Your New Hampshire Real Estate Career
Starts Here
Most licensing guides stop at 'pass the test.' This one doesn't. We'll walk you through every step of getting your NH license — the deadlines that trip people up, the exam strategies that work, the costs nobody mentions — and then we'll keep going. Because the real question isn't 'how do I get licensed?' It's 'how do I build a career that actually works?'
Here's What Nobody Tells You About Getting Licensed in New Hampshire
Let's start with the part that surprises most people: New Hampshire doesn't let you binge-watch videos and call it education.
Unlike states where pre-licensing is a self-paced online course you can knock out over a weekend, New Hampshire requires at least 32 of your 40 education hours to be live instruction. Only 8 hours can be distance learning. That's not a suggestion — it's the rule.
The licensing process itself has five steps. None of them are hard, but each one has a deadline that can cost you months if you miss it. Here's the map.
The Five Steps to Your NH Real Estate License
Make Sure You're Eligible
Background check + basic requirements
The basics are straightforward: you need to be 18 or older and able to pass a background check.
The background piece runs through the New Hampshire State Police, costs around $47, and takes time to process. This is where we see the first unnecessary delays. People finish their education, pass their exam, and then wait weeks for background clearance because they didn't submit it early enough.
Complete Your 40 Hours of Pre-Licensing Education
32 hours live + 8 hours distance learning, maximum
You'll choose a school approved by the New Hampshire Real Estate Commission and complete 40 hours of education. Remember: at least 32 of those hours must be live, either in a classroom or through synchronous virtual instruction.
Looking for the best NH real estate school options?
Think of pre-licensing as your first investment in your business, not a hurdle to clear.
The agents who get the most out of this phase:
- Show up prepared and engaged. Ask questions — especially about the New Hampshire-specific topics that appear heavily on the exam: agency relationships, disclosure requirements, compensation rules, license law.
- Start building your toolkit while you learn. When your instructor explains how buyer agency works, don't just memorize it — think about how you'll actually explain it to a client sitting across from you.
- Take notes you'll actually use later. Six months from now, you'll be grateful you wrote down how earnest money works in New Hampshire, or what triggers a disclosure requirement.
Most people finish pre-licensing in two to six weeks, depending on the schedule they choose. Full-time students can move faster. Working professionals often take evening or weekend classes.
Register for the Exam and Schedule with PSI
Critical three-month deadline applies
Once you've completed your education, you'll register for the state exam through the New Hampshire Real Estate Commission and pay your exam fee — $67 for your first attempt.
That window sounds generous until life gets busy. People register, intend to study "next week," and suddenly they're scrambling to schedule before their window closes — or worse, they miss it entirely and have to re-register.
New Hampshire uses PSI as its testing vendor. Once you're approved, you'll schedule online through PSI's system. Don't wait. Book your date as soon as you're approved, then build your study plan backward from that date.
Pass the Exam
National + state portions
The New Hampshire real estate exam has two parts: national and state. You need to pass both.
The national portion covers the fundamentals — agency relationships, contracts, real estate finance, fair housing, property ownership, land use controls. These concepts apply everywhere.
The state portion focuses on New Hampshire specifically: our disclosure requirements, agency rules, license law, and how compensation works in our market. This is where your pre-licensing education really matters, especially if you paid attention to the NH-specific material.
How to Actually Prepare
Most people need one to two weeks of focused study after finishing their education. Here's the approach that works:
Days 1–3: National Fundamentals
Refresh the concepts that appear on every state exam — agency, contracts, fair housing, and the basic finance calculations.
Days 4–7: NH-Specific Material
Go back through your class notes on state disclosure requirements, agency rules and license law. Do practice questions focused only on state content.
Days 8–12: Mixed Practice
Take timed practice exams blending national and state questions. Review only what you get wrong — that is where the rest of your study time belongs.
Days 13–14: Final Prep
Target your weak spots, simulate exam conditions with one last practice test, then rest before exam day.
Apply for Your License and Join a Brokerage
Six-month deadline to affiliate
You passed. Congratulations — but you're not done yet.
You need to submit your license application to the New Hampshire Real Estate Commission and affiliate with a sponsoring broker. This must happen within six months of passing your exam. Miss that deadline and you're retaking the test.
This is also the moment that determines the trajectory of your career.
The brokerage you choose affects everything: the training you receive, the mentorship available to you, your access to leads and technology, how fast you close your first deal, and what your business looks like five years from now.
Most new agents fixate on commission splits. That's understandable — you want to keep as much of what you earn as possible. But splits are the wrong thing to optimize for when you're starting out.
The right question isn't "what's my split?" It's "how fast will I get to my first closing, and what support will I have along the way?"
The Decision That Actually Shapes Your Career
Here's something most licensing guides won't tell you: passing the exam is the easy part.
The hard part is building a business. And in your first year, your brokerage is either accelerating that process or leaving you to figure it out alone.
When we talk to agents who struggled in their first year — or left the business entirely — the pattern is almost always the same. They chose a brokerage based on splits or name recognition, showed up on day one, and found themselves with a login to some systems, a stack of paperwork, and not much else. Maybe there were "optional trainings" they could attend. Maybe a broker they could call "if they had questions." Maybe a mentor in name only.
The agents who succeed early share a different pattern:
- They plugged into real training with structure and accountability.
- They had mentors who reviewed their actual contracts, not just their questions.
- They followed a daily and weekly activity system instead of wondering what to do.
- When something went sideways on a deal, they could get help fast.
