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
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.
Prelicensing Course:
$199-$514
Background Check:
$60
License Application:
$15
Licensing Fee:
$125
Exam Registration:
$82
Exam Retake:
$75
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
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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.
In-person Classes
Wherever you live in Kansas, you should be able to find a real estate school that meets in person during regularly scheduled sessions.
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Our favorite source of in-person real estate classes in Kansas is Career Education Systems. They also offer continuing education and broker prelicensing so you can stick with them throughout your career.
Livestream Classes
Classes that meet online at scheduled times are usually broadcast over Zoom (or another videoconferencing tool).
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Self-paced Online Classes
On-demand real estate classes are extremely popular for those wanting to become real estate agents in Kansas quickly. The course material may be presented in a series of slides, videos, and interactive content.
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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“.
4 Best Kansas Online Real Estate Schools
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
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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
Cost:
$82
Time to Complete:
4 hours
Format:
Computer-based, 110 questions
Bring to the Testing Center:
Two forms of identification, including one current government-issued photo ID that includes your signature
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.
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
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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.
Real Estate Broker vs. Agent: A Head-to-Head Analysis
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.
What’s the Best Real Estate Company to Work For?
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
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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.
Is the Kansas real estate exam hard?
The passing rate for the Kansas Real Estate Salesperson Exam is 70%, meaning more than one-quarter of the people who take it do not pass. Be sure to pay attention during your prelicensing course and take studying seriously. If you put in the proper effort, you should pass on your first attempt. Otherwise, you’ll need to pay $75 to take the test again.
What if I have a real estate license from another state?
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.
Visit the Kansas Real Estate Commission for education and examination requirements tailored to your specific situation. For a better understanding of how states work together to make the licensing process simpler for working agents, check out our article, Real Estate License Reciprocity & Portability: A State-by-State Guide.
How long does it take to become a real estate agent in Kansas?
It usually takes prospective agents two to four months to get their real estate license in Kansas. Most of the time spent getting your license will be in your 60-hour prelicensing course. If you enroll in a scheduled full-time course, you can usually complete your classes pretty quickly.
You might take longer if you decide to work online at your own pace. Self-paced courses, on the other hand, provide you the freedom to fit learning into your busy schedule at work and home. You’ll have to decide on the course format that works best for you.
Can I get my Kansas real estate license online?
Unfortunately, you’ll need to go to one of the exam testing sites to take your Kansas real estate salesperson exam. But the good news is that you can complete the required 60 hours of classwork from the comfort of your home.
Do real estate agents make good money in Kansas?
According to ZipRecruiter, real estate agents make an average of $80,959 in Kansas.
Salary ranges can vary widely depending on the area and many other important factors, including education, certifications, additional skills, and the number of years you’ve spent in your profession.
Other significant details you should consider are brokerage fees and commissions. Usually, this is a fixed percentage between you and your brokerage. Commission is shared between you and your broker based on a negotiated ratio that will be fully outlined in your contract. While this may differ based on several factors, a common commission split is 70% to the agent and 30% to the broker.
What are the pros & cons of becoming a real estate agent in Kansas?
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