How to verify a real estate license in Georgia

The five professions and where to check them

Real estate agents and brokers (GREC)

GREC “administers the license law that regulates brokers, salespersons, and community association managers.” Its public search page at ata.grec.state.ga.us lets you choose Find a Real Estate Agent or Find a Company. You can search by last name, first name, license number, city or firm name.

A salesperson works with a broker, so check both the person and the firm. GREC’s licensing pages describe an inactive status, so confirm that the license is current and active, not just that a record exists.

GREC also publishes lists of current suspensions and current revocations on its disciplinary-actions page.

Mortgage loan originators (NMLS)

Georgia’s Department of Banking and Finance says to verify a mortgage company or individual with NMLS Consumer Access. “The most accurate way to search is by using the company’s or individual’s NMLS number.” If the person is licensed in Georgia, Georgia appears under State Licenses/Registrations, with Yes in the “Authorized to Conduct Business” column.

Two details matter:

• Loan originators employed by banks, savings associations, credit unions or Farm Credit System institutions do not hold a state license. They must register with the federal registry, so they show up in NMLS as federally registered.
• The Department no longer runs administrative-action searches on its own site. Final orders appear in the Regulatory Actions section of the NMLS record.

Home inspectors (no state license)

Georgia’s Secretary of State lists the state’s professional licensing boards, and none of them covers home inspectors. GREC regulates brokers, salespersons and community association managers, and staffs the appraisers board. It has no role over inspectors.

A 2026 bill, House Bill 1305, would create a “Home Inspector Licensing Act of Georgia” with licensing beginning January 1, 2028. The Office of Legislative Counsel’s summary of acts enacted in 2026 does not list it, so I did not treat it as law. Until a license exists, ask an inspector for proof of insurance, a sample report and references. Georgia does not give you a database to confirm credentials. The home inspection cost guide explains what to expect.

Appraisers (state board and national registry)

Georgia appraisers hold one of five classifications: registered, trainee, licensed, certified residential or certified general. Search them on the same GREC page under Find an Appraiser.

Then cross-check the ASC National Registry, which lists “certified and licensed appraisers” authorized by a state to perform appraisals in federally related transactions. State agencies update it at least monthly, and the ASC says it has not independently verified what states submit. If they disagree, contact the state agency, which supplies the registry’s data. See the home appraisal cost guide.

Land surveyors (PELS)

Surveying in Georgia “requires professional licensure,” per O.C.G.A. § 43-15-2(6) as quoted by the board. The Georgia Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors Board runs a License Search of “licensed engineers and land surveyors” on its website, pels.georgia.gov. Check the surveyor’s name and license status there. The land survey cost guide explains what a survey includes.

What to do if a license is expired or suspended

1. Do not hire or pay a deposit. Ask for the correct license number and look it up again.
2. Check for discipline. Use GREC’s suspension and revocation lists, and the NMLS Regulatory Actions section.
3. Report it. GREC has request-an-investigation forms for the Real Estate Commission and for the Appraisers Board. The Department of Banking and Finance takes consumer complaints about mortgage licensees (see its Mortgage Division contacts page). For surveyors, contact the PELS board.