Examples of some new student questions about our course or school, in general, are below:
Q: Does Real Estate Institute offer state-approved courses for Illinois real estate instructors?
A: Yes. Real Estate Institute offers instructor development programs approved by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR).
Q: Who must be licensed as a real estate instructor in Illinois?
A: Anyone who teaches state-approved real estate pre-licensing or continuing education courses in Illinois must be licensed as a real estate instructor.
Q: What are the education requirements for individuals who want to teach state-approved real estate courses?
A: The requirements depend on whether the instructor candidate wants to teach pre-licensing or continuing education courses.
For Pre-License, Post-License, and core continuing education courses, individuals must complete a 12-hour instructor training program. Review details of the Pre-License Instructor License Requirements article.
For individuals who will only teach elective continuing education courses, a 6-hour "development" program is required. Review details of the Continuing Education Instructor License Requirements article.
Q: In addition to completing the required courses, do instructors need to pass a state examination?
A: Pre-License instructors must pass a 150-question, multiple-choice examination with a score of at least 75%. The state exam consists of national real estate topics and Illinois-specific information and is very similar to the licensing exam for Illinois Real Estate Brokers.
Continuing education instructors are not required to pass a state exam.
Q: As a licensed instructor, will my license need to be sponsored by a company or school (like a Broker license)?
A: No. Instructors can choose to be affiliated with one specific school or work independently, teaching courses for many schools that are approved to offer state-approved Pre-License and/or continuing education courses.
Q: Do I need two separate licenses to teach pre-licensing and continuing education courses?
A: No. On August 9, 2019, Illinois license law was amended to permit individuals with a Pre-License instructor license to teach all types of Illinois real estate courses. A continuing education instructor license is only required for individuals whose instruction will be limited to elective continuing education courses.
Q: Is a real estate instructor's Illinois license valid in other states?
A: No. Licenses issued by the IDFPR specifically authorize instructors to teach courses for schools with courses approved by the IDFPR. Each state has unique requirements, so check with the appropriate state regulatory agency to determine requirements on a state-by-state basis.
Q: Is there a license that only permits you to teach Residential Leasing Agent courses?
A: In Illinois, for pre-license instruction, there is no limited-scope license like there is for the practice of residential leasing. As a result, even if you only wanted to teach Residential Leasing Agent courses, you would still need to earn the full Pre-License Instructor license.