Most licensing guides stop at "pass the test." This one doesn't.
We'll walk you through every step of getting your NH license—the deadlines that trip people up, the exam strategies that work, the costs nobody mentions—and then we'll keep going. Because the real question isn't "how do I get licensed?" It's "how do I build a career that actually works?"
That's where Bean Group comes in. We've helped hundreds of agents launch and grow across New England, and we've learned exactly where new agents get stuck—and how to keep them moving.
Spring market is coming — most agents complete licensing in 60-90 days
Let's start with the part that surprises most people: New Hampshire doesn't let you binge-watch videos and call it education.
Unlike states where pre-licensing is a self-paced online course you can knock out in a weekend, NH requires at least 32 of your 40 education hours to be live instruction. Only 8 hours can be distance learning. That's not a suggestion—it's the rule.
This actually works in your favor. Live instruction means you can ask questions, work through scenarios, and start building relationships with people in the business. The agents who treat pre-licensing like a box to check tend to struggle later. The ones who lean in—who take notes, ask about real situations, and start thinking like practitioners—hit the ground running.
The licensing process itself has five steps. None of them are hard, but each one has a deadline that can cost you months if you miss it. Here's the map.
Background check + basic requirements
The basics are straightforward: you need to be 18 or older and able to pass a background check.
The background piece runs through the NH State Police, costs around $47, and takes time to process. This is where we see the first unnecessary delays. People finish their education, pass their exam, and then wait weeks for background clearance because they didn't submit it early enough.
Bean Tip: Start your background check while you're still in pre-licensing. Get it moving in the background (literally) so it's not the thing that holds up your license.
32 hours live + 8 hours distance learning max
You'll choose an NH-approved real estate school and complete 40 hours of education. Remember: at least 32 of those hours must be live, either in a classroom or via live virtual instruction.
Looking for the best NH real estate school options?
Get December 2025 RecommendationsThink of pre-licensing as your first investment in your business, not a hurdle to clear.
Most people finish pre-licensing in two to six weeks, depending on the schedule they choose. Full-time students can move faster. Working professionals often take evening or weekend classes.
Critical 3-month deadline applies
Once you've completed your education, you'll register for the state exam through the NH Real Estate Commission and pay your exam fee—$67 for your first attempt.
⚠️ Critical Deadline: You must take the exam within three months of the Commission receiving your registration.
That window sounds generous until life gets busy. People register, intend to study "next week," and suddenly they're scrambling to schedule before their window closes—or worse, they miss it entirely and have to re-register.
NH uses PSI as their testing vendor. Once you're approved, you'll schedule online through PSI's system. Don't wait. Book your date as soon as you're approved, then build your study plan backward from that date.
National + State portions
The NH real estate exam has two parts: national and state. You need to pass both.
The national portion covers the fundamentals—agency relationships, contracts, real estate finance, fair housing, property ownership, land use controls. These concepts apply everywhere.
The state portion focuses on New Hampshire specifically—our disclosure requirements, agency rules, license law, how compensation works in our market. This is where your pre-licensing education really matters, especially if you paid attention to the NH-specific material.
Most people need one to two weeks of focused study after finishing their education. Here's the approach that works:
Days 1-3: National Fundamentals
Refresh concepts that appear across every state exam—agency, contracts, fair housing, basic finance calculations.
Days 4-7: NH-Specific Material
Review class notes on state disclosure requirements, agency rules, and license law. Do practice questions focused on state content.
Days 8-12: Mixed Practice
Take timed practice exams blending national and state questions. Review only what you get wrong—this is where your remaining study time should focus.
Days 13-14: Final Prep
Target weak spots, simulate exam conditions with a final practice test, then rest before exam day.
Exam Day Strategy: Work in two passes. First pass: answer everything you know confidently. Second pass: return to flagged questions with remaining time. Don't get stuck on calculation problems early—secure the legal and agency questions first.
6-month deadline to affiliate
You passed. Congratulations—but you're not done yet.
You need to submit your license application to the NH Real Estate Commission and affiliate with a sponsoring broker. This must happen within six months of passing your exam. Miss that deadline and you're retaking the test.
This is also the moment that determines the trajectory of your career.
The brokerage you choose affects everything: the training you receive, the mentorship available to you, your access to leads and technology, how fast you close your first deal, and what your business looks like five years from now.
Most new agents fixate on commission splits. That's understandable—you want to keep as much of what you earn as possible. But splits are the wrong thing to optimize for when you're starting out.
The right question isn't "what's my split?" It's "how fast will I get to my first closing, and what support will I have along the way?"
Here's something most licensing guides won't tell you: passing the exam is the easy part.
The hard part is building a business. And in your first year, your brokerage is either accelerating that process or leaving you to figure it out alone.
