Ninety hours of education, one two-part examination, a background review, and a sponsoring broker. That is the whole path. Below is the order it actually happens in, what each step costs, and where students most often lose time.
Choose TREC-approved live instruction at 233 Main Street for the January 2027 classes, or self-paced paper correspondence. Purchase either format online. Free local pickup; shipping is an additional $35 service.
60-hour: January 11–22 · 30-hour: January 25–29, 2027
Monday–Friday, 8 AM–1 PM Eastern
233 Main Street, Bean Station, TN
TREC approved · 60 hours
60-Hour Principles of Real Estate
Required education before the Tennessee licensing examination: agency, contracts, financing, valuation and real estate fundamentals.
$395.00 per course · either format
Live classroom
233 Main Street, Bean Station, TN 37708. Enroll online for the scheduled January classroom course.
January 11–22, 2027
Monday–Friday, 8 AM–1 PM Eastern
Paper correspondence
Study printed materials at your own pace. Available to purchase now. Free local pickup in Bean Station, or add a $35 shipping service at checkout. The school will contact you about materials and completion requirements.
TREC approved · 30 hours
30-Hour Course for New Affiliates
Required education before your affiliate broker license is issued: practical Tennessee transactions, records and professional responsibilities. Not the TRACE course.
$195.00 per course · either format
Live classroom
233 Main Street, Bean Station, TN 37708. Enroll online for the scheduled January classroom course.
January 25–29, 2027
Monday–Friday, 8 AM–1 PM Eastern
Paper correspondence
Study printed materials at your own pace. Available to purchase now. Free local pickup in Bean Station, or add a $35 shipping service at checkout. The school will contact you about materials and completion requirements.
The sequence matters. The 60-hour course has to come before the examination, and the license is not issued until the 30-hour course is finished.
01
Confirm you meet the basic requirements
You must be at least 18 years old and hold a high school diploma or its equivalent. There is no college requirement and no Tennessee residency requirement.
02
Complete the 60-hour Real Estate Fundamentals course
This is the principles course, and it must be finished before you sit for the examination. It covers agency, contracts, finance, valuation, disclosure, fair housing, and real estate math. Live class: January 11–22, 2027, Monday–Friday 8 AM–1 PM Eastern; live enrollment and paper correspondence are available now.
03
Pass the Tennessee licensing examination
The exam has a national portion and a Tennessee state portion, and you must pass both. Practice against a question bank written to the same content outline rather than reading the textbook a third time.
04
Complete the 30-hour New Affiliate Broker course
Required for the license to be issued. It covers what actually happens once your license is active: how a transaction moves, what records you keep, and what is expected of you from day one. Live class: January 25–29, 2027, Monday–Friday 8 AM–1 PM Eastern; buy live tuition or paper correspondence online.
05
Submit fingerprints and clear the background review
Filed with the Commission's approved vendor. Start this early — it is the step most likely to add weeks to your timeline.
06
Find a sponsoring principal broker
Your license cannot be active on its own. Interview brokerages while you are still in class, and ask about training, splits, desk fees, and Errors and Omissions coverage.
07
File your application with TREC
Submit your course completion certificates, examination results, proof of E&O coverage, and your sponsoring broker's information to the Tennessee Real Estate Commission with the required fees.
What it costs
Cost of getting a Tennessee real estate license
Item
Paid to
Cost
60-Hour Fundamentals — live or correspondence
The school
$395
30-Hour New Affiliate Broker — live or correspondence
The school
$195
Same two courses, self-paced online
The school
Priced at enrollment
Licensing examination
The state's testing vendor
State fee
Fingerprinting & background check
Commission's vendor
State fee
License application
Tennessee Real Estate Commission
State fee
Errors & Omissions insurance
Your carrier or brokerage
Varies
Only the tuition figures are set by the school. State and vendor fees change from time to time — confirm current amounts with the Tennessee Real Estate Commission before you budget.
Common questions
What education is required to become a real estate agent in Tennessee?
Tennessee requires 90 hours of pre-license education before your affiliate broker license is issued: a 60-hour Real Estate Fundamentals course taken before the licensing examination, and a 30-hour New Affiliate Broker course. Both must be completed through a school approved by the Tennessee Real Estate Commission.
How long does it take to get a Tennessee real estate license?
Most students finish in two to four months. Taken live and in person, the 60-hour course runs two weeks and the 30-hour course runs one week, so the classroom portion can be done in three weeks. The variable parts are how quickly you schedule and pass the examination, how long fingerprinting and the background review take, and how long you spend finding a sponsoring principal broker.
How much does it cost to get a real estate license in Tennessee?
Our 60-hour course is $395 and the 30-hour Course for New Affiliates is $195 in either live or paper correspondence format ($590 total). Correspondence pickup is free; shipping adds $35 per order. Enroll live for 60-hour January 11–22 or 30-hour January 25–29, 2027, Monday–Friday 8 AM–1 PM Eastern. Self-paced online tuition is set at enrollment. On top of tuition you will pay the examination fee, fingerprinting and background check fees, and the Commission's application and license fees — those go to the state and its vendors, not to the school.
Where can I take a real estate class in person in East Tennessee?
We teach live from our classroom at 233 Main Street in Bean Station, which is roughly 50 minutes from Knoxville, 20 minutes from Morristown, and about an hour from Sevierville. Classes run Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM, so the afternoon and evening stay yours.
Do I need a college degree to become a real estate agent in Tennessee?
No. Tennessee requires that you be at least 18, hold a high school diploma or equivalent, and complete the required pre-license education. A college degree is not part of the requirement.
Can I take Tennessee pre-license courses online instead?
Yes. Self-paced online delivery is available for students anywhere in Tennessee who cannot make a scheduled seat. Most students who can attend choose the live class, because you finish on a fixed date instead of stalling halfway through a self-paced course.
Do I have to work under a broker?
Yes. A Tennessee affiliate broker license must be held by a sponsoring principal broker, and you must carry Errors and Omissions coverage continuously to remain active.
What happens after I get licensed?
Your license renews every two years, and each cycle requires 16 hours of continuing education including the TREC mandatory core course. After three years of active licensure and 120 total hours of education you become eligible to upgrade to a broker license.
Start your 90 hours.
January 2027 live classes in Bean Station: 60-hour January 11–22 and 30-hour January 25–29, Monday–Friday 8 AM–1 PM Eastern. Enroll online, or purchase paper correspondence now with free pickup or $35 shipping.