J,
Having been licensed in Illinois and Texas, I found the license fees here in Texas onerous. Similarly the board fees are much higher than you might expect around Illinois.
As to the test, the exam here was moderately more difficult, but if you are licensed in Illinois, the exam will be much easier to master than if you never studied real estate. I am not a fan of being tested on useless trivia like the year of the 1864 Civil Rights Act. But Illinois had some trivia in it, too.
Apartment locators work pretty hard and, while they can make a living, there is no upside. If, for example, a renter comes in a says I need to rent now and buy later. You won't be participating in the purchase commission. For the level of commission per transaction you will be doing a lot of transactions as an apartment locator. - Sat Nov 21 2009, 10:48