Becoming an Arkansas real estate broker is a strong step forward in your career. Not only does this advanced license look great on a resume, it also allows you to work independently, open real estate brokerage firms, and manage other agents within these firms.

Getting the Arkansas Real Estate Broker License is a fairly simple process, but it does require you to complete five steps, and have a few prerequisites before applying or taking the broker’s exam.

This guide covers all of these requirements in a simple, easy-to-understand way that will make this process a breeze.

Arkansas Real Estate Agent vs. Real Estate Broker

Arkansas offers two different types of real estate license: Sales and Broker.

A sales agent’s license is the initial license that real estate agents get in order to sell real estate.

A broker’s license is an advanced license that allows the license holder to operate at a higher level within real estate businesses in Arkansas.

People often confuse sales agents and brokers. A simple way to look at the difference is that holders of the sales agent’s license are called real estate agents, while holders of the broker’s license are called real estate brokers.

Arkansas Real Estate Broker License Requirements

First, to be eligible for a real estate broker’s license, you must meet the prerequisites to become a real estate broker in Arkansas.

These prerequisites are:

• Be an Arkansas resident, unless you were licensed in Arkansas as sales agent or broker in the last two years, or are a licensed broker in another state
• Must be licensed as an active real estate salesperson or broker for a period of not less than 24 months within the previous 48-month period before the date of application
• Must complete 60 hours of real estate education of which 45 must be the Broker Pre-License Course. All classroom hours must be from an accredited post-secondary school or school or organization licensed by Arkansas Real Estate Commission (AREC)

How to Become a Real Estate Broker in Arkansas

Once you meet all the requirements listed above, you can follow these five steps to easily help you get your real estate broker license in Arkansas. 

Step 1: Complete an Arkansas Broker Pre-Licensing Course

The first step to getting your real estate broker license in Arkansas is to complete 60 hours of real estate education of which 45 must be the AREC-developed Broker Pre-License Course.

All classroom hours must be from an accredited school or organization licensed by AREC.

These real estate courses mostly cover the fundamentals of working in real estate and must be completed within three years of your broker’s license application. This requirement is divided into two sections:

The required 60 classroom hours of qualifying real estate courses, including the following mandatory courses are:

• Interests in Real Estate
• Forms of Real Estate Ownership
• Legal Descriptions
• Liens
• Real Estate Contracts
• Transfer of Title
• Title Records
• Real Estate Finance Principles/Practices
• Leases
• Real Estate Appraisal Land-Use Controls and Property Development
• Fair Housing and Ethical Practices
• Real Estate Commission Laws and Rules
• Math Concepts

To fully satisfy your qualifying broker requirements, a new broker must complete the 30 classroom hour AREC post-licensure course within six months after getting your license.

Newly licensed brokers wanting to upgrade to Executive or Principal Broker must complete qualifying post licensing courses acceptable to AREC or approved Continuing Education (CE) courses.

The approved courses include:

• Real Estate Appraisal
• Real Estate Law
• Real Estate Marketing
• Real Estate Math
• Property Management
• Real Estate Investments
• Residential Inspections for Real Estate Agents

After completing the courses, you must also pass the final broker course exam. The minimum passing grade is 70%. The final pre-license exam is to be supervised by a proctor, whether on-site or online. This is not the same as the state broker exam.

After passing your broker course exam, your pre-license education provider will provide you with your course completion documents. Find out more about submitting your completion documents through AREC’s Contact Page.

Step 2: Get a Fingerprint-Based Background Check

After completing your broker’s pre-licensing requirements, you must undergo a fingerprint-based background check. You must submit a Criminal Background Check (CBC) Identity Verification form to:

Arkansas Real Estate Commission
612 S. Summit St.
Little Rock, AR 72201

You should submit this form before getting fingerprinted.

Once the AREC receives your application and completes the state background check, you will receive a Background Payment Confirmation Form with a Transaction Control Number from the AREC via email or mail.

