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Are you a licensed broker in North Carolina and considering expanding your business potential by getting a license to practice in Tennessee as well?
What does the Volunteer State require in order to grant real estate license reciprocity?
What is Reciprocity?
First and foremost, let’s define reciprocity as it applies to real estate. License reciprocity simply means that if you currently hold an active real estate license in one state in the US, you may apply for a license in another state without having to complete all of the state-required licensure education requirements that an unlicensed prospective licensee would have to complete. Each state is unique in these requirements; some states have full reciprocity agreements with other states, most have some form of partial reciprocity, and a few states have no reciprocity agreements. For those without any reciprocity agreements, you will be required to complete all of the state’s education and application requirements to become licensed.
In order to apply as a licensed agent through reciprocity, your North Carolina real estate license must be active and in good standing. If your license has expired or is inactive, you should renew and reactivate it prior to applying for reciprocity in another state. If you have any open disciplinary actions filed against you that have not been resolved, you will want to have them settled prior to submitting an application in another state. Applying for a license in another state requires you to have the ability to prove a track record of exceptional moral and ethical character.
Tennessee Reciprocity Requirements
Much like North Carolina, Tennessee does not offer license reciprocity to applicants from any other state. However, upon evaluation from the Tennessee Real Estate Commission (TREC), a portion of your education hours and/or national license exam scores may count towards fulfilling the Tennessee licensure requirements. To have your education and experience considered, you will need to complete and submit Worksheet A on the Tennessee Real Estate Commission website. These applications are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and only the TREC can determine what will or won’t be considered for credit. If you have any questions, you should contact the TREC directly.
Do you live near the North Carolina/Tennessee border, and have your eye on generating sales in the Knoxville market? You’re in luck! The TREC does not require Tennessee residency in order to gain licensure. However, non-residents seeking licensure will be required to complete and file an Irrevocable Consent Form. By filing this form with the TREC, the applicant consents for any legal suits and/or actions that could potentially be filed against the licensee must be held within the appropriate court within the state of Tennessee. In addition to your submission of the Irrevocable Consent Form, the TREC.gov states that any non-resident applicant that holds a current and active license in good standing in North Carolina will also need complete the following steps:
Proof of high school graduation.
Proof of passing the Tennessee state law section of the licensing exam.
Complete and submit Worksheet A and a Certified License History report from the NCREC to the TREC.
To expedite the review process, you are encouraged to submit Certificates of Completion for your pre-licensing, post-licensing, and continuing education hours.
Once the TREC has received and reviewed the above documents, you will be required to then complete and submit a real estate license application. This application will not be made available to you until you have passed the Tennessee state law licensing exam.
You will need to provide proof of an Errors and Omission Insurance Policy. For more information on precisely what your policy must cover and the minimum amount of coverage limits, contact the TREC.
Payment of all application fees ($91.00 as of October 2022).
An Eligibility Verification form.
Submitting for electronic fingerprinting. Information on the locations and process for fingerprinting will be provided by the TREC following review and approval of your application.
Though there are a number of requirements that must be met, the ability to conduct business in two states can be extremely profitable. With cities like Asheville, Knoxville, and Nashville attracting the attention of Fortune 500 companies like Wells Fargo, IBM, Northwestern Mutual, Healthtrust, and Amazon, the real estate market is positively booming. In holding dual licensure with both North Carolina and Tennessee there will be no limit to your earning potential!
Remember, the first step to applying for reciprocity in other states is making sure that your NC License is active, and we have all the classes you need to make sure that it is!
Bear in mind, that these requirements can change at any time, and are only represented to be current as of the date of publication of this article. It is the responsibility of the prospective licensee to reach out to the Real Estate Commission for any state you are applying to check for any updates or changes to their reciprocity requirements.