Becoming a Real Estate Instructor in Illinois: A Rewarding Career Change

Are you ready to take your real estate career to the next level? Do you enjoy mentoring new brokers? Do you want to earn a good living from a flexible profession? Becoming a real estate educator in Illinois might be the career shift you’re looking for!

Real estate instructors are in high demand in Illinois, with over 500 positions open across the state (as of April 2025). And these industry educators earn good money, averaging between $78,242 and $109,973 per year - with no college degree required.

This article will explain the basics of becoming a real estate instructor in Illinois, including:

• The licensing requirements for IL real estate instructors,

• How to transition into teaching real estate courses, and

• How to grow your new career as a real estate instructor.

Illinois Real Estate Licensing Requirements

Real estate instructors in Illinois are licensed by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR).

IDFPR offers two different real estate instructor licenses:

1. The Pre-License Instructor License: Authorizes you to teach pre-licensure courses to students who want to become real estate brokers.

2. The Continuing Education Instructor License: Authorizes you to teach continuing education courses to active real estate brokers.

Each license has different requirements.

Requirements to Become a Pre-License Real Estate Instructor in IL

To become a pre-license real estate educator in IL, you need to:

• Pass the IL real estate instructors exam. The exam covers both national and state-specific topics, and you need a score of at least 75% to pass.

• Demonstrate expertise in real estate by meeting at least one of the following four criteria:

  • Holding an active broker or managing broker license for the immediately preceding two years

  • Being admitted to the practice of law by the Supreme Court of Illinois

  • Teaching for a minimum period of two years

  • Showing the IDFPR that your professional background and experience have provided you with the expertise to teach real estate

Complete a 12-hour instructor development course. This course must be approved by the Department of Real Estate and administered over two or more days. The course consists of six hours of instructor training and development plus six hours devoted to teaching the content of pre-license courses.

Requirements to Become a Continuing Education Real Estate Instructor in IL

To become a continuing education real estate educator in IL, you need to:

• Complete a 6-hour instructor development course. This course must be approved by the IDFPR. Notably, certification from the International Distance Education Certification Center (IDECC) and the Illinois Real Estate Educational Foundation do not meet this requirement.

• Demonstrate expertise in real estate by meeting at least one of the following six criteria:

  • Be licensed and active as a broker or managing broker for the immediately preceding three years

  • Be currently admitted to practice law, and have been engaged in real estate-related legal work or teaching pre-license courses for the immediately preceding three years

  • Be a credentialed real estate course instructor engaged in teaching for the immediately preceding three years or hold a professional designation, such as a designated real estate instructor (DREI) credential

  • Be approved by a college or university to teach a real estate degree program

  • Be licensed or certified as a real estate appraiser, mortgage loan originator, home inspector, auctioneer, or public accountant for the immediately preceding three years

  • Be qualified by additional teaching experience, real estate experience, plus any real estate, business, or legal education, at the discretion of IDFPR.

How to Apply for Your Illinois Real Estate Instructor License

You can apply for your IL real estate instructor license by:

1. Passing your exam (if you are applying as a pre-license education instructor). You can contact the test provider, PSI, to schedule the exam.

2. Completing the required coursework through an approved course provider.

3. Completing the application for your chosen licensure (the pre-license or continuing education license, or both) through the IDFPR online portal.

4. Paying the license application fee. As of 2025, the initial application fee for pre-license education instructors is $150, and the initial application fee for continuing education instructors is $100.

Real Estate Teaching Opportunities in Illinois

Real estate instructors are employed in multiple educational environments, including:

• University campuses or online programs

• Community college campuses or online programs

• Private real estate schools with courses in person or online

• Online platforms that provide real estate education primarily via mobile applications

With these different environments, you can design a lifestyle that appeals to you. You might prefer to work on a college campus, meeting students face-to-face and engaging with other professors. Or you might prefer the flexibility of working from home, reviewing students’ work and responding to their inquiries while perhaps working a “day job” or raising a family.

You can look for teaching opportunities with local educational providers or search for job openings online through sites like Indeed, LinkedIn, and Glassdoor.

Showcase your real estate experience, plus any mentorship, leadership, presentation, or teaching experience, on your resume to attract potential employers.

Transitioning into a Real Estate Instructor Role

For most real estate instructors, the transition from the previous career is fairly straightforward. After all, as an industry expert, you already know the subject matter. Your professional experience with real estate principles and Illinois-specific real estate law serves as the base for your new career. And, if you have experience in real estate sales, as many real estate instructors do, you’re probably a strong communicator, skilled at connecting with people.

Now you just need to line up your knowledge and communication skills to present the course materials in a way that resonates with your new students. Your state-required instructor courses will help you develop strategies to engage your students so they can retain the knowledge you share with them.

Professional Development Opportunities as a Real Estate Instructor

As you adjust to your new role as a real estate educator, you can continue to grow professionally in the industry.

Start by staying current on industry changes and maintaining your license to continue teaching. License renewals are due every two years and can be completed online through the same IDFPR portal in which you apply for your original license. Renewal fees are due at each renewal period (fees are currently $300 for pre-license instructors and $200 for continuing education instructors).

Real estate instructors also have a unique opportunity to establish their own real estate education businesses! You can start your own real estate school or online platform. Or differentiate yourself as a real estate coach with the licensure to properly train other real estate brokers.

Start Training the Next Generation of Real Estate Professionals

Real estate instructors play a pivotal role in shaping the future of the industry by educating tomorrow’s brokers.

If you’re looking to level up your real estate career while helping students become respected real estate professionals, consider becoming a real estate instructor in Illinois.