Then, take a printed copy of your Background Payment Confirmation Form to a Fingerprint Harvester/Live Scan Operator to have your fingerprints taken.

Once fingerprinted, the person that took your prints should fill out the “Fingerprint Harvester/Live Scan Operator Information” portion of the Background Payment Confirmation Form. They will return the form to you, and you need to submit the Background Payment Confirmation Form to the AREC with the Harvester/Live Scan Operator Information.

Send the completed CBC form to AREC via:

Mail: 

Arkansas Real Estate Commission
612 S. Summit St.
Little Rock, AR 72201

Telephone: (501) 683-8010

Fax: (501) 683-8020

Email: Contact Page

Step 3: Pass the Arkansas Real Estate Broker Exam

After completing the steps above, you must take the real estate broker licensing exam via Pearson VUE.

The total fee for the broker exam is $75.

In Arkansas, brokers take the Arkansas Unified Broker examination, which covers both general knowledge concepts and Arkansas-specific content. The exam has 120 scored questions and 10 pretest (unscored) questions. You must complete the Arkansas real estate broker exam within 240 minutes (four hours total).

The passing rate is 70% for the Arkansas Real Estate Broker Exam.

If you happen to fail the exam on your third attempt, you’ll need to complete additional hours of pre-license education courses. You must take 30 hours for failing either the national or state part of the exam or 60 hours for failing both parts of the exam.

For more information on the exam, Pearson VUE provides a Candidate Handbook containing the Arkansas Real Estate Broker Exam Content Outline.

Taking an exam prep course provides you helpful tools and materials, such as quizzes and specific state-only practice exams, to increase your chances of passing your broker license exam the first time.

Step 4: Submit an Arkansas Broker License Application

Once you pass the state broker exam, you can now apply for your license. Along with your broker’s license application, you must attach your proof of completion of pre-license education and fingerprint card (to submit electronically to the Arkansas State Police).

The application fee is $86.25. You must also submit an Application for Arkansas Broker’s License Experience Requirement form detailing that you have gained active work experience in the real estate industry.

Send the forms and fee to the AREC within 90 days after passing your state broker examination.

Mail: 

Arkansas Real Estate Commission
612 S. Summit St.
Little Rock, AR 72201

Telephone: (501) 683-8010

Fax: (501) 683-8020

Email: Contact Page

Step 5: Application Review

After sending in your license application, you will only need to wait for AREC to review and approve your application.

The process should take between 5-7 business days. After this, you should receive a notification from AREC via email or mail with a copy of your broker’s license.

AREC processes license applications the time they receive them. If you have any questions about the status of your application, you should contact AREC at (501) 683-8010.

Congratulations!

Now that you’ve successfully passed the broker licensing exam and obtained your license, there are a few things you need to do to keep your broker license active and updated.

Arkansas Real Estate Broker License Renewal and CE

In Arkansas, real estate licenses expire on December 31 of every calendar year. AREC will send you a renewal notice in the middle of July.

Applications for renewal must be received by the AREC or postmarked by September 30.

You may renew your license online via AREC’s Renewals User Login or submitting the Renewal Form. The renewal fee is $110.

As part of your license renewal, you must complete seven hours of CE. An Arkansas-approved education provider will report your CE records electronically to AREC. If you don’t submit your CE requirements on time, your license will be set on inactive status which you need to pay a $30 fee to activate your license.

Arkansas Post-Licensing Education

Besides the renewal and CE requirements for brokers, you must also complete the 30 classroom hour AREC post-licensure course within six months after the initial date of your licensure. The post-license education requirement is separate from the CE requirement.

If you’re a newly licensed broker requesting status as an Executive or Principal Broker, you must first meet this post-license education requirement before you’re granted this status.

AREC – Arkansas Real Estate Commission

Mailing Address: 

Arkansas Real Estate Commission
612 S. Summit St.
Little Rock, AR 72201

Phone: (501) 683-8010

Fax: (501) 683-8020

Email: Contact Us

Website: https://arec.arkansas.gov/licensing/