People ask me every month how to become a real estate agent in Colorado. I've been licensed since 2003, and I've hired and coached a lot of new agents. Here's the truth first: the license is the easy part. The job is talking to people every day, helping them make a big money decision, and following up for months. If that sounds good to you, keep reading. I'll walk you through what the work really is, what it costs to start, how the pay works, and how to choose part-time or full-time.
The short answer
You take the state's pre-licensing classes, pass the exam, clear a background check, get errors and omissions insurance, and go to work under an employing broker. That gets you a license. It doesn't get you a paycheck. Your income comes from closings, and closings come from conversations. Plan for a slow start, keep money in the bank, and treat the first year like a business you're building, not a job you were hired for.
Step by step
- Learn what the job is. It's sales and service. You find people who want to buy or sell, earn their trust, guide them through a contract, and get them to the closing table. Most of your week is spent on the phone, at showings, and following up.
- Get licensed. Colorado calls its licensees "brokers." The full path is on its own page: Colorado real estate license steps. Always check the current rules at the Colorado Division of Real Estate.
- Pick where you'll hang your license. A brokerage or a team. This choice shapes your first two years more than anything else. See how to choose a brokerage or team.
- Budget for the start-up costs. Classes, exam, fingerprints, insurance, MLS and association dues, brokerage fees, a phone, a CRM, and some marketing. Get the real numbers from each source before you start.
- Save a cushion. Most new agents don't close a deal in their first few months. Deals often take 30 to 60 days to close after you write the contract, and many leads take much longer to get ready.
- Build a daily routine. The agents who make it have a schedule and keep it. See a day in the life of a real estate agent.
- Work a plan for the first 90 days. Accounts, training, shadowing, and lots of conversations. See the new agent's first 90 days.
What it costs to start
These are the buckets. I'm not listing amounts because they change and they vary by school, board and brokerage. Ask for each one in writing.
| Cost | When you pay it | Who sets it |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-licensing classes | Before the exam | The school |
| State and national exam | When you test | The exam vendor |
| Fingerprints and background check | Before you apply | The state |
| License application | When you apply | The Division of Real Estate |
| Errors and omissions insurance | Before your license goes active | The insurer |
| MLS and Realtor association dues | When you join | Your MLS and board |
| Brokerage or team fees | Monthly or per deal | Your brokerage |
| Phone, CRM, signs, marketing | Ongoing | You |
How the pay works
There's no salary. You get paid a share of the commission when a home closes. That share is split with your brokerage or team, and then you pay your own taxes and business costs. If nothing closes this month, you earn nothing this month.
I won't give you an income number, and you should be careful with anyone who does. Public wage data for Colorado agents swings a lot depending on who reported it and whether they counted part-timers. What I can tell you is what moves the number: how many people you talk to each week, how well you follow up, and how organized you are. I wrote more about this in my post on what Colorado agents make (linked below).
Part-time vs full-time
Full-time means real estate is your main job. You can take a call at 10 AM, show a home at 2 PM and answer a new lead in five minutes. That speed matters. Many buyers and sellers go with the first agent who actually talks to them.
Part-time can work if you are honest about it. You need set hours you can protect, a way to answer leads fast, and a backup agent for showings you can't make. Part-time agents usually grow slower. Many start part-time with a plan to go full-time once their pipeline can carry them.
Here's how I'd decide: if you can't give the business at least a few hours on the phone most days, wait until you can.
How to explain it to your family
"I'm starting a business, not taking a job. The first few months are mostly learning and building a list of people I talk to. Paychecks come when homes close, and that can take a while at first. I've saved enough to cover our bills for a stretch, and I have a daily plan. Here's the date when we'll sit down and look at whether it's working."
Watch-outs
- The license is not the business. Passing the test doesn't bring clients. Conversations do.
- Don't run out of money. Running short makes you desperate, and clients can feel it.
- Watch out for big income promises. Ask any brokerage for real numbers in writing.
- Read the fees. Monthly fees, desk fees, tech fees and caps add up.
- Follow fair housing every day. Talk about homes, prices and features. Never steer people by who lives in an area.
- Don't skip the contract training. Mistakes on a contract cost clients money.
Further reading
- Real Estate Careers in Denver on kennarealestate.com
- How Much Do Real Estate Agents Make in Colorado? on kennarealestate.com
This is training for real estate agents. It isn't legal, tax or lending advice. Check with your managing broker.
Questions
How long does it take to get licensed in Colorado?
It depends on how fast you finish the classes and pass the exam. Some people do it in a couple of months. Check the current steps at dre.colorado.gov.
Do real estate agents get a salary?
Almost never. Most are paid by commission when a deal closes.
Can I do real estate part-time?
Yes, if you can protect set hours and answer leads fast. Expect slower growth.
Do I have to join a brokerage?
Yes. In Colorado, a new broker works under an employing broker.
What's the hardest part of the job?
Doing the daily work, like calls and follow-up, when no deals are closing yet.
Brian Lee Burke is the founder of PadLeaders, a Colorado real estate broker licensed since 2003, team leader of The Kenna Group at Keller Williams DTC (formerly Kenna Real Estate Group) and the author of Mastering Real Estate and The Real Estate Playbook. More about Brian.