate world that is often complex and presents unique challenges. While being a real estate broker can be exciting and fulfilling, it’s also important to be well-educated in relevant matters that can impact their experience as a real estate broker.
Once real estate brokers in Indiana have become licensed, however, their educational journey isn’t quite over. For one thing, Indiana has certain continuing education requirements that real estate agents must meet each year to maintain their status as licensed real estate brokers in Indiana. Each continuing education year, brokers must complete 12 hours of state-approved continuing education.
Additionally, licensed real estate brokers in Indiana must go through a renewal process in order to keep their status as licensed real estate brokers each three-year period. They will affirm that they’ve completed their requirements for continuing education.
In addition to the ongoing continuing education requirements that licensed real estate brokers in Indiana must meet, newly licensed brokers must complete 30 hours of post-licensing education within a two-year period of time immediately following their licensing.
These post-licensing requirements can help keep real estate brokers up-to-date on important new real estate knowledge and refresh important basic real estate knowledge.
While this can sound like a lot to take in, it can be helpful to explore some of these post-licensing requirements a little bit more in-depth. To better help you navigate the post-licensing requirements for licensed real estate brokers in Indiana, let’s explore.
Post-Licensing Education
In Indiana, there are cycles of continuing education years for licensed real estate brokers. It’s important to understand that, because immediately following your licensing, you’ll be exempt from completing the normal continuing education requirements for the first two of these continuing education years. That can be pretty helpful, since within the first two years of being licensed, you’ll be required to have completed 30 hours of state-approved post-licensing education. This is one of the most important post-license requirements that you’ll need to meet within a short period of first obtaining your license. It can also be a fairly helpful resource for new real estate brokers in Indiana. The IREC, or Indiana Real Estate Commission, which oversees which education is approved and which isn’t, requires that courses cover certain topics, including:
- Indiana Real Estate Transactions
- Financing
- Business planning and sales and marketing
- Negotiating and counseling skills
- Cultural and diversity and fair housing
- Construction
This education will cover a broad range of topics and should offer a chance for newly licensed real estate professionals in Indiana to become more familiarized in-depth with some of these important topics that can be crucially important and relevant in their later real estate careers. As not only is this required education by the state, but it’s also a potentially very useful resource for newly licensed real estate professionals, it can be extremely helpful to find a great school that offers IREC approved and enriching Indiana real estate post-licensing classes.
Continuing Education
After a full two-year continuing education, or CE cycle passed, consisting of two full continuing education years, licensed real estate brokers who have completed their 30 hours of initial required post-licensing education will then need to complete continuing education each year. Within each continuing education year, individuals who wish to maintain their status as a licensed real estate broker in the state of Indiana must complete at least 12 hours of state-approved continuing education. This can cover a broad range of topics and can be a useful resource to licensed real estate brokers in addition to a crucial requirement that they must fill in order to maintain their license. Some of the topics that this continuing education may cover include:
- Agency law
- Property management
- Residential brokerage
- Appraising
- Land development
- Civil rights law
- And many others.
As brokers are required, by law, to complete not only 12 hours of approved continuing education per continuing education year, but 36 hours within each renewal cycle in order to maintain their status as a licensed real estate broker in Indiana, not only is this education important as it’s required, it can also be a useful way to expand your understanding of important topics that can be important in the world of real estate.
Post-Licensing Renewals
Once a license has been issued to a real estate broker in the state of Indiana, a 3-year expiration period begins. After three years, unless the broker goes through the required renewal process, they’ll lose their license as a real estate broker in Indiana. In order to avoid this outcome, it can be important to understand the renewal requirements and process.
Importantly, the renewal period is three years. As such, licensed real estate brokers in Indiana must be prepared to complete this process every three years. In addition to completing the required 36 hours—12 hours each year—of state-approved continuing education, real estate brokers must submit a Real Estate Broker Renewal Form to Indiana Professional Licensing Agency in order to renew their license.
The Bottom Line
Becoming a licensed real estate broker in the state of Indiana is an important milestone and an exciting first step! Next, it’ll be important to understand the various post-licensing requirements you’ll face as you embark on an exciting new career in real estate. Though it’s a journey to become licensed, becoming licensed is only the beginning of your next journey–being an active real estate broker! In order to do that, you’ll need to ensure that you meet important state requirements. Fortunately, much of the required education can also be a valuable resource for you as a real estate broker.