At Bean Group, we operate inside eXp Realty specifically because it gives us the infrastructure to support agents at scale — training, technology, mentorship — without the overhead that forces traditional brokerages to take bigger splits or charge more fees.
What eXp + Bean Actually Provides
Training That Produces Results, Not Just Attendance
eXp runs more than sixty hours of live training every week through eXp University. Not recordings you'll never watch — live sessions across every skill area: contracts, lead generation, negotiation, market expertise, building a database, running open houses, mastering buyer consultations.
When you join, you don't just get access to a library. You get a structured path. The "New to eXp" roadmap walks you through exactly what to learn and when.
Mentorship That Involves Real Deals
eXp's Mentor Program isn't optional for agents who need support — it's required. And it isn't a phone number to call if you're confused. It's a structured curriculum with a designated mentor who walks through your first transactions with you.
Your mentor reviews your actual contracts. Helps you navigate inspection issues. Coaches you through negotiations when things get tense.
At Bean, we extend that further. Our team stays close to new agents through their ramp-up period. When you have a question at 9 PM before a morning showing, you'll get an answer.
Technology That's Actually Included
One of the most underrated parts of eXp is what's included in your fees versus what costs extra.
eXp's "CRM of Choice" lets agents pick their CRM platform from multiple options, including Follow Up Boss, all included in standard fees. You're not paying $500 a month extra for a system you need to run your business.
eXp World gives you a virtual campus for training, meetings and collaboration. The marketing center provides templates and tools. Transaction management is built in. The tech stack matters because it removes friction.
A Business Model That Builds Wealth
Here's where eXp diverges from traditional real estate. Beyond competitive commission splits with a clear cap structure, eXp offers two wealth-building components that don't exist at most brokerages.
Revenue Share
Earn leveraged income when you attract other agents to eXp. As those agents produce, you earn a percentage of their contribution — across seven tiers.
Equity Awards
Earn EXPI stock at meaningful milestones: your first transaction, when you cap, on anniversaries. You can also elect to receive part of your commission in stock at a discount.
Bean Group exists within this structure. When you succeed, we succeed. When you attract great agents, we all benefit. That alignment matters more than most people realize when choosing a brokerage.
What New Agents Need to Understand About 2026 and 2027
The real estate business you're entering isn't the same one that existed a few years ago. Two shifts in particular affect how you'll operate.
Buyer Agreements Are Now a Core Skill
As of August 17, 2024, NAR practice changes require a written buyer agreement before you tour homes with a buyer — at least for REALTORS® operating under the new framework.
This isn't a technicality. It changes how you start relationships with buyers. You need to explain your value clearly before you get in the car. Compensation conversations happen early, not at closing. Buyers are more likely to interview multiple agents before choosing one.
Consistency Beats Everything Else
Your first-year goal isn't to become famous or build a massive social media following. It's to be consistent.
The agents who close deals in their first year share common habits:
- They talk to people daily — not when they feel like it, but every day.
- They run open houses weekly — not as a favor to another agent, but as lead generation.
- They follow up relentlessly — because speed to lead determines who wins.
- They learn contracts and negotiation faster — because confidence in the details lets them focus on relationships.
Bean's 90-day runway is built around these habits. We don't just tell you "go prospect." We give you the daily activities, the scripts, the weekly checkpoints, and the accountability that keeps you on track when motivation fades.
Let's Talk Money: Licensing and First-Year Expenses
Nobody should start this process without understanding the financial commitment. Here's the real picture.
Licensing Costs
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Pre-licensing education | $300 – $600 |
| Exam fee (first attempt) | $67 |
| Retake fee (if needed) | $65 |
| Background check | ~$47 |
| License application | ~$25 |
| Total licensing | $500 – $900 |
Are you fully committed to a real estate career?
First-Year Business Costs
This is where people get surprised. A license lets you practice, but you'll have ongoing costs to actually run your business.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| MLS and association dues | $500 – $1,200 |
| Errors and omissions insurance | $200 – $500 |
| Lockbox and key access fees | $200 – $400 |
| Signs, photography, marketing | $500 – $2,000+ |
Budget realistically: between licensing and first-year business costs, plan for $2,000 to $4,000 depending on your approach and market. This is an investment in building your business.
Fees and requirements last verified: August 20, 2026.
Don't Let Your License Lapse
You did the work. You passed. You're licensed. Now you need to stay that way.
New Hampshire requires 15 hours of continuing education every two years, including a mandatory 3-hour Core course. That's the ongoing requirement, and it applies for as long as you hold an active license.
The agents who get caught out are almost never the ones who couldn't find the classes. They're the ones who assumed the deadline was further away than it was, waited until the last few weeks, and then couldn't get a Core course seat in time. Going inactive is a slow, avoidable problem — and it stops your ability to earn while you fix it.
Questions We Hear All the Time
If you move with intention, you can be licensed in two to three months. Pre-licensing takes two to six weeks depending on your schedule, exam prep takes one to two weeks, and background checks and processing take a few weeks. The agents who take longer usually stalled at a deadline — the three-month exam window, the six-month application window, or waiting on background clearance they should have started earlier.
Ready to Start?
You now know more about getting your New Hampshire real estate license than most people do when they actually apply. The question is: what do you want to build?
If you want to get licensed, plug into real training on day one, have a mentor who cares about your first deals, follow a system that actually works, and build toward something bigger than your next commission check — we should talk. Most agents complete licensing in 60 to 90 days, so if you start now you could be licensed by November 2026.
No pressure. No hard sell. Just a real conversation about where you are, where you want to go, and whether Bean is the right fit to help you get there.
Start a conversation.