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].
A real estate agent is licensed to help clients buy, sell, or rent property but must work under a broker, who holds the agent's license and supervises their activities. A broker has met additional education, experience, and exam requirements and may work independently, hire agents, and collect commissions directly. In Kansas, a broker applicant must have been licensed as a salesperson and actively engaged for at least 2 of the last 3 years, complete 60 hours of broker pre-license education, and pass both the national and state broker exams. Agents who are not the supervising broker cannot receive compensation directly from a closing agent; payment must go through the broker or the broker's company.
A real estate broker is a licensed professional who has completed additional education, experience, and exam requirements beyond those of a salesperson and is licensed to work independently or employ agents. A REALTOR® is a real estate professional, who may be an agent, broker, or other licensee, and who is also a member of the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) and must follow the NAR Code of Ethics. All REALTORS® are licensed real estate professionals, but not all licensed professionals are REALTORS®.
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].
To become a Kansas real estate broker, you must be at least 18 years old with a high school diploma or equivalent, and have been licensed as a salesperson and actively engaged in real estate activities for at least two of the last three years. In-state applicants must complete 60 hours of pre-license education (a 30-hour Broker Fundamentals Course and a 30-hour Broker Management Course), pass both the national and state broker exams, and submit fingerprints. The total cost to the Kansas Real Estate Commission is $295, comprising a $50 application fee, $70 background fee, and $175 license fee, with an additional $100 fee if you open a new company or branch office. An original license cannot be issued on inactive status, so you must affiliate with an existing company or open your own.
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.
| Years licensed | Minimum points required | License type issued |
|---|---|---|
| 15 or more | 20 | Full broker license |
| 3 or more | 30 | Full broker license |
| 2 or more | 40 | Full broker license |
| 2 or more | 20 to 39 | Restricted broker license |
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.
Broker applicants not licensed in another state must complete 60 hours of pre-license education: a 30-hour Kansas Real Estate Broker Fundamentals Course (valid 12 months from the course date) and a 30-hour Kansas Real Estate Broker Management Course (certificate and application must be received within 6 months of the course date). Broker applicants with a current license in another state complete 34 hours: the 30-hour Broker Management Course plus a 4-hour Kansas Law Course. All broker applicants must also have been actively engaged as a salesperson for at least two of the last three years in activities requiring a real estate license and meet minimum transaction point thresholds.
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.
Yes, the Kansas Real Estate Commission permits pre-license education courses to be taken as classroom or distance education. Approved providers offer courses in online, self-paced, and virtual classroom formats. Applicants must first register in the Commission's Public Portal to obtain a PL number and provide that number to the school upon course registration. The education provider then uploads course completions directly to the pre-license application.
The Kansas Real Estate Commission maintains a directory of approved pre-license education providers on its website. Pre-license courses are available in both classroom and distance (online) formats. Applicants must first register in the KREC Public Portal to obtain a PL number, which must be provided to the school upon course registration.
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.
Pearson VUE, the official exam administrator for Kansas, offers Broker and Sales practice tests for $19.95 covering general real estate topics, though state-specific practice tests are not available. Once purchased, test-takers have 30 days to start the practice test, which is self-administered online through a separate account from the licensure exam. The Pearson VUE Candidate Handbook and Content Outlines are also available as free PDF downloads and detail the topics covered on both the national and state portions of the exam.
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.
Kansas does not issue a separate license for commercial real estate work. The state's salesperson and broker licenses cover all property types, including commercial and agricultural transactions. To become licensed, an applicant must be at least 18 years old, hold a high school diploma or equivalent, complete 60 hours of pre-license education (30-hour Principles of Real Estate and 30-hour Kansas Practice Course), pass the state licensing exam administered by Pearson VUE, and affiliate with a Kansas-licensed broker. The broker license requires prior salesperson experience, including closed commercial or agricultural land transactions valued over $1,000,000, which earn 3 transaction points each toward the experience requirement.
Broker licenses renew every two years, with continuing education required for active status, per the KREC license renewal page[6].
Kansas broker license renewal requires the same 12 hours of continuing education as a salesperson, including at least 3 mandatory hours in the "Kansas Required Core" course and 9 elective hours. The broker renewal fee is $175 on a 2-year cycle, and a $100 late fee applies if the renewal is submitted after the expiration date. An expired license must be renewed within 6 months of expiration or it will be forfeited.
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.
Sources
- KREC — Broker RequirementsGovernmentAugust 2026
- KREC — Kansas Real Estate Commission FAQGovernmentMay 2026
- KREC — Pre-License EducationGovernmentMay 2026
- Kansas Association of Realtors — Broker Pre-LicenseEducationAugust 2026
- KREC — KS Applicants HubGovernmentMay 2026
- KREC — License RenewalGovernmentMay 2026