How to Start a Real Estate Business in Georgia: GREC License, Broker Rules and Brokerage Setup

October 29, 2026

Starting a real estate business in Georgia involves three separate steps, and each one has its own license or filing. All of them come from the Georgia Real Estate Commission (GREC). The first is becoming a licensed salesperson, the entry-level license that lets you work under a sponsoring broker. The second is becoming a licensed broker, which lets you run your own business and sponsor salespeople. The third is opening a brokerage firm, which needs its own firm license in addition to the broker license. Most people start as salespeople, become brokers once they have enough active experience, and then open a firm. If you already meet the experience rule, you can go straight to a broker license.

This guide covers each path in order, lists the fees GREC publishes, and points out the mistakes that cost new licensees time and money. It is informational content, not legal or tax advice. Rules and fees change, so confirm every figure with GREC before you pay or file anything. For complex ownership, trust account or employment questions, talk to a Georgia real estate attorney and a CPA.

What You Need Before You Start

• Proof of age. You must be at least 18 for a salesperson license and at least 21 for a broker license.
• Identification documents as GREC requires for the application.
• Completion certificates from approved courses: 75 hours for a salesperson and 60 hours for a broker.
• A criminal history report. GREC uses it for the background check, and you bring it to the exam testing center.
• Budget for the exam and license fees listed later in this guide, including the cost of a retake if you fail.
• For a salesperson: a licensed broker willing to sponsor you. Your license is held under that broker.
• For a brokerage: a Georgia business entity (most often an LLC), an EIN from the IRS, and a plan for holding client funds in a trust account.

Path 1: Becoming a Licensed Salesperson

1. Confirm you are 18 or older. This is the only age requirement for the salesperson license.
2. Complete the 75-hour pre-license course. Choose a course approved for GREC licensing. You need the completion certificate before you can sit for the exam.
3. Pass the salesperson exam through PSI. The exam costs $175 per attempt. Each retake is another $175, so study before you schedule.
4. Get your criminal history report and bring it to the testing center. GREC uses it as part of the background check. Confirm the current requirements with GREC before your exam date.
5. Find a sponsoring broker. A salesperson cannot practice independently. A licensed broker sponsors you, and your license is held under that broker. Ask prospective brokers about training, desk fees, commission splits and how they handle transaction paperwork before you accept.
6. Pay the license fee. The salesperson license fee is $170, and it covers the first four years.
7. Complete the 25-hour post-license course within your first year. Missing this deadline puts your license at risk, so put it on your calendar the day you are licensed.

Path 2: Becoming a Licensed Broker

A broker license requires more experience and more coursework than a salesperson license. The experience rule is the one most applicants misjudge. You must be 21 or older and must have been an active licensed salesperson or broker for 3 of the previous 5 years. That is a specific test, not a rough count of two years, so pull your license history from GREC before you assume you qualify.

1. Confirm the experience rule. Check that you have been actively licensed for 3 of the previous 5 years. Gaps in active status can disqualify you even when your total years look sufficient.
2. Complete the 60-hour broker course. Keep the completion certificate with your application records.
3. Pass the broker exam. Confirm the broker exam fee and scheduling with GREC, because this guide does not list a broker exam figure.
4. Pay the broker license fee. The current fee is not listed in this guide, so check GREC for the amount before you apply.
5. Plan for renewal every four years. Renewal costs $125, or $100 if you renew online, thanks to the $25 online discount.
6. Complete continuing education. Brokers need 36 hours of continuing education per four-year cycle. Since July 1, 2025, 18 of those 36 hours must be broker-specific courses. Plan your courses across the cycle rather than waiting for the last year.
7. Watch the reinstatement window. A license that is only a few days late can be reinstated online if it is less than 30 days past due. Beyond 30 days the process is longer, so check GREC for the steps and cost.

Step 3: Opening a Brokerage Firm

A brokerage firm is a separate license from your personal broker license. The firm license has its own four-year cycle and does not carry continuing education requirements of its own, because those sit with the individual brokers. Confirm the designated broker rules, the firm name rules and the firm license fee with GREC before you file.

1. Form the business entity. Most brokerages form an LLC. The Articles of Organization cost $110 total, which is the $100 filing fee plus a $10 service charge, whether you file online or on paper. Online filings take about 7 to 10 business days and paper filings about 15 business days. Expedited review costs $120 for 2 business days, $275 for same day service if received by noon, or $1,200 for one hour on business days. Corporations file Articles of Incorporation for the same $110 total. For a full walkthrough, read our guide to starting an LLC in Georgia.
2. Reserve the name if you need time. A name reservation costs $35 and lasts 30 days. The name must include an LLC designator such as Limited Liability Company, LLC or L.L.C., and it must be distinguishable on the Secretary of State records. Check the name rules at the Georgia Secretary of State Corporations Division before filing.
3. Get an EIN from the IRS. You need an EIN for payroll, bank accounts and tax reporting once the firm has employees.
4. Register with the Department of Revenue. Register through the Georgia Tax Center if you will have employees or sell taxable goods. Sales tax registration is free, but it is not a business license. For how state taxes apply to your entity, see our Georgia business taxes guide. In brief: a typical single-member or partnership LLC owes no franchise tax, and its income passes through at the flat individual rate of 4.99% for 2026. Corporations, and LLCs taxed as corporations, owe a net worth tax of $0 to $5,000 depending on net worth. Georgia income tax is one flat rate, and the corporate rate equals the individual rate.
5. Apply for the firm license with GREC. The firm license is issued to the company, and it must have a designated licensed broker. Confirm the current application fee with GREC.
6. Set up the trust (escrow) account. Earnest money, deposits and other client funds must go into a trust account, not the firm operating account. Confirm the account setup, recordkeeping and reconciliation rules with GREC before your first deposit. Rental trust accounts must also be registered with GREC.
7. Carry errors and omissions insurance. Many brokerages treat errors and omissions coverage as standard practice to protect the firm and its licensees. Ask your insurer and GREC whether any coverage is required for your specific activity.
8. Get the local occupation tax certificate. Georgia issues no general statewide business license. The local license is an occupation tax certificate, often called a business license, issued by the city, or by the county if your office is unincorporated. A business inside a city pays the city, not the county. Georgia has 159 counties and about 537 cities and towns, and each sets its own formula, deadlines and prerequisites. Real estate practitioners appear on a statutory list that lets a locality tax each practitioner up to a $400 ceiling. Some localities use that ceiling, others publish a different per-practitioner amount, and some use a gross receipts formula. Do not assume $400. Confirm your locality's method on the local business license guide page, then with your city or county. If your firm has more than 10 employees, you must also file an E-Verify affidavit to get the local certificate.
9. Add workers' compensation if you hire staff. Georgia requires workers' compensation once you have three or more workers, including part-time workers.
10. File a trade name if you will use a DBA. A trade name, or DBA, is filed with the Clerk of Superior Court in the county where the business is chiefly carried on, not with the Secretary of State. The notice must run in the county legal organ once a week for two weeks. The clerk fee is about $165 to $166 in the counties checked, plus the newspaper charge, so confirm the total with your county clerk. The Secretary of State business division FAQ explains the process.

Other Licenses and Options

Community Association Manager (CAM). The CAM license covers managing homeowner and condominium associations. It is a separate license with a 25-hour course, a $175 exam, a $170 license fee and an age requirement of 18. There is no experience requirement.

Property management. Managing property for other owners is real estate brokerage in Georgia and needs the appropriate license. An owner who manages their own property does not need a license. Read our property management business guide before you take on management contracts.

Out-of-state licensees. GREC accepts licensees from other states on a case-by-case basis. Ask GREC how your experience and education will be evaluated.

Wholesaling. A 2026 bill touches the definition of a real estate wholesaler, and the rules may change. Do not rely on an older summary. Check GREC for the current rule before you advertise or sign wholesale contracts.

Real Estate License Costs at a Glance

Item	Amount	Notes
Salesperson exam	$175 per attempt	Taken through PSI
Salesperson license	$170	Covers the first four years
Broker license	Check GREC	Not listed in this guide
Broker renewal	$125, or $100 online	Every four years
CAM exam	$175	25-hour course required
CAM license	$170	Age 18 or older
Firm license	Check GREC	Own four-year cycle
LLC Articles of Organization	$110	$100 fee plus $10 service charge
LLC annual registration	$60	$50 plus $10, filed January 1 to April 1
Name reservation	$35	Lasts 30 days
Expedited review	$120, $275 or $1,200	Two business days, same day by noon, or one hour
Reinstatement after administrative dissolution	About $260	Confirm current amount with the Secretary of State

Course tuition and background check costs vary by provider and are not listed here. Budget for them separately.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Budgeting for one exam attempt. At $175 per attempt, a failed exam costs real money. Study and schedule with that in mind.
• Miscounting broker experience. The rule is 3 of the previous 5 years of active licensing, not a simple total of years. Check your license history first.
• Missing the salesperson post-license course. The 25-hour course is due in your first year.
• Letting a license lapse. Reinstating online is only available under 30 days past due. Set renewal reminders for the four-year cycle.
• Ignoring the 2025 broker education change. Since July 1, 2025, 18 of the 36 continuing education hours must be broker-specific.
• Forming a company without a firm license. An LLC registered with the Secretary of State does not replace the GREC firm license.
• Mixing client funds with operating money. Deposits and earnest money belong in a trust account.
• Looking for a statewide business license. Georgia issues none. The local occupation tax certificate comes from your city or county.
• Assuming a flat $400 tax. The $400 figure is only a ceiling a locality may set. Your city or county sets the actual method.
• Missing the LLC annual registration. The window runs January 1 to April 1 each year, and a late filing carries a $25 penalty. An LLC that stays delinquent can be administratively dissolved.

What to Expect

Timelines depend on course schedules, exam availability and how quickly paperwork moves through each agency. Plan for steps to take longer than you expect, especially the trust account and local certificate work for a brokerage. A license lets you practice, but it does not guarantee income. Your earnings depend on your market, your production, your broker arrangement and your expenses. Treat the first year as a period of setup and learning.

Next Steps

1. Confirm your age and the 3 of 5 year experience rule if you plan to become a broker.
2. Complete the pre-license course and schedule your exam, budgeting $175 per attempt.
3. Choose a sponsoring broker before you pass, so you can start working once licensed.
4. If you plan to open a firm, form the entity, get an EIN, and check the firm license and trust account rules with GREC.
5. Check your city or county occupation tax method and file the local certificate before you open.

Related Guides

• How to start an LLC in Georgia
• Georgia business taxes
• Georgia business license guide
• How to start a property management business in Georgia

Disclaimer: This article is informational content, not legal or tax advice. Fees, rules and deadlines are based on the sources named here and may change. Confirm current requirements with the Georgia Real Estate Commission, the Georgia Secretary of State and your local tax office, and consult a qualified Georgia attorney or CPA for your situation.