Real Estate Practice in South Carolina
South Carolina practice includes trust-account rules handled through the broker-in-charge and a mandatory residential property condition disclosure. This chapter covers trust money and seller disclosure duties.
Trust Accounts and Earnest Money
Client funds such as earnest money must be handled through the firm's trust (escrow) account, which the broker-in-charge maintains. A salesperson who receives money must deliver it promptly to the broker-in-charge, and trust funds must be kept separate from personal and business accounts. Commingling or converting trust money is one of the most serious license-law violations.
Residential Property Condition Disclosure
The South Carolina Residential Property Condition Disclosure Act (Title 27, Chapter 50) requires most sellers of residential property to provide the buyer a completed disclosure statement describing the known condition of the property (S.C. Code Ann. §§ 27-50-10 to 27-50-110; the statutory chapter heading is The Residential Property Condition Disclosure Act, without the state name; checked 2026-09-09). The seller is not required to inspect or to warrant the property but must answer honestly on the state form. Licensees must not help conceal known defects.
Advertising and Honest Dealing
Advertising must be truthful and must be conducted in the name of the brokerage; a salesperson may not advertise property independently of the firm. Licensees must disclose known material adverse facts and avoid misrepresentation. Accurate practice protects consumers and reduces the licensee's exposure to complaints and discipline.
State-specific details
State exam facts
- State regulator
- South Carolina Real Estate Commission (LLR)
- Exam vendor
- PSI
- Prelicensing education
- 90 hours (60-hour Unit I + 30-hour Unit II Advanced Principles)
How many prelicensing hours does South Carolina require to become a real estate agent?
South Carolina requires 90 hours: a 60-hour Unit I salesperson course (required before the exam) plus a 30-hour Unit II Advanced Real Estate Principles course (required before license application).
Who licenses real estate agents in South Carolina?
The South Carolina Real Estate Commission, within the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR), licenses salespersons and brokers. The Commission uses PSI to deliver the exam.
How is the South Carolina salesperson exam structured?
The South Carolina salesperson exam is delivered by PSI with a national portion and a South Carolina state portion, scored separately; you must pass both. Confirm the current scored-question counts in the PSI Candidate Information Bulletin.
Practice stays free. The full South Carolina Real Estate Salesperson Exam study guide is the material itself, taught start to finish — a downloadable PDF + EPUB you keep.