The real estate profession in Wisconsin is regulated by the Department of Safety and Professional Services. Both brokers and salespersons are required to be licensed, and the process generally entails completing the educational requirements and passing an exam, though it is possible to avoid some of these requirements if you hold a license from another state. In this guide, we'll show you the steps toward getting and keeping your real estate broker's license in Wisconsin.

Obtaining a License

The first thing to understand about becoming a Broker in Wisconsin is that you must first be a licensed real estate salesperson. Our detailed guide to obtaining that license is available here, but the short version is that you must take a course, and then pass a test. There is also an “experience requirement” - if you hold what's known in WI as a “certificate of financial responsibility” and have practiced real estate sales, or alternately hold a salesperson's license and have “40 points” worth of experience in real estate, you satisfy the experience requirement. How to get those points, you ask? Click here for the specifics.

Once you've fulfilled the experience requirements, here's how you can move forward:

• There are two options for satisfying the education requirements. You may take the state’s own pre-licensing program no more than five years prior to application. The program is 72 total hours, and you can find provider lists here. Alternately, you may take a total of twenty semester hour credits in real estate law classes at any accredited institute of higher learning.

• One thing to keep in mind – the broker's course and salesperson's course are different, although each has the same hour requirement, so make sure to sign up for the right one.

• Take and pass the Broker's exam, administered by Pearson VUE. You can sign up here.

• Only after you have completed the course and passed the exam can you apply for licensure, and the application to do so is available here. Be sure to include a 75 dollar check payable to DSPS, along with proof that you completed the required education and passed the exam.

That’s it! Not so bad, huh? Wisconsin also a dual-track system for those who already hold a broker's license in another state. If you have a license from either Indiana or Illinois, you must still pass the WI-specific Pearson exam. You must then supply DSPS with these two forms, a check for 72 dollars, and proof of your license from Indiana or Illinois. Note that there is no education requirement for this process, though you must also show the DSPS that you have fulfilled the above-described experience requirement.

However, if you hold a license from any other state, the process is very similar to the examination process described above, with two exceptions. First, you need only take a three hour pre-licensing course. Second, if you are not a resident of Wisconsin, along with the above-described application materials you must also fill out and hand in this form.

Maintaining a License

Real estate broker licenses in Wisconsin expire on December 14 of every even-numbered year. The renewal process must be done through mail – there is no current online renewal form. You can obtain renewal application forms by calling one of the phone numbers listed here. The renewal fee is 82 dollars, unless you are attempting to renew an expired license, in which case the fee is 107 dollars.

Wisconsin does have a continuing education requirement for its brokers, and the requirements are the for both brokers and salespersons. You just take 3 6-hour course modules by an approved state vendor. While Wisconsin recently allowed a broker to “test out” of this requirement, that law was recently repealed, so everyone hoping to renew their license must complete these courses. You can download all the appropriate forms and find class providers on this page.

Discipline of the real estate profession is also handled by the Department of Safety and Professional Services. Anyone in the state can fill out a general complaint form against not only brokers, but any regulated professional, using this form. Brokers can be suspended or given a warning, or their license can be revoked entirely. While not official, all licensed brokers in Wisconsin agree to abide by the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, which serves as a good guide to ensuring how to avoid disciplinary actions.

One thing to keep in mind is that in April of 2014, the state of Wisconsin passed a new law, which you can read here, addressing criminal convictions of both broker and salesperson applicants. In essence, you must disclose any convictions to the Board, which retains discretion as to whether you shall be admitted. Alternately, you may, prior to application, appeal to the Board to be informed whether your past conviction will bar you from licensure.