The Oregon Real Estate Agency is the state government agency responsible for regulating real estate professionals and real estate licensing in Oregon. It establishes licensing standards, administers applications and renewals, oversees required education, maintains licensing records, and enforces laws and rules designed to protect the public. If you’re preparing to become licensed in Oregon, explore LEAP’s real estate licensing courses to see current course availability and online education options.

The Agency affects nearly every Oregon real estate transaction. Individuals who want to become brokers, principal brokers, or property managers must meet requirements established by the Agency. Consumers can use Agency resources to check license information, understand professional responsibilities, and submit regulatory concerns.

What the Oregon Real Estate Agency Is

The Oregon Real Estate Agency is Oregon’s central regulator for licensed real estate activity. Its work is based on state statutes and administrative rules governing real estate professionals and their business practices.

The Agency’s responsibilities include:

• Processing real estate license applications
• Administering license renewals and inactive-status procedures
• Managing the eLicense system
• Establishing education and examination requirements
• Approving or certifying qualifying education providers
• Coordinating licensing examinations
• Requiring fingerprints and background checks
• Investigating potential violations
• Enforcing real estate laws and administrative rules
• Publishing guidance for applicants, licensees, and the public

The Agency does not act as a brokerage, represent buyers or sellers, or resolve ordinary contract disputes in the same way a court might. Its role is regulatory: it sets standards, monitors compliance, and takes action when licensed activity may violate Oregon requirements.

Why the Agency Matters

Real estate transactions involve significant financial commitments and legal obligations. Oregon’s regulatory system helps ensure that people performing licensed real estate services meet baseline standards for education, testing, supervision, and ongoing professional development.

For consumers, the Agency provides:

• A public licensing and regulatory framework
• A way to verify whether a professional is licensed
• Rules governing the conduct of brokers, principal brokers, and property managers
• A process for reporting possible violations
• Ongoing oversight of license status and continuing education

For applicants and licensees, the Agency is the primary authority on whether they may legally perform real estate activity in Oregon. Completing a private course or passing an examination does not, by itself, authorize someone to practice.

Oregon Real Estate License Categories

Oregon’s real estate licensing structure includes several professional roles.

Broker

The broker license is Oregon’s entry-level real estate license. A broker may perform licensed real estate activity while associated with and supervised by a managing principal broker.

Principal Broker

A principal broker has a higher level of education and licensing qualification than a broker. Principal brokers may perform real estate activity and may take on supervisory or management responsibilities, depending on their role and business structure.

Property Manager

Property managers are also regulated by the Oregon Real Estate Agency. Their licensing requirements and continuing-education obligations differ in some respects from those applying to brokers and principal brokers, but they remain subject to Agency oversight.

Applicants should always confirm the current requirements for the specific license category they seek before enrolling in education or submitting an application.

Becoming a Licensed Oregon Broker

The Agency’s broker-licensing process generally requires an applicant to complete several steps.

Applicants typically must:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Have a high school diploma, GED, or an accepted equivalent
• Create an account in the Agency’s eLicense system
• Submit a broker application and pay the required fee
• Complete the required pre-license education through an approved school
• Pass the required sections of the Oregon broker examination
• Complete fingerprinting and a background check
• Associate with a managing principal broker before the license becomes active

Oregon requires 150 hours of broker pre-license education through an Agency-approved school. Applicants should confirm that a school and course are approved before enrolling, because education from an unapproved provider may not satisfy the licensing requirement.

The application process is handled through eLicense. Applicants should monitor their account and email for instructions, identification numbers, examination eligibility, and any additional requirements communicated by the Agency.

Education and Examination Oversight

The Oregon Real Estate Agency determines what education qualifies for licensing and continuing-education purposes. This gives the Agency control over the minimum knowledge applicants and licensees must demonstrate.

Pre-license education is intended to prepare applicants for both the licensing examination and the responsibilities of real estate practice. Topics may include:

• Oregon real estate law and administrative rules
• Agency relationships and fiduciary duties
• Contracts and transaction procedures
• Real estate finance
• Property ownership and transfer
• Valuation and market analysis
• Land-use concepts
• Brokerage operations
• Professional conduct

After completing the education requirement and receiving examination eligibility, an applicant schedules the licensing examination with the state’s testing provider. Passing the examination is only one part of the process; applicants must also satisfy the application, fingerprinting, background-check, and brokerage-association requirements.