When we talk to agents who struggled in their first year—or left the business entirely—the pattern is almost always the same. They chose a brokerage based on splits or name recognition, showed up on day one, and found themselves with a login to some systems, a stack of paperwork, and not much else. Maybe there were "optional trainings" they could attend. Maybe a broker they could call "if they had questions." Maybe a mentor in name only.
At Bean Group, we operate inside eXp Realty specifically because it gives us the infrastructure to support agents at scale—training, technology, mentorship—without the overhead that forces traditional brokerages to take bigger splits or charge more fees.
eXp runs more than sixty hours of live training every week through eXp University. Not recordings you'll never watch—live sessions across every skill area: contracts, lead generation, negotiation, market expertise, building a database, running open houses, mastering buyer consultations.
When you join, you don't just get access to a library. You get a structured path. The "New to eXp" roadmap walks you through exactly what to learn and when.
But here's what makes Bean different: We layer local acceleration on top of the eXp platform. NH-specific onboarding. A 90-day runway that tells you exactly what to do each week. Buyer agreement practice before you need it live. Scripts that work in New Hampshire, not scripts written for agents in Texas.
eXp's Mentor Program isn't optional for agents who need support—it's required. And it's not a phone number to call if you're confused. It's a structured curriculum with a designated mentor who walks through your first transactions with you.
Your mentor reviews your actual contracts. Helps you navigate inspection issues. Coaches you through negotiations when things get tense.
At Bean, we extend that further. Our team stays close to new agents through their ramp-up period. When you have a question at 9 PM before a morning showing, you'll get an answer.
One of the most underrated parts of eXp is what's included in your fees versus what costs extra.
As of July 2025, eXp launched "CRM of Choice"—agents can now choose their CRM platform from multiple options, including a rebuilt kvCORE/BoldTrail, all included in standard fees. You're not paying $500/month extra for a system you need to run your business.
eXp World gives you a virtual campus for training, meetings, and collaboration. The marketing center provides templates and tools. Transaction management is built in. The tech stack matters because it removes friction.
Here's where eXp diverges from traditional real estate. Beyond competitive commission splits with a clear cap structure, eXp offers two wealth-building components that don't exist at most brokerages.
Earn leveraged income when you attract other agents to eXp. As those agents produce, you earn a percentage of their contribution—across seven tiers.
Earn EXPI stock at meaningful milestones: your first transaction, when you cap, on anniversaries. You can also elect to receive part of your commission in stock at a discount.
Bean Group exists within this structure. When you succeed, we succeed. When you attract great agents, we all benefit. That alignment matters more than most people realize when choosing a brokerage.
The real estate business you're entering isn't the same one that existed a few years ago. Two shifts in particular affect how you'll operate.
As of August 17, 2024, NAR practice changes require a written buyer agreement before you tour homes with a buyer—at least for REALTORS® participating under the new framework.
This isn't a technicality. It changes how you start relationships with buyers. You need to explain your value clearly before you get in the car. Compensation conversations happen early, not at closing. Buyers are more likely to interview multiple agents before choosing one.
At Bean, we train buyer agreement conversations as a foundational skill. You'll practice handling questions, presenting your value, and discussing compensation before you're sitting across from a real client hoping you don't say the wrong thing.
Your first-year goal isn't to become famous or build a massive social media following. It's to be consistent.
Bean's 90-day runway is built around these habits. We don't just tell you "go prospect." We give you the daily activities, the scripts, the weekly checkpoints, and the accountability that keeps you on track when motivation fades.
Nobody should start this process without understanding the financial commitment. Here's the real picture.
Are you 100% committed to a real estate career?
Apply for a ScholarshipTotal licensing costs: $500 - $900 depending on your choices
This is where people get surprised. A license lets you practice, but you'll have ongoing costs to actually run your business.
At eXp, there's no desk fee—you're not paying for a physical office you may never use. The tech stack is included in your standard fees, which eliminates a meaningful expense that agents at other brokerages pay separately.
Budget realistically: Between licensing and first-year business costs, plan for $2,000 to $4,000 depending on your approach and market. This is an investment in building your business.
You did the work. You passed. You're licensed. Now you need to stay that way.
New Hampshire requires fifteen hours of continuing education every two years, including a three-hour core course. That's the ongoing requirement.
⚠️ First Renewal Warning: Your first renewal has an extra step that catches many new agents off guard. You'll likely need twelve hours of post-licensing education plus the core course for that initial renewal. People forget about this, let the deadline slip, and suddenly they're scrambling—or worse, they go inactive.
The day you get your license, put your renewal deadline on the calendar. Build in a buffer. Complete your CE early rather than late. Your license is your ability to earn—protect it.
You now know more about getting your NH real estate license than most people do when they actually apply.
The question is: what do you want to build?
If you want to get licensed, plug into real training on day one, have a mentor who cares about your first deals, follow a system that actually works, and build toward something bigger than just your next commission check—we should talk.
No pressure. No hard sell. Just a real conversation about where you are, where you want to go, and whether Bean is the right fit to help you get there.