Real estate brokers and managing real estate brokers are licensed by the Department of Licensing in the state of Washington.  Under existing statute, real estate brokers and managing brokers must fulfill the following criteria in order to obtain a real estate broker's license:

• be at least 18 years old;
• have a high school diploma or equivalent; and
• complete 90 hours of approved real estate education within two years before applying for the exam, including a 60-hour course in real estate fundamentals, and a 30-hour course in real estate practices.

The real estate education requirements are waived for qualified applicants currently licensed in another state.

To maintain and renew a broker's license, a real estate broker or managing real estate broker must complete an education requirement.  Prior to renewing a broker's license for the first time, a broker must complete 90 hours of education with the following requirements prior to licensure renewal:

• 30 hours of an advanced practices course;
• 30 hours of a real estate law course;
• 3 hours of a current trends and issues in residential/commercial real estate in Washington (CORE) course; and
• 27 hours of elective continuing education courses.

For subsequent renewals, a broker must complete 30 hours of required education in the following:

• 3 hours of CORE education; and
• 27 hours of elective continuing education.

A broker's license must be renewed once every two years.

The education required to obtain or renew a real estate broker or managing broker license must include instruction hours in fair housing as follows:

• three of the 90 hours required for an initial real estate broker license;
• three of the 90 hours required for first renewal of a real estate broker license; and
• three of the 30 hours required for every subsequent renewal of a real estate broker or managing broker license.

 
Any real estate broker or managing broker who did not complete three hours of fair housing training for an initial license and three hours for the first license renewal must complete six hours of fair housing training for the first license renewal after June 1, 2022.

The Department of Licensing is directed to provide more specific training concepts within fair housing education after receiving input from the following entities:

• associations that represent real estate brokers and agents;
• Washington State Commission on African American Affairs;
• Washington State Commission on Hispanic Affairs;
• Governor's Office of Indian Affairs;
• Washington State Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs;
• Washington State Human Rights Commission;
• Governor's Committee on Disability Issues and Employment;
• Washington State LGBTQ Commission; and
• Washington State Housing Finance Commission.