Maryland-Real-Estate-Salesperson Real Estate Maryland Real Estate Salesperson Examination Free Practice Exam Questions (2025 Updated)

Earnest money is a good-faith deposit tendered by the buyer with an offer to purchase, demonstrating the buyer’s commitment and providing liquidated damages/security per the contract terms. The deposit is typically held in a broker or title/escrow trust account and is credited to the buyer at closing or disbursed according to the contract if the transaction does not close.

Under Maryland landlord-tenant law, the landlord must return the tenant’s security deposit, with any required interest, within 45 days after the end of the tenancy, less any permissible deductions for unpaid rent or damages beyond ordinary wear and tear. The landlord must also provide an itemized statement of any deductions. The 45-day deadline is statutory and is emphasized in Maryland pre-licensing instruction within property management and leasing modules.

References (Maryland Sources / Pre-Licensing Core Content):

Maryland Real Property Article §8-203 (Security Deposits) — return within 45 days; interest; itemization of deductions.

Maryland 60-Hour Pre-Licensing Course: “Leases and Property Management” (security deposits; deadlines; itemized statements).

Maryland’s Property Condition Disclosure Law requires residential sellers to deliver the Maryland Residential Property Disclosure and Disclaimer Statement to a prospective purchaser on or before the time the buyer enters into a contract of sale. This timing ensures the buyer receives statutory condition information before becoming contractually bound, and failure to provide it timely can trigger buyer rights to rescind.

A corporation is a single legal entity, separate from its shareholders. When it holds title to real property, ownership is in severalty, meaning “sole” ownership by one legal person. Unlike joint tenancy or tenancy in common, there are no co-owners in severalty; the corporate entity alone holds all rights of ownership. This principle is highlighted in the ownership portion of the Maryland pre-licensing curriculum.

The loan-to-value (LTV) ratio compares the loan amount to the property’s appraised value or purchase price, whichever is less. An LTV of 90/100 (or 90%) means the borrower’s loan equals 90% of the property’s value, and the borrower provides a 10% down payment.

Lenders use the LTV ratio to assess risk and determine if mortgage insurance is required. Maryland’s pre-licensing course explains this formula in the “Real Estate Financing” section under “Loan Underwriting and Ratios.”

Maryland law establishes that the Maryland Real Estate Commission has nine members: five must be licensed real estate professionals (one from each of Maryland’s five geographic regions) and four must be consumer members who are not engaged in the real estate business. This composition ensures both industry expertise and public representation. The pre-licensing course presents this under Maryland License Law and MREC structure, aligning with the Maryland Business Occupations and Professions Article, Title 17 (§17-202).

In Maryland, licensees must disclose material facts that are adverse, that they actually know, and that are physical to the property or the transaction—even to customers (non-clients). The MAAP framework (Material, Adverse, Actually known, Physical) is taught in pre-licensing to help practitioners decide what must be disclosed and to distinguish disclosable facts from confidential information or client motivations that must be protected. Examples include known structural defects, roof leaks, or latent physical conditions. This aligns with Maryland’s duties of honesty, disclosure of material facts, and prohibition against misrepresentation.

References (Maryland Pre-Licensing Core Content):

Maryland 60-Hour Course: “Real Estate Brokerage and the Law of Agency” (brokerage duties to clients and customers; disclosure vs. confidentiality; MAAP decision tool).

COMAR 09.11.02 (standards of practice: honesty; disclosure of material facts; avoidance of misrepresentation).

Business Occupations & Professions, Title 17 (grounds for discipline related to disclosure and misrepresentation).

In the “Math for Real Estate and Practical Applications” portion, area and measurement conversions are foundational. An acre is defined as 43,560 square feet. Option B (“43,560 feet”) is incorrect because it omits the necessary square unit. The course emphasizes accurate units and conversions for calculations involving land area, price-per-square-foot/acre, and legal descriptions.

References (Course Outline/Study Topics): Maryland 60-Hour Principles and Practices of Real Estate — “Math for Real Estate” (Area/acre conversions; unit accuracy).

A group boycott occurs when two or more competitors conspire to refuse to deal with another firm or individual, thereby attempting to eliminate competition.

This is a violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act and the Clayton Act, both covered in the “Ethics and Antitrust” section of the Maryland pre-licensing course.

Examples include two brokerages agreeing not to cooperate with a third brokerage or to exclude another licensee from access to listings.

Maryland law and the National Association of REALTORS® Code of Ethics prohibit any conduct that restricts trade or limits consumer choice.

Reference (Maryland Source):

– Maryland 60-Hour Principles and Practices Course, Fair Housing and Ethics / Antitrust section.

– Sherman Antitrust Act (15 U.S.C. §1).

