Ohio REALTORS Testifies on Changes to Occupational Licensing Reforms
Pictured (from left): Stephen Ciacchi, Anastasia Kotkovskaya, Brian Whitta, and Andrew Huffman at the Ohio Statehouse on December 4, 2024.
Ohio REALTORS® Legislative Steering Committee Chair Brian Whitta once again testified before the Senate Government Oversight Committee on House Bill (HB) 238, bringing a compelling case for occupational license updates that balance accessibility with maintaining professional standards in the real estate industry.
Key highlights from Brian’s testimony:
- Removing barriers for brokers: HB 238 proposes to eliminate Ohio’s unique requirement for brokers to complete two years of postsecondary education. This has long been an obstacle for experienced real estate salespeople who want to advance to the broker role.
- Expanding educational access: The bill also has a provision to remove the requirement for real estate schools to offer college credits, a change that will allow more institutions to provide pre-licensing education. This shift will increase competition among providers, lower costs, and improve outcomes for students – all while maintaining strict oversight through the State Board of Career Colleges and Schools.
- Maintaining rigorous standards: Ohio REALTORS® continues to advocate against reducing Ohio’s 120-hour pre-licensing education requirement. In his testimony, Brian shared:
Ohio has a robust real estate industry consisting of approximately 50,000 licensed salespeople. This is more than nearly any of our surrounding states and is comparable to the number of licensees in Pennsylvania. In other words, Ohio’s educational requirements are not impeding access into the industry, but they do ensure that new licensees are qualified and subject matter experts. Reducing the hours of pre-licensing education will instead result in lower test passage rates on the real estate exam, which currently hover just above 50%. This will require more applicants to pay to retake the exam, only increasing their costs before being licensed.
- Focus on curriculum quality: Instead of lowering the bar, Ohio REALTORS® advocates improving the curriculum and delivery of pre-licensing education. Brian emphasized that ensuring high-quality training equips real estate professionals to handle intricate transactions with confidence.
As HB 238 continues through the legislative process, Ohio REALTORS® remains committed to advocating for changes that support both education and professionalism and ensure that real estate professionals are well-prepared to serve clients with integrity and expertise.
Additional information about HB 238 can be found here:
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