From its vast hills and rolling prairies to its welcoming communities and affordable cost of living, Kansas is an attractive place to live—and an even better place to begin your journey as a real estate professional. But in order to connect residents of the Sunflower State with the properties of their dreams, you’ll need to first learn how to get your real estate license. 

And that’s where we come in. Follow these five easy steps, and you’ll be launching your career in Kansas real estate in no time.

How to Become a Real Estate Agent in Kansas

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How to Become a Real Estate Agent in Kansas
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Complete a 60-Hour Prelicensing Course
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Complete a Background Check
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Schedule & Pass the Kansas Real Estate Salesperson Exam
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Find a Sponsoring Broker to Hire You
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Complete the Licensing Process

How Much Does It Cost to Get a Real Estate License in Kansas?

It costs approximately $650 to get your real estate license in Kansas, including your prelicensing education. Some of the costs are fixed, such as the state’s licensing and exam fees, and others vary. 

While you don’t need a college degree to become a real estate agent in Kansas, you must complete the state-specific licensing process. The price of the required 60-hour prelicensing courses (and optional exam prep materials) will vary depending on the provider you choose.

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Quick Facts
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Prelicensing Course:

$199-$514

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Background Check:

$60

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License Application:

$15

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Licensing Fee:

$125

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Exam Registration:

$82

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Exam Retake:

$75

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Total Costs:

$481-$871

(Kansas real estate license costs as of June 2023)

How to Get a Kansas Real Estate Agent License in 5 Easy Steps

Before you begin, let’s make sure you’re eligible. Kansas requires those seeking a real estate sales associate designation to:

  • Be at least 18 years old
  • Be a United States citizen or lawful permanent resident
  • Have a high school diploma or equivalent 
  • Not have been convicted of certain felonies (as detailed in Kansas law 58-3043) within a specific time frame

If you are a licensed attorney, have a degree in real estate, or have a real estate license in another state, you may be able to waive some of your licensing requirements. 

Kansas is one of the few states that does not have reciprocal agreements with any other states; however, existing real estate agents from other states can use their previous education and experience to speed up the licensing process. For example, out-of-state applicants are only required to complete 30 hours of prelicensing education instead of the full 60, and they can also waive the national portion of the Kansas Real Estate Salesperson Exam by submitting a Client Exam Waiver Form to Pearson VUE, the official exam administrator for Kansas. Finally, they must complete the Non-Resident Form as well.

Visit the Kansas Real Estate Commission (KREC) for education and examination requirements tailored to your specific situation. 

Ready to learn more about how to become a real estate agent in Kansas? Here are the steps you’ll need to follow:

1. Complete a 60-hour Prelicensing Course

  • Cost: $199-$514
  • Time commitment: 2-5 weeks

Prelicensing courses kick off your real estate career, and you’ll have your choice of completing them online or in person, depending on your learning style and what suits your schedule best.

The amount of time you’ll need comes down to how much class time you allot per week. If you approach it like a 40-hour workweek, you’ll finish in less than two weeks. 

The coursework consists of two modules: a 30-hour Principles of Real Estate Course and a 30-hour Kansas Real Estate Practice Course. The former covers basic real estate, while the latter covers state-specific information. 

(As mentioned above, out-of-state applicants may be able to waive the Principles of Real Estate Course.) 

Prelicensing courses will often include extra features like exam prep, instructor support, and career resources. Visit The Close’s guide to real estate schools in Kansas to find the best prelicensing course for you. 

The state of Kansas requires 60 hours of coursework before sitting for the licensing exam. You’ll learn:

  • Real property characteristics, legal descriptions, and uses
  • Forms of ownership, transfer, and recording of title
  • Property value and appraisal
  • Real estate contracts and agency
  • Real estate practice
  • Property disclosures and environmental issues
  • Financing and settlement
  • Real estate math calculations
  • Duties and powers of KREC
  • Licensing requirements
  • Requirements governing the activities of licensees
  • Prohibited acts
  • Brokerage relationships in real estate transactions

You’ll need the help of a highly rated Kansas real estate school to get through this weighty material. Most people choose a real estate school based on the cost and the educational format of the course. Here are the most popular options in terms of course design.




If you’re looking for a self-paced experience, we like Colibri Real Estate’s online platform best. They also happen to be featured in our national round-up of the best online real estate schools.

Readers of The Close can get 30% off tuition at Colibri using coupon code “TheClose30“.

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After you complete your coursework, you must pass the course’s final exam. The course exam will test your newfound knowledge of real estate law and principles. A passing score of 90% or greater is required to move on to the next step. 

A copy of this practice course certificate must be sent to KREC as part of your application. The certificate is valid for six months from the issue date, which means you must pass the state licensing exam within six months of passing your course exam.

2. Complete a Background Check

  • Cost: $75
  • Time commitment: 1-2 weeks

The Kansas Real Estate Commission requires that all applicants initiate a background check before becoming a licensed real estate agent. To begin this process, have your fingerprints taken from an accredited agency offering print services in Kansas. 