Supervision Through a Managing Principal Broker

A newly licensed Oregon broker does not generally operate as an independent real estate professional. Before the license can be issued or activated, the broker must associate with a managing principal broker.

This structure creates a supervisory relationship within the brokerage. It also gives applicants an important decision beyond simply passing the exam: choosing a brokerage that provides appropriate training, oversight, and compliance support.

Applicants may want to compare:

• Supervision and mentorship
• Commission and fee arrangements
• Training programs
• Transaction support
• Technology systems
• Office policies
• Compliance procedures
• Opportunities for professional development

Consumers may also benefit from understanding this structure because it helps identify the brokerage and supervising principal broker connected to an individual broker.

License Renewal and Continuing Education

The Agency regulates the renewal of active Oregon real estate licenses. Brokers, principal brokers, and property managers generally must complete 30 hours of continuing education for each active license renewal.

For a first active renewal, a broker generally must complete:

• The applicable Broker Advanced Practices course
• The Law and Rule Required Course, commonly called LARRC

For later active renewals, licensees generally must complete the required LARRC and enough additional eligible education to reach 30 total hours.

Oregon’s requirements changed beginning January 1, 2026, when a Fair Housing course became part of the continuing-education requirements for active renewals. The Agency’s updated guidance explains how the Fair Housing, LARRC, and advanced-practices hours fit within the 30-hour total.

Licensees should check the requirements that apply to their specific renewal date and license status rather than relying on older course descriptions or prior renewal rules.

eLicense and Continuing-Education Records

The Agency uses its eLicense system for many licensing services, including applications, renewals, and continuing-education reporting.

Before renewing an active license, a licensee must enter qualifying course information into eLicense. The Agency also requires licensees to retain certificates of attendance for three years after renewal or reactivation and may audit continuing-education records.

A practical recordkeeping system should include:

• Course titles and provider names
• Completion dates
• Certificates of attendance
• Renewal and expiration dates
• Copies of correspondence with the Agency
• Confirmation that reported hours appear in eLicense

Education completed outside the applicable renewal period may not count, and excess hours generally cannot be carried forward to a later renewal period.

Active, Inactive, and Expired Licenses

Oregon license status affects what a professional may legally do.

An active license permits the licensee to perform the licensed activity within the limits of the license and applicable supervision requirements. An inactive license generally does not permit the person to conduct licensed activity, even though the license may remain eligible for later reactivation.

The continuing-education rules can also differ by status. The Agency states that continuing education is not required at the time an inactive license is renewed, but education may be required before the license is reactivated.

Licensees should not continue practicing after expiration or while inactive unless the Agency has confirmed that the person is legally authorized to do so.

How Consumers Can Use the Agency

Consumers should consider using the Oregon Real Estate Agency’s resources before hiring a real estate professional.

Useful steps include:

1. Verify the professional’s license status through the Agency’s licensing resources.
2. Confirm the person’s licensed role, such as broker or principal broker.
3. Identify the affiliated brokerage and managing principal broker when relevant.
4. Ask questions about representation, fees, and professional responsibilities.
5. Keep transaction records and written communications.
6. Contact the Agency if there is a potential licensing or regulatory violation.

The Agency’s regulatory process is not a substitute for legal advice. Contract interpretation, title issues, damages, and other private disputes may require assistance from an attorney or another qualified professional.

How Applicants Should Work With the Agency

Applicants can reduce delays by treating the Agency’s instructions as the controlling source for licensing requirements.

A useful sequence is:

1. Review the Agency’s current broker-licensing requirements.
2. Create an eLicense account.
3. Submit the application and pay the required fee.
4. Enroll in an approved 150-hour broker pre-license course.
5. Complete the education requirement.
6. Schedule and pass the required examination sections.
7. Complete fingerprinting and the background check.
8. Associate with a managing principal broker.
9. Monitor license status and Agency communications.
10. Track the license expiration date and future continuing-education requirements.

Applicants should verify fees, testing procedures, processing times, and documentation requirements directly with the Agency because administrative requirements can change.

Choosing an Oregon Real Estate Course

A real estate