– Clayton Antitrust Act (15 U.S.C. §12–27).

When an agency relationship ends (expiration, completion, mutual agreement, or termination), certain duties survive: chiefly confidentiality (protecting client confidences and motivations) and accounting (proper handling and return of money, keys, and documents; final accounting for trust funds). Duties such as loyalty and reasonable skill and care do not continue after termination.

References (Maryland Pre-Licensing Core Content):

Maryland 60-Hour Course: “Maryland Agency Law” (scope of fiduciary duties; duties that survive agency termination).

COMAR 09.11.02 (confidentiality and accounting obligations).

Real property is real estate (land and improvements) plus the bundle of rights (interests, benefits, and rights inherent in ownership), such as possession, control, enjoyment, exclusion, and disposition.

Land refers to the earth’s surface, subsurface, and airspace (naturally occurring).

An estate is a degree, quantity, nature, or extent of interest in real property (e.g., fee simple, life estate).

Personal property (chattel) is movable and not affixed to real estate.

References (Pre-Licensing Core Content):

Maryland 60-Hour Pre-Licensing Course: “Real Property and the Law” (definitions of land, real estate, real property, personal property; bundle of rights).

Common-law property definitions widely adopted in real estate education.

Under Section 1031 of the Internal Revenue Code, an investor may defer recognition of capital gains taxes by exchanging one investment or business property for another of like kind.

This is known as a 1031 tax-deferred exchange.

The Maryland pre-licensing course covers this as a financing and investment concept, explaining that it defers, not eliminates, the tax obligation and that investors must comply with strict timelines and rules set by the IRS.

Licensees should avoid offering tax advice but can inform clients of the potential to explore this option with a qualified tax professional or attorney.

Reference (Maryland Source):

– Maryland 60-Hour Principles and Practices Course, Investment and Taxation Concepts section.

– Internal Revenue Code §1031 (Like-Kind Exchanges).

In settlement prorations, prepaid items (e.g., prepaid property taxes or HOA dues) are credited to the seller and debited to the buyer, because the seller has paid for a period that extends beyond the closing date, and the buyer reimburses the seller for the buyer’s post-closing share. Conversely, accrued but unpaid items (e.g., the current year’s unpaid property taxes) are debited to the seller and credited to the buyer. The Maryland course teaches these conventions in the Closing and Math sections.

A tax-deferred exchange, also known as a 1031 exchange, allows investors to exchange one qualifying investment or business property for another “like-kind” property and defer payment of capital gains taxes until the new property is sold.

This provision falls under Internal Revenue Code §1031.

In the Maryland pre-licensing curriculum, this is explained under the “Real Estate Financing and Investment” section to show how investors legally postpone capital gains recognition by following IRS guidelines.

A sole proprietor in Maryland may operate under their personal legal name or under a trade name that has been properly registered with the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT).

If a trade name is used, it must be clearly disclosed in all brokerage advertising and license registration records with the MREC.

This ensures public transparency and compliance with Maryland’s real estate advertising and licensing requirements.

The buyer determines the amount of the earnest money deposit, since it is the buyer’s good-faith indication of intent to perform under the contract.

The licensee can explain customary local practices and typical deposit amounts but may not set or require a specific figure.

The offer, including the deposit amount, becomes binding only when accepted by the seller.

This is emphasized in the Contracts and Offer Preparation module, which explains that the buyer controls all offer terms, including price, contingencies, and deposit.

Reference (Maryland Source):

– Maryland 60-Hour Principles and Practices Course, Real Estate Contracts section.

– Business Occupations and Professions Article §17-322 (Improper Brokerage Practices).

The agency module explains that agency may be created by express agreement (written or verbal) or by implication through conduct. When parties act as if an agency relationship exists—for example, a licensee regularly advising and assisting buyers without a signed agreement—this can form implied agency. Because no express (written or oral) agreement exists in this scenario, the relationship described is implied agency, created by the parties’ behavior and course of dealings.

A land trust is a type of living trust in which real property is the only asset placed into the trust.

Under a land trust, the trustee (fiduciary) holds legal title to the property, while the beneficiary retains the rights to control, manage, and receive income or proceeds from the property.

The Maryland pre-licensing course explains that land trusts are commonly used for privacy, estate planning, and avoiding probate, since the property is owned and transferred through the trust rather than by individual deed.

A real property exchange, often called a 1031 exchange, allows investors to defer paying capital gains taxes when swapping one investment property for another of like kind. However, if the transaction does not meet IRS requirements or if “boot” (cash or non-like-kind property) is received, the gain becomes taxable. The Maryland course identifies taxable gains as the main drawback when the exchange fails to fully qualify for deferral.