Broker and REALTOR®: how to become a Kansas real estate broker

To become a real estate broker in Kansas, you must hold a salesperson license, accumulate at least two years of active licensed experience within the last three years, complete 60 hours of broker pre-license education, pass a two-part licensing exam, and pay $295 in fees to the Kansas Real Estate Commission (KREC). A broker license authorizes independent practice, supervision of salespersons, and brokerage ownership. A REALTOR® is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® who may hold either a salesperson or broker license, and the terms "broker" and "REALTOR®" describe different things.

What a real estate broker is in Kansas

A Kansas real estate broker holds the state's advanced real estate license tier, issued by the Kansas Real Estate Commission (KREC). The broker license allows you to operate a brokerage entity, hold the licenses of affiliated salespersons, and manage trust accounts, per the KREC broker requirements page^[1].

KREC is not affiliated with any REALTOR® association, and joining one is not required to hold or renew a broker license, according to the KREC FAQ^[2].

Who qualifies to become a Kansas broker

Kansas requires broker applicants to be 18 or older and to have completed high school or earned a GED before starting pre-license requirements, per the KREC broker requirements page^[1].

Qualifying activities must have been performed for compensation on behalf of a client or customer. Applicants who served as a supervising broker may count transactions completed by affiliated licensees under their supervision.

Transaction point requirements for a Kansas broker license

KREC uses a transaction point system to verify that applicants have sufficient practical experience. Points are earned per closed transaction within the 36 months preceding the application date. Standard transactions earn 1 point each; commercial or agricultural land transactions exceeding $1,000,000 earn 3 points. Residential property management earns no points, and no more than 10 points may come from transactions in which the applicant had a personal interest.

A restricted broker license prohibits the supervision of any Kansas licensees, per KREC^[1].

Broker pre-license education in Kansas

In-state broker applicants must complete a two-course pre-license education sequence from a KREC-approved provider before applying for a license.

KREC issues exam authorization after you finish the Broker Fundamentals Course. The Broker Fundamentals Course certificate is valid for 12 months after completion, and the Broker Management Course certificate is valid for 6 months after completion, per the KREC pre-license education page^[3]. KREC must receive your license application and Broker Management Course certificate within that 6-month window.

The Kansas broker licensing exam

The Kansas broker exam consists of 120 scored questions: 80 on the national portion and 40 on the state broker portion, per the KREC FAQ^[2]. Pearson VUE administers the exam, and you must receive exam authorization from KREC before scheduling through Pearson VUE's Kansas real estate portal.

You must score at least 70% on each section to pass, per the Kansas Association of REALTORS® broker pre-license guide^[4]. If you pass one section but fail the other, you retake only the failed section, but both passing scores must fall within a 6-month window from the earliest pass date. Exam scores expire 6 months after the pass date, and KREC must receive your application within that period or you must retake the exam.

The exam fee is $70 when both portions are scheduled together, whether on a first attempt or a retake, per the Pearson VUE Kansas Real Estate Candidate Handbook (published April 2025). If you schedule the state and national portions separately, the fee is $70 per portion. You pay Pearson VUE directly at the time of reservation. Pearson VUE also publishes a Candidate Handbook and Content Outlines as free PDF downloads that detail exam topics.

Applying for your Kansas broker license

Broker applicants pay $295 to KREC, broken down as a $50 application fee, a $70 fingerprint and background check fee, and a $175 license fee, per the KREC FAQ^[2]. If you plan to open your own company rather than affiliate with an existing brokerage, an additional $100 open company fee applies.

All applicants must submit fingerprints to the Commission pursuant to K.S.A. 58-3039(b)^[5], and the background report is valid for 6 months from the report date. An original broker license cannot be issued on inactive status. You must affiliate with an existing company or open your own before KREC issues the license.

KREC staff processes complete license applications within 7-10 business days of receipt, per the KREC FAQ^[2]. Effective July 1, 2025, pursuant to 2025 HB 2280^[5], all fees related to original licensure and renewal are waived for qualifying military spouses.

Out-of-state applicants for a Kansas broker license

Broker applicants who hold a current broker license in another state follow a modified pathway that reduces the education and exam requirements. They must complete 34 hours of pre-license education, the 30-hour Broker Management Course and a 4-hour Kansas Law Course, rather than the full 60-hour requirement, per KREC^[1]. The Kansas Law Course certificate expires 6 months after completion.

Out-of-state applicants only need to pass the state broker portion of the exam, not the national portion, per KREC^[1]. Kansas does not maintain formal reciprocity agreements with any state, but out-of-state licensees can apply through this endorsement pathway if they hold an equivalent license in their state of residence. No Kansas residency is required to apply, per the KREC FAQ^[2].

After licensure: practicing as a Kansas broker

A Kansas broker license authorizes you to work independently, hire and supervise salespersons, manage trust accounts, and operate a brokerage. Brokers who hold a restricted license cannot supervise other licensees until they meet the full transaction point threshold and upgrade to an unrestricted license.

Broker licenses renew every two years, with continuing education required for active status, per the KREC license renewal page^[6].

If you are ready to begin, confirm your transaction points qualify under KREC's experience thresholds, then enroll in a KREC-approved Broker Fundamentals Course to start the education requirement and trigger exam authorization.