Posted by Gustan Cho on January 30, 2026 at 1:37 am
I am a licensed NMLS Mortgage Loan Originator in 48 states. I live in Southeastern Wisconsin and my brick and mortar office is in Westmont Illinois. I want to get my real estate agent license in any state that is the least amount of hours, the easiest to pass the exam, and the cheapest.
Looking at your situation, here are some states that typically rank well for minimal requirements:
Easiest/Quickest Options:
Georgia- Often cited as one of the easiest:- 75 hours of pre-licensing education- Exam pass rate is relatively high- Course costs: $200-400- License fee: ~$280- No sponsoring broker required before taking exam
South Carolina – Another popular choice:- 90 hours of education- Straightforward exam- Similar cost structure to Georgia
Mississippi- Minimal requirements:- 60 hours of education (one of the lowest)- Less competitive exam- Lower overall costs
Considerations for you specifically: Since you’re already licensed in Wisconsin and have an office in Illinois, you might also consider:- Wisconsin (72 hours) – You already live there, easier to attend in-person classes if needed, and practical for local market knowledge- Illinois (90 hours) – Where your office is located, could be useful for business purposes
**Practical factors beyond hours/cost: **- Will you actually practice real estate, or is this for referral/knowledge purposes?- If practicing, being licensed where you already do business (WI/IL) may provide more value than saving 15 hours on education.- Reciprocity: Some states have agreements that make it easier to get licensed in additional states later.
The “easiest” exam is subjective – your mortgage background will help significantly regardless of which state you choose since you already understand financing, which is a major portion of real estate exams.
What’s your primary goal with the license?
This reply was modified 6 months, 2 weeks ago by Sapna Sharma.
I am definitely not going to be showing houses and other types of properties and am getting a real estate license just to become a dually licensed MLO and Realtor. NEXA LENDING is a mortgage broker and correspondent lender so NEXA MORTGAGE had to change their name from NEXA MORTGAGE to NEXA LENDING. Gustan Cho Associates NMLS 2315275 and Subsidiaries is a dba of NEXA LENDING. NEXA LENDING has created, developed and LAUNCHED AXEN REALTY,in 2025 with the goal of getting licensed nationwide in every state
I use Angie Crippen and Jacob Gillock from Oncourse Learning for all my NMLS licensing and annual Continuing Education (CE). Jason just emailed me today and said Oncourse Learning does not offer Real Estate Licensing Courses and Exam Preparation but their Sister Institution does
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