QUICK ANSWER
What is the New York 77-hour salesperson course?
The 77-hour course is New York's current qualifying-education program for new real estate salesperson applicants. It must be offered through a Department of State-approved real estate school and covers the legal, agency, finance, valuation, fair-housing, construction, mathematics and other subjects included in the state's salesperson curriculum.
What subjects are included in the 77-hour curriculum?
The Department of State's current syllabus allocates the 77 instructional hours across 19 subject areas. The largest blocks include law of agency, legal issues, commercial and investment properties, human rights and fair housing, finance, and construction and environmental issues.
- License law and regulations — 3 hours
- Law of agency — 11 hours
- Legal issues — 10 hours
- Contracts of sale and leases — 3 hours
- Real estate finance — 5 hours
- Land use regulations — 3 hours
- Construction and environmental issues — 5 hours
- Valuation and property pricing — 3 hours
- Human rights and fair housing — 6 hours
- Real estate mathematics — 1 hour
- Municipal agencies — 2 hours
- Property insurance — 1 hour
- Licensee safety — 1 hour
- Taxes and assessments — 3 hours
- Condominiums and cooperatives — 4 hours
- Commercial and investment properties — 10 hours
- Income-tax issues in real estate transactions — 3 hours
- Mortgage brokerage — 1 hour
- Property management — 2 hours
The official syllabus also lists a separate three-hour examination component. Course hours are useful for understanding the scope of the curriculum, but they should not be treated as an official state-exam question weighting.
Does the 77-hour course expire?
Yes, if it has not yet been used for licensure. New York's salesperson application states that the 77-hour qualifying course is valid for eight years and must be used to obtain a license within that period or it must be retaken. Once the qualifying education has been applied toward a license, the state says it does not expire for upgrade purposes.
Is the course exam the same as the state salesperson exam?
No. The qualifying course includes an examination component, but applicants must also pass the separate New York State real estate salesperson examination administered by the Department of State before applying for the license.
What happens after you finish the course?
After completing qualifying education, the next major steps are to pass the New York State salesperson exam, obtain sponsorship from a New York State licensed real estate broker, and complete the license application.
Where can you take an approved course?
Use a school approved by the New York State Department of State. License Ready NY also maintains a comparison page covering schools researched for course pricing, proctoring and retake value.
Official New York State sources
Frequently asked questions
How long is the qualifying course?
The current New York salesperson qualifying course contains 77 hours of education.
Does the 77-hour course expire?
If it has not yet been applied toward a license, New York says the qualifying course is valid for eight years. Once applied toward a license, it does not expire for upgrade purposes.
Is the course exam the state exam?
No. Completing the qualifying course does not replace the separate New York State salesperson examination.
STUDY WHILE YOU TAKE THE COURSE
Practice the subjects in the 77-hour curriculum.
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License Ready NY is an independent educational resource and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the New York State Department of State. Confirm current education and licensing requirements with NYS DOS.