In real estate, there are three levels of licensure: Salesperson, Associate Broker and Broker. Licenses are issued by the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, which is the licensing authority for the state. The Real Estate Commission is the division that serves both the consumers of Maryland and the real estate licensees that they regulate. The Commission was created to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public through examination, licensing, and regulatory activities, to uphold and apply the governing real estate laws and regulations equally to all, to provide courteous, reasonable, and professional assistance, and to impartially conduct disciplinary actions. The Commission regulates approximately 40,000 active licensees in Maryland.
You can earn your Maryland real estate license in a few months, and the lengthiest part of the process is taking the 60 hours of required pre-licensing classes. Once you complete the class, you need to sit for the state exam, and you'll also have to wait for your application to be approved by the Maryland Real Estate Commission. Salespersons also have to affiliate with a Broker of Record in order to be able to practice real estate. Also, 15 hours of Continuing Education are required every two years to maintain your license.
Once you’ve had your Salesperson license for 3 years you are eligible to take the course for your Associate Broker or Broker’s license in Maryland. This course requires an additional 135 hours of classroom instruction before you can sit for the state Broker’s exam. The only difference between an Associate Broker and a Broker is that an Associate Broker is not the Broker of Record for any given brokerage firm, but they hold essentially the same qualifications. So, an Associate Broker is qualified to either open their own firm or go out and be a Broker of Record for an existing brokerage. Associate Brokers and Brokers have the same 15 hour continuing education requirement as Salespersons, although Brokers must complete a required supervision course.
Lauren Bunting is a Broker with Keller Williams Realty of Delmarva in Ocean City, Maryland.