From there, you’ll receive a fingerprint card that you must submit to KREC via mail along with the payment authorization form. Using this form, you’ll pay the $75 fee via electronic check or credit card.

KREC will review any findings in your background report to ensure your eligibility. During this process, they may reach out to you to obtain additional information or documentation to clear up any findings.

Please note that your background check is only good for six months. You can send the criminal history report to KREC before or at the same time you submit the license application. Because of this and the course test certificate expiration, KREC advises you to time your submission carefully. Visit the KREC page on fingerprinting for more information.

3. Schedule & Pass the Kansas Real Estate Salesperson Exam

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Quick Facts
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Cost:

$82

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Time to Complete:

4 hours

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Format:

Computer-based, 110 questions

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Bring to the Testing Center:

Two forms of identification, including one current government-issued photo ID that includes your signature

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Passing Grade:

70%

After you’ve completed your prelicensing education, it’s time to take the Kansas Real Estate Salesperson Exam. Candidates must go to Pearson VUE and create an account to make a reservation. The cost of the exam is $82.

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How to Study for the Real Estate Exam: Tips & Strategies

The exam is an in-person, proctored test administered via computer. It consists of two parts that review state and national real estate laws, respectively. There are 110 multiple-choice questions altogether: 80 questions in the national portion and 30 additional questions in the state portion. You will have 240 minutes, or four hours, to complete the entire exam. 

A passing score for the Kansas Real Estate Salesperson Exam is 56 questions correct out of 80 for the national section and 21 correct answers out of 30 for the state portion, or 70%. There is no limit to the number of times you can retake the exam, but you will have to pay $75 for the privilege. 

You should arrive 30 minutes early at the testing site. Pearson VUE’s Kansas Real Estate Candidate Handbook outlines the types of government-issued identification they’ll accept. There’s also a lengthy list of items you’re prohibited from bringing to the exam room (including common items like hats, pens, and cell phones).

Testing sites for the Kansas real estate exam are located in the following cities:

  • Hays
  • Overland Park
  • Topeka
  • Wichita
  • Kansas City, Missouri

As soon as you’re done with the multiple-choice exam, you’ll learn whether you passed or failed. If you don’t pass, you’ll be given a detailed score report that will help you prepare for the retake. Keep this report—Pearson VUE suggests you bring it when you retake the exam. Again, you can take the exam as many times as you’d like, but you will have to pay $75 each time.

4. Find a Sponsoring Broker to Hire You

  • Cost: Free
  • Time commitment: 1-2 weeks

To hold an active real estate license in Kansas, you must find a sponsoring brokerage with which to affiliate your license. A broker has received additional training, worked in the industry for at least two years, and passed the broker’s license exam.

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Finding a brokerage will feel like applying for a job. Once you’ve landed some broker interviews, you’ll want to ask each broker about the split (or how you and the brokerage will divide sales commissions). You’ll find that some brokerages will ask for a 50-50 split on commissions. Usually, brokerages that offer an even split will not charge monthly desk fees.

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As you evaluate your options, remember that, as a commissioned salesperson, your income entirely depends on your abilities and effort. Some brokerages may offer you 70% of your commissions, a ratio that may rise to 100% after you’ve met a specific sales goal (or cap) for the year. 

It’s important to be realistic about your earning potential in the first year. It takes time to launch your new business. Some new agents choose to work part time so they can still bring in additional revenue as they’re learning the ropes. And if your brokerage does charge fees, you’ll have to pay them regardless of whether you’re closing deals or not.

Here are some questions to consider during your broker search:

  • What is their reputation, both locally and nationally?
  • What kind of real estate agents are they looking for?
  • Are they technologically advanced and up to date with the latest systems?
  • How do they support their agents with education and training?
  • What kind of commission structure do they offer?
  • Do they offer benefits?
  • Do they provide agents with leads and marketing material?
  • Is there room to grow with the brokerage?

5. Complete the Licensing Process

  • Cost: $125
  • Time commitment: 1-2 weeks

The final step is a simple one. With all the above tasks completed, prepare your materials to apply for that hard-earned salesperson license. This license allows you to handle real estate transactions, including buying and selling properties, as well as manage the rental process.

Once you have passed the exam, submit the license application documents provided by Pearson VUE to KREC along with your certificates of completion of prelicensing education, payment of the $125 salesperson license fee and, if applicable, a Nonresident Form and Certification of License History from any state you are currently or formerly licensed in. 

These forms can be submitted electronically to KREC. We love that KREC put together this prelicensing checklist to ensure applicants complete all the requirements.

You have six months from the date you pass the exam to submit the application. If you wait too long and your documents expire, you might have to start over.

Upon successful application review by KREC, you will be recognized as a real estate salesperson in Kansas.

How to Become a Real Estate Agent in Kansas: FAQs 

Still not sure about the path forward? Get answers to common questions about how to get a real estate license in Kansas below.







More Career Resources From The Close

​​Now that you’ve learned how to become a real estate agent in Kansas, you’re likely to have more questions. Luckily, The Close is here to answer them for you.

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