To become a real estate agent in Kansas, you are required to complete 60 hours of Kansas Real Estate Commission-approved (KREC) prelicensing education, be fingerprinted for a background check, pass the Kansas real estate exam, affiliate with a sponsoring brokerage, and submit an application. Grab an icy cold concrete mixer and read along to learn the steps of how to become a real estate agent in America’s heartland.
1. Meet Kansas’ Legal Requirements
The state of Kansas has the same general legal requirements to become an agent as other states. You must be at least 18 years old, hold a high school diploma or GED, and be a U.S. citizen or lawfully admitted resident.
If you have a criminal record, you may not be eligible to get a real estate license in Kansas. Per statute K.S.A. 58-3043, the KREC may deny your license if you’ve been convicted of certain felonies or misdemeanors in a certain time frame, especially crimes related to violence or financial transactions. You’ll be required to submit an Offense Report Form along with supplemental documentation for Commission review. For more information, read the FAQs on the KREC website before moving forward with licensing.
Did you know? Kansas does not confirm reciprocity with other states, but if you hold a real estate license in another state, you’re only required to complete 30 hours of prelicensing education, you may waive the national portion of the exam by successfully submitting a Client Exam Waiver to Pearson VUE, and you must complete the Non-Resident Form.
Also, Kansas is a cooperative state in terms of portability. It allows out-of-state real estate agents or brokers to physically enter the state to conduct real estate business. However, for out-of-state agents to work on a real estate transaction, they must have a co-brokerage agreement with a licensee in Kansas. To learn more about real estate license portability in Kansas, check out our guide on real estate license reciprocity and portability.
2. Complete Required Prelicensing Courses
Once you confirm that you meet the legal requirements of Kansas, it’s time to embark on your 60 hours of Kansas prelicensing courses. Classes can be completed in person or at an online real estate school in Kansas with costs ranging from $190 to $295. Principles of Real Estate and Kansas Practice courses are the two required 30-hour course modules, and consist of the following topics:
- Real property characteristics, legal descriptions, and property use
- 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 the Kansas Real Estate Commission
- Licensing requirements
- Requirements governing the activities of licensees
- Prohibited acts
- Brokerage relationships in real estate transactions act
To get started with your real estate education right away, consider courses from The CE Shop. Although there are many accredited online real estate schools, The CE Shop offers self-paced online courses, an easy-to-navigate platform, and interactive activities to prepare you for your Kansas licensing exam.
3. Get Fingerprints & Complete Background Check
All candidates are required to submit fingerprints for a background check to be reviewed by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). You can schedule fingerprinting at a local police department or through an approved Kansas fingerprinting vendor.
From there, you’ll receive a fingerprint card that you must submit to the KREC via mail along with the payment authorization form. Using this form, the $75 fee can be paid via electronic check or by card (credit or debit).
The Kansas Real Estate Commission will receive the background reports within about two weeks and you’ll be notified via email when the background check is completed. Background reports are only valid for six months, so it is important to submit them close to the time you take your exam and submit your real estate license application.
4. Take the Kansas Real Estate Exam
Once you’ve completed your education and fingerprints, it’s time to take and pass your Kansas real estate exam. The exam is divided into two parts (the national and the state portion), both of which you have to pass to move forward with licensing. Since your exam is administered on the computer, you will be given your test results immediately following the examination.
You will receive either a pass or fail score. If you get a passing score, you will get information on how to apply for your license. If you fail, you will receive a numeric score, diagnostic information on categories for improvement, and instructions on how to retake the exam. If you passed one portion of the exam, you will only have to retake the failed portion. You can reschedule your exam 24 hours after your failed attempt, but you must pass the full exam within six months of your first exam attempt or you’ll be required to retake both parts.
Exam Details
Test Format | Multiple choice |
Test Length | 110 questions 80 nationally focused questions 30 state-specific questions |
Time Limit | 4 hours |
Items to Bring to Exam | 2 valid forms of identification with signatures.
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Passing Score | 70% to pass the Kansas Real Estate Salesperson Exam (at least 56/80 on the national portion, and 21/30 on the state portion) |
Pass Rate | Unfortunately, unlike other states, Kansas does not publish its average passing rate |
Schedule Your Exam
The Kansas real estate exam is administered by Pearson VUE, a national computer-based testing provider. To begin scheduling, you’ll create an account on the Pearson VUE website to get access to their scheduling portal. You’ll also receive a copy of the Kansas Candidate Handbook with additional testing information. The fee to take the exam is $82 and can be paid directly on the website using a credit or debit card, voucher, or electronic check. The fee to retake the exam is $75.
Unfortunately, Kansas doesn’t post their average passing rate for the real estate exam, but you still want to be prepared to ace it on your first attempt. We recommend Real Estate Exam Scholar for a comprehensive exam prep course at the affordable price of $39 for six months of access. Even better, it also offers a money-back guarantee if you don’t pass on the first try.
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5. Pick a Company to Work For
In order to hold an active license in Kansas, you must find a sponsoring brokerage with which to affiliate your license. To make your choice a little bit easier, check out our in-depth guide on choosing the right real estate company to work for.
Although there are many successful brokerages in The Sunflower State, below you’ll find the top five brokerages in Kansas as reported for 2021.
| Rank | Team Name | Company | City | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | The Huff Group | Keller Williams Realty | Overland Park | $147,085,642.40 |
2 | Group O'Dell | Keller Williams Realty | Overland Park | $104,096,069.30 |
3 | The Carnahan Group | ReeceNichols South Central Kansas | Wichita | $94,345,327.57 |
4 | The Butler Group | Keller Williams Realty | Overland Park | $55,391,597.66 |
5 | Thrive Real Estate KC, LLC | Keller Williams Realty | Prairie Village | $52,702,332.00 |
(Source: Real Trends 2021)
Kansas Cities With the Highest Median Sales Price 2021
A higher sales price means a higher commission check in your pocket. To get a sense of which cities are bringing in the bucks for Kansas real estate agents, check out this sales data from Towncharts.com below:
Rank | City | Median Home Value |
|---|---|---|
1 | $963,600 | |
2 | $463,200 | |
3 | $376,700 | |
4 | $290,600 | |
5 | $276,100 | |
6 | $260,900 | |
7 | $240,600 | |
8 | $238,100 | |
9 | $237,500 | |
10 | $227,800 |
6. Apply for Your Kansas License
Once you pass your exam, you’ll be provided with a copy of the Kansas real estate license application to complete and submit along with the following documentation:
- Certificate(s) of completion for prelicense education
- Payment of $125 salesperson license fee (paid via check, money order, or electronic payment form)
- Application Addendum (if applying after July 1, 2021)
- Nonresident Form and Certification of License History (if licensed in another state)
- Criminal Offense Form and associated documentation (if applicable)
These forms can be submitted via email or fax (785-296-1771) to the KREC. To ensure you’ve completed all of your licensing requirements, review the KREC Salesperson Pre-Licensing Checklist before submitting your application.
7. Start Your Real Estate Career
Now that you’ve learned how to become a real estate agent in Kansas, you’re ready to start your real estate journey. For more information, take a look at our Top 25 New Real Estate Agent Tips from the Pros or 14 Real Estate Agent Tips for 2021 to jump-start your career.