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How to Become a Commercial Real Estate Agent in Georgia

Published: 07-24-23 Category: Marketing

Specializes in providing actionable insights into the commercial real estate space for investors, brokers, lessors, and lessees. He covers quarterly market data reports, investment strategies, how-to guides, and top-down perspectives on market movements.

The city of Atlanta, Georgia during sunset.

Georgia's commercial real estate (CRE) market is one of the fastest growing in the Southern United States, with the Atlanta metro area alone ranking sixth for most CRE completions in 2021. With office and industrial space trending, now is an excellent time to try your hand at working as a commercial real estate agent or broker in Georgia.

Working as a commercial real estate agent can be a great career path for motivated and independent individuals: You can create a lucrative career making an above-average salary in an industry that almost always has room for growth.

Here, we'll cover all the steps you have to take to get your real estate license and start working as a commercial real estate agent in Georgia.

Let's get started.

Becoming a Commercial Real Estate Agent in Georgia: Step-By-Step Guide

Like most other states, to get your commercial real estate license in Georgia, you must:

Be at least 18 years or older; and
Have a high school diploma or GED.

From starting classes to taking the license exam, the entire process of getting your commercial real estate license in Georgia can take as little as two months, depending on how quickly you complete your education.

#1 – Finish 75 Hours of Pre-Licensing Coursework

Georgia requires all prospective agents to complete 75 hours of coursework from an approved course vendor, such as the below:

Instead of the 75 hours, you can instead take ten quarter hours or six semester hours from an accredited US or Canadian university.

After completing the coursework, you need to pass the final course exam with at least a 72%. Your course results will be valid for a year after you pass the final exam, so you need to complete the application process in that period.

#2 – Submit a Criminal History Report

Georgia requires all potential real estate agents to first submit a criminal history report to the Georgia Real Estate Commission & Appraiser's Board (GREC). You must submit this form no more than 60 days before you submit your completed license exam.

Having a felony on your criminal record does not necessarily disqualify you from getting your real estate license in Georgia: The GREC makes license decisions on a case-by-case basis and considers current behavior and past rehabilitative efforts.

#3 – Pass the State License Exam

How to Become a Commercial Real Estate Agent in Georgia

The Georgia real estate salesperson exam is multiple choice and consists of 152 questions split into sections on national and state-level real estate. Both sections contain three types of questions:

Recall questions test participants on recalling specific pieces of real estate knowledge.
Analysis questions require the taker to analyze a situation and provide the best answer.
Application questions ask test takers to apply real estate knowledge to a specific situation.

The national portion of the exam has 100 questions and consists of questions on:

Property Management: 8 Questions;
Real Estate Calculations: 13 Questions;
Finance: 14 Questions;
Marketing: 10 Questions;
Property Ownership: 13 Questions;
Agency Contracts: 28 Questions; and
Real Property: 14 Questions.

The state portion has 52 questions that cover specific definitions and applications of Georgia real estate law. Test takers have two hours for the exam and must score a 70% or higher to pass. If you pass, you will receive a Certificate of Accuracy that you'll need for the license application.

#4 – Find a Sponsoring Broker

Agents can't work independently, so before you can get your real estate license, you need to find a sponsoring broker. You can find a broker by searching online or by joining a professional network, like the National Association of Realtors (NAR).

Think about the following questions while on the search for a sponsoring broker.

How does the broker pay their real estate agents? Is it salary or commission-based?
What kind of career advancement opportunities are there?
What kind of support do they offer agents? Will they assist with continuing education?
What type of commercial property does the firm specialize in (e.g., multifamily, retail, industrial, office space, etc.)?

Your broker will function as a career mentor and supervisor, so choose who you'll work with wisely. Many agents use network connections from their sponsors to get ahead in the business.

#5 – Submit a Completed License Application

Once you find a sponsoring broker and pass the state license exam, you can submit an application online at the GREC's website or print and mail a physical application. If you have not found a sponsor broker yet, you can apply for an inactive license. The license application fee is $170.

#6 – Renew Your Real Estate License

Georgia real estate license holders must complete 25 hours of continuing education in their first year of holding an active license and 36 hours of continuing education in their second year of licensure. After the first two years, agents must complete 36 hours of coursework every four years. At least three of those hours must be in a course covering Georgia license law.

If you let your license lapse, you can still renew it but will have to pay a late fee. You can renew a lapsed license online up to 30 days after expiration. If your license has been expired for more than a year, you must submit a Reinstatement Application and receive a new license via mail.

How to Become a Real Estate Broker in Georgia

Commercial real estate brokers have more education and license requirements than real estate agents. To receive a broker license in Georgia, you must:

Be at least 20 years old;
Have more than three years of experience working as an agent;
Complete 60 hours of broker licensing courses or 15 quarter hours/nine semesters at an accredited university; and
Pass the broker license exam.

The Georgia broker license exam includes 11 sections of multiple-choice questions divided into four topic categories:

Agency Relationships;
Fair Housing and Government Regulations;
Real Estate Finance; and
License Supervision and Training.

The broker exam is five hours long and you must score at least a 70 or higher to pass. You can retake the broker exam if you fail.

What Is the Average Commercial Real Estate Agent Salary in Georgia?

According to data gathered by Indeed, the average annual salary for a commercial real estate agent in Georgia is $82,651. This figure is about 60% higher than the average salary across all jobs in Georgia ($51,413) and about 23% lower than the national average salary for commercial real estate agents ($107,511). The top paid (<1%) commercial real estate agents in Georgia make more than $155,000 annually.

Commercial real estate agent salaries can vary significantly, depending on experience level and the type of property you work with.

Georgia Commercial Real Estate Agent Job Growth & Outlook

According to the NAR's monthly membership reports, there are 46,959 active real estate agents in Georgia — a 0.18% increase from 2022. Georgia has the 9th most active real estate sales agents in the nation, behind Illinois and ahead of Pennsylvania.

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