December 2024 Update:
Due to a very recent update, some of these rules below may no longer apply to getting a license via reciprocity. In early December of 2024, the Ohio Real Estate Commission unilaterally decided to cancel the reciprocity agreement with the Kentucky Real Estate Commission. This cancellation was not made public until after the decision was made. You can still get licenses in both states via reciprocity, but the education requirements have drastically changed and may continue to change in the coming months.
If you are currently
licensed in Ohio and wish to get your Kentucky real estate License, you no longer need to complete a 40-hour Kentucky Law course to be eligible for a Kentucky License. Per
Kentucky Regulation 201 KAR 11:210 Section 3, you now have to complete the full education requirements for sales associate and broker licenses in Kentucky. This means that Ohio salespeople will have to take the
96-hour pre-license course and Ohio brokers will have to meet the
336-hour broker requirements. You will still have to pass the state portion of the Kentucky Licensing Exam and meet the experience requirements for salespeople (1 year licensed) or brokers (2 years licensed).
If you are currently
licensed in Kentucky and wish to get your Ohio real estate license, you no longer need to complete a 40-hour Ohio Law course to be eligible for an Ohio license. Per the
Ohio Commission website, you will simply need to pass state portion of the Ohio Licensing Exam, have been licensed in Kentucky for at least 1 year, and then apply for your Ohio license.
These changes only affect the education needed to become licensed in the other state. It is now even more cost effective to get licensed in Kentucky before getting licensed in Ohio.
Qualifications: Tie
Kentucky and
Ohio, like most states, have near identical qualifications for people wanting to get a real estate license. As long as you are 18 years old, have a high school education, can pass a background check, completed pre-license education, and passed the licensing exam, you can get a real estate license. The pre-license education and cost is where most states differ, which we will explore later.
Market: Ohio
Technically, Ohio is the better market. I’m sure this decision is going to come down to whether you live on the north or south side of the Ohio River but in any event, Ohio has the overall better real estate market. Ohio has more than double the population and the number of housing units. When it comes to potential sales, Ohio gets the edge over my old Kentucky home.
Time: Kentucky
Ohio requires 120 classroom hours of pre-license education. Kentucky requires 96 classroom hours. In addition to need more time,
Ohio also requires “pre-licensure courses must be taken at an institute of higher education which awards degrees.” In Ohio, you have to enroll in a community college, university, or other college to receive credit. In Kentucky, signing up for an online pre-license course is as easy signing up for Netflix. In short, it is much easier and timesaving to sign up for a Kentucky pre-license course than Ohio.
Cost: Kentucky
This one is the easiest and most obvious answer. The average cost in Kentucky for pre-license education is $450 for the 96-hour course, although some schools (read
Perry Real Estate College) like to offer deals to best help their students keep costs down. The average cost for an
Ohio Pre-license course is over $1,400 or more if you don’t live in the same county as the school.
Reciprocity: Kentucky
This is where the fun begins. Ohio and Kentucky Real Estate Commissions had reciprocity agreements with each that allows licensed agents from the other state to get licensed easier in their state. (see 2024 Update above) That means a Kentucky sales associate can get licensed in Ohio without having to take the full Ohio pre-license course and vice versa. Ohio no longer requires a Kentucky sales associate to complete a 40-hour course on Ohio law.
To get licensed first in Ohio and then in Kentucky requires 216 total hours of education and close to $2,000 in real estate education ($400-500 for a KY pre-license course). To get licensed in Kentucky first and then in Ohio requires just 96 total hours of education and slightly more than $400 of real estate education (under the new rules, you only need the Kentucky Pre-license course and not a 40-hour Ohio Law course).
The Battle for the Ohio River has been decided! While that may have been decided in
1792, when it comes to real estate licenses, it is easier to get licensed in Kentucky first. If you have any other questions about getting a license in Ohio or Kentucky, or any other state, feel free to call, text, email, or live chat with us now!