North Carolina Real Estate License Courses Compared (2026)
Compare Commission-path North Carolina courses by checkout price, format, and discount workflow.
North Carolina broker pre-licensing is a Commission-certified course of at least 75 instructional hours. The comparison table is the price source. Course prices on this page run from $224.10 to $490. Confirm the cart total at the provider before you pay. Official booklet: Real Estate Licensing in North Carolina (April 2026). Application steps: Apply for a license.
| # | School & fit | Format · Access | List price▾ | Code / workflow | After workflow▾ | Go to school |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | RealEstateUBest Value | Online Self-Paced audio 6-month access 3 packages | $249.00 List price | CERTLAUNCH | $224.10 save $24.90−10% | Go to RealEstateU |
| 2 | Aceable Agent | Self-Paced Online + mobile app Provider terms vary access 3 packages | $449.00 List price | ✓ Auto-applies at checkout | $359.20 save $89.80−20% | Go to Aceable Agent |
| 3 | Kaplan Real Estate Education | Online Self-Paced + Live Hub 180 Days access 2 packages | $449.00 List price | AFFCERTLAUNCH | $404.10 save $44.90−10% | Go to Kaplan Real Estate Education |
| 4 | The CE ShopBest Discount | Online interactive 6-month access 3 packages | $675.00 List price | ANYWHERE40 | $405.00 save $270.00−40% | Go to The CE Shop |
| 5 | Superior School of Real EstateSchool & offers | Online, Livestream, In-Person 6-month access 3 packages | $529.00 List price | CERTLAUNCH | $423.20 save $105.80−20% | Go to Superior School of Real Estate |
| 6 | Trav Talks Real Estate | Live Online Zoom + Self-Paced 180-day access 2 packages | $465.00 Starting at | No discount code available | $465.00 no discount | Go to Trav Talks Real Estate |
| 7 | Carolina School of Real Estate | Classroom / Scheduled Course duration access 1 package | $490.00 Starting at | No discount code available | $490.00 no discount | Go to Carolina School of Real Estate |
What is a North Carolina Provisional Broker?
In North Carolina, the entry-level individual license is a broker license on provisional status. The Commission does not issue a separate salesperson license. RELINC (April 2026), retrieved 2026-09-30, says most applicants who qualify by examination are first issued an inactive provisional broker license. Source: RELINC.
A provisional broker must be supervised by a Broker-in-Charge to be on active status and to provide brokerage services. The license is issued inactive. The provisional broker and a Broker-in-Charge file the License Activation and Affiliation form (REC 2.08) before brokerage work begins.
To remove provisional status, complete the 90-hour postlicensing program within 18 months of initial licensure. RELINC divides that program into three 30-hour courses: Post 301 Broker Relationships and Responsibilities, Post 302 Contracts and Closing, and Post 303 NC Law, Rules, and Legal Concepts.
How Much Do Real Estate Agents Make in North Carolina?
Income figures below are carried from the May 7 page. They were not given a new Bureau of Labor Statistics pull. They are not a forecast.
| Band | Figure | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Average annual income | $45,000 – $78,000 | Figure cited on the May 7 page. Not re-verified. |
| Top earners | $102,000+ | Figure cited on the May 7 page. |
| Commission illustration | 2.5% – 3% on a $320,000 home | May 7 illustration only. About $8,000 – $9,600 per sale before a brokerage split. Not a forecast. |
Commission illustration from the May 7 page
The May 7 page said a new agent on a 60/40 split would keep about $4,800 – $5,760 of that illustration, and that closing 4 – 6 deals in year one was a common benchmark of about $20,000 – $35,000. Those figures were not re-verified.
Markets named on the May 7 page
Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Fayetteville, Wilmington, and Asheville.
Income Disclaimer: Salary figures are estimates based on publicly available data and vary by market, experience, brokerage split, and deals that close. Past or average earnings are not a guarantee of future results. CertLaunch makes no income guarantees of any kind.
Sources: the income and commission figures above are carried from the May 7 page. Licensing steps should be checked in RELINC (April 2026). How we source our data.
Is a North Carolina Real Estate License Worth It?
Pros
- Course after-prices on this page run from $224.10 to $490, before the $105 application fee and the $63 comprehensive exam fee in RELINC (April 2026).
- The standard path does not require a college degree. You do need the 75-hour course, the exam, and a character review.
- The May 7 page named Charlotte and Raleigh among markets students ask about. That growth claim was not re-verified.
Cons
- Brokerage pay is commission-based. The income figures on this page are May 7 illustrations, not a guarantee.
- The license exam is two separately scored sections. RELINC says applicants who take only the State section have an average pass rate of less than 50 percent.
- Provisional brokers must complete 90 hours of postlicensing education within 18 months of initial licensure.
How to Get a Real Estate License in North Carolina
Use RELINC (April 2026) and the Commission application page as the checklist. Retrieved 2026-09-30 from RELINC, Apply for a license, and the Prelicensing FAQ.
Complete 75 Hours of Pre-License Education
Enroll in a Commission-certified 75-hour Broker Prelicensing course. RELINC requires at least 75 instructional hours and a mandatory end-of-course examination. The schools in the comparison table publish North Carolina pre-license packages. Confirm approval with the school before you pay. Course prices on this page run from $224.10 to $490.
Pass the Course Final Exam
The education provider reports a successful completion, including the end-of-course exam, to the Commission. RELINC does not print a statewide passing score for that school exam. Ask the school what score it requires. The May 7 page said the school final is typically 75 percent. That figure is not the license-exam rule in RELINC.
Order Your Criminal Record Report
Order the report from CriminalRecordCheck.com (ncreccheck.com), the only vendor the Commission accepts. The report must be prepared within six months before you file. The Prelicensing FAQ says a report for someone who lived only in North Carolina during the past 7 years will likely cost less than $30. RELINC says the fee varies by state and by name searched. Reports from other agencies are not accepted.
Submit Your License Application
Apply online and pay the $105 application fee. RELINC (April 2026) says the fee is nonrefundable once the Commission processes the application. The May 7 page used an older application-fee figure. Use the $105 fee in the April 2026 booklet. You also need to be at least 18, have a Social Security number, and meet the citizenship or work-authorization rule in RELINC.
Schedule and Pass the State Exam
After the Notice of Exam Eligibility, wait one business day, then schedule with Pearson. The comprehensive exam fee is $63. One section is $53. Pay Pearson, not the Commission. The exam has 80 scored National items and 60 scored State items, plus 5 unscored pretest items on each section. The passing score is 75 on each section, computed separately. The National section is 2.5 hours and the State section is 2.0 hours. Eligibility lasts 180 days. Source: RELINC and the Prelicensing FAQ.
Activate the Provisional Broker License
A passing result does not let you practice the same day. The Commission issues an inactive provisional broker license when character review is clear. A Broker-in-Charge must file the activation form before you provide brokerage services.
Complete Post-Licensing Education
Complete 90 hours of postlicensing education within 18 months of initial licensure: Post 301, Post 302, and Post 303. That requirement is in RELINC. It is separate from the pre-license prices in the comparison table.
North Carolina Real Estate License Requirements
Eligibility
- At least 18 years old.
- A Social Security number.
- U.S. citizen, non-citizen national, qualified alien, or lawful presence with authorization to work in real estate brokerage. RELINC (April 2026).
- Character and fitness review, including a criminal record report from the Commission vendor.
- A college degree is not required on the standard path.
Education and exam
- At least 75 instructional hours in the Broker Prelicensing course, plus the school end-of-course exam, completed within 3 years before application.
- Pass the North Carolina license exam unless an exemption applies. National section: 80 scored items. State section: 60 scored items. Passing score: 75 on each section.
- Pearson administers the exam after the Commission issues a Notice of Exam Eligibility.
A listed real estate or law degree can waive the prelicensing course under Education Qualification Option 3. A current out-of-state license can follow Option 4. Read both options in RELINC before you skip the course.
North Carolina Real Estate License Cost
Course dollars are the comparison table on 2026-09-30. Application and exam dollars are RELINC (April 2026), retrieved 2026-09-30. The criminal record report is a vendor charge, not a Commission fee.
| Expense | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-license course (75 hours) | $224.10 – $490 | Comparison table. $224.10 is RealEstateU after CERTLAUNCH on a $249 list. $490 is Carolina School of Real Estate, with no partner code. |
| License application fee | $105 | RELINC April 2026. Paid to the Commission. The May 7 page used an older application-fee figure. |
| Pearson comprehensive exam | $63 | RELINC April 2026. One section is $53. Paid to Pearson, not the Commission. |
| Criminal record report | Likely under $30 if only NC | Prelicensing FAQ: NC-only residents for the past 7 years will likely pay less than $30. Other states and extra names cost more. |
| Course + application + exam | $392.10 – $658 | Adds the $105 application fee and the $63 exam to the course range. The criminal record report is extra. |
The optional petition for a criminal-history predetermination is $45, paid to the Commission. That petition is not required to apply. Source: Apply for a license.
The North Carolina Real Estate Exam
Exam details
- 140 scored questions: 80 National and 60 State, plus 10 unscored pretest questions (5 on each section).
- Passing score: 75 on each section, computed separately. RELINC and the Prelicensing FAQ.
- Time: National section 2.5 hours. State section 2.0 hours. The sections are timed separately.
- Provider: Pearson. Schedule at the Pearson page named in RELINC after the Notice of Exam Eligibility.
- Fee: $63 for both sections. $53 for one section.
State section topics in RELINC
The State section outline in RELINC lists licensure, agency, supervision and compensation, brokerage practice, taxes and insurance, contracts and closing, landlord and tenant, and other North Carolina laws. The National section covers property, ownership, valuation, contracts and agency, practice, disclosures, financing, and real estate math.
Exam prep tip
RELINC says applicants who are licensed elsewhere and take only the State section have an average pass rate of less than 50 percent. The May 7 page also said many candidates struggle on state-specific law. Use a package on this page that includes exam prep if that is the gap you need to close, and confirm the cart before you pay.
How Long Does It Take?
Study paces below are the May 7 page estimates. They were not re-verified. They are not a Commission timeline.
| Pace | May 7 estimate | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time | 3 – 5 weeks | May 7 page: about 6 – 8 hours a day. Not re-verified. |
| Part-time | 6 – 10 weeks | May 7 page: about 1 – 2 hours a day. Not re-verified. |
| Casual | 3 – 5 months | May 7 page: a few hours a week. Not re-verified. |
After the course, RELINC says a complete application, a first-time pass, and no character issues can finish the application-exam-license steps in as little as 10 business days. Character review can take much longer. Exam eligibility lasts 180 days and is not extended.