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How to become a real estate agent in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

UPDATE: A current overview of educational requirements can be found here.


The educational model for becoming a real estate agent in the province of Saskatchewan changed on July 1, 2014. This post outlines the new requirements for entry with the most recent costs.


All requirements and prices are valid at the date of publication and are subject to change, without notice, at the discretion of the organizations and associations responsible.


Provincial legislation in Saskatchewan states that anyone wishing to represent members of the public in a real estate trade in Saskatchewan must be registered. The Saskatchewan Real Estate Commission(SREC), an independent, non-government agency, responsible for regulating the real estate industry in Saskatchewan, mandates qualifications for registration.


First of all, people wishing to become registered to trade in real estate as a salesperson must have completed Grade 12, or equivalent.


Secondly, prospective registrants must complete a home study course known as Real Estate as a Professional Career, which is offered by the Association of Saskatchewan Realtors® (ASR). Enrolled students have one full year to complete the program. Before the conclusion of the one-year period, they must present themselves for an examination and obtain a mark of at least 70%.


Once they have completed Real Estate as a Professional Career, prospective registrants must complete the following specialty courses.


  • Residential Real Estate as a Professional Career
  • Commercial Real Estate as a Professional Career
  • Farm Real Estate as a Professional Career

All three of the specialty programs are offered by the ASR on a home study basis. Enrolled students have two full years to complete all three specialty programs. Before the conclusion of the two-year period, they must present themselves for an examination on each program and obtain a mark of at least 70%. Students wishing to practice in the field of property management must also complete the following course. The cost of this course is the same as the other three specialty courses outlined below.


  • Property Management as a Professional Career

Once a person completes the mandatory courses they qualify to apply for registration to trade in real estate within the province of Saskatchewan. An application for registration as a licensed salesperson, signed by an employing broker, must be made to the SREC within two years of successfully completing the chosen specialty course. Applicants must produce proof of having obtained a Grade 12 or equivalent, and a completed criminal record check.


      Cost
MandatoryEducational Courses      
Real Estate as a Professional Career     $1,399.00
Examination Fee (first attempt in included - $155 for additional)     0
Residential Real Estate as a Professional Career     $799.00
Examination Fee (first attempt in included - $155 for additional)     0
Commercial Real Estate as a Professional Career     $799.00
Examination Fee (first attempt in included - $155 for additional)     0
Farm Real Estate as a Professional Career     $799.00
Examination Fee (first attempt in included - $155 for additional)     0
Total Cost for Mandatory Educational Courses     $3,796.00
       
Provincial Licensing and Related      
Registration for Salesperson License     $330.00
Mandatory Errors and Omissions Premium     $255.00
Real Estate Assurance Fund Levy     $100.00
Total Cost for Provincial Licensing and Related     $685.00
       
Other Incidental Costs      
Criminal record check     $25.00
       
Total estimated cost to become a real estate agent in SK.     $4,506.00


You can register for these courses online or at the office of the Association of Saskatchewan REALTORS® located at 2811 Estey Drive in Saskatoon. In addition, within each one-year registration renewal period, all registrants are required to complete mandatory continuing education known as the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Program approved by the Commission and provided by the ASR.

Becoming a REALTOR®

The majority of the real estate companies in Saskatchewan, particularly those located in the urban areas are REALTORS®, and all of the salespeople that they employ must also be REALTORS®. In addition to expanding the potential opportunities that might exist for a real estate registrant, choosing to practice as a REALTOR® also provides access to the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®), a sophisticated system for sharing property information and commissions with other REALTOR® members. In a nutshell, the MLS® provides agents with easy access to a large inventory of homes for sale, and access to a large number of salespeople for the homes an agent may have listed for sale. Agents use this system to cooperate with each other for the aforementioned benefits and typically share commissions when they successfully bring a buyer and seller together to complete a real estate transaction.


Becoming a REALTOR® requires a registrant to become a member of the Saskatoon Region Association of Realtors®, the Association of Saskatchewan Realtors®, and the Canadian Real Estate Association(CREA). Members must commit to conduct their business in accordance with the rules and regulations of each organization, and the Code of Ethics of the CREA. Here are the costs associated with becoming a member of these organizations.


      Total
       
Real Estate Association Joining Dues      
Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS®     $315.00
Association of Saskatchewan REALTORS®     $346.50
Canadian Real Estate Association     $210.00
Total Cost for Real Estate Association Joining Dues     $840.00
       
Annual Real Estate Association Dues      
Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS®     $52.50
Association of Saskatchewan REALTORS®     $346.50
Canadian Real Estate Association (Annual dues & tech fee)     $325.50
Total Cost for Annual Real Estate Association Dues     $724.50
       
Post Licensing Education Requirements      
Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS® New Member Course     $576.45
       
Total additional costs to become a REALTOR®     $2,140.95


That’s a brief overview of what it takes to become a real estate agent in Saskatchewan, and to become a REALTOR® in Saskatoon. If you have questions, or are interested in exploring a career in Saskatoon real estate I’d be happy to hear from you. My contact information is here.

Other resources

Association of Saskatchewan Realtors® website Association of Saskatchewan REALTORS Career Guide (a must-read) Saskatchewan Real Estate Commission website Canadian Real Estate Association website Royal LePage Real Estate Career website Please note that the estimated costs outlined above were valid at the date of publication and are subject to change, without notice, at the discretion of the billing organizations.


Norm Fisher

Royal LePage Vidorra

Comments:

Tim Neudorf on Feb 16, 2017 3:07 PM posted:
Hi, im looking into Real Estate, but is there a demand when the market is good in Saskatoon?
Norm Fisher on Feb 17, 2017 9:09 AM posted:
Hi Tim. Thanks for reading, and for reaching out. I presume that your question intended to ask if there is demand for new real estate agents when the market is not so good, as most perceive to be the case now. I hope I'm understanding you correctly. First of all, real estate brokers (the mucky-mucks who run real estate firms and are responsible for hiring) have repeatedly proven that they will associate with almost anyone who has a real estate license if there's the slightest chance that that individual might be able to sell a few houses and share the proceeds with them. They seem to run on the philosophy that a larger firm is better than a firm with actual standards so you'd have to be a special kind of person to find yourself unable to convince a few brokers to hire you. Taking a broader look at your question let's look at the actual market. In our best year ever, 2014, 6,017 residential properties traded hands in our MLS trading area. Each of those deals offered an opportunity for a buyers agent and a seller's agent, meaning that there were 12,034 opportunities throughout the year. Last year, 2016, was our weakest year in the past five or six. 4,886 properties traded creating 9,772 opportunities. Far fewer, but still lots of work. In fact, our team's overall production grew in the weaker year. Even in a "bad year" there are nearly 10,000 opportunities that any single agent could be a part of. Now, most of the aforementioned brokers will want to convince you that there is a very specific way through which real estate agents find success. Following their instructions will essentially guarantee that you find yourself looking like nearly everyone else with nothing unique to offer. There isn't much "demand" for another real estate agent. On the other hand, if you're the type of person who can think creatively and is not scared to conduct business differently, and work hard at building a business, then you can likely create a demand for your services. Check out this guy's free book which directly deals with "differentiation." It's free (just pay shipping). http://www.agentmarketingsyndicate.com/2dmafreebook/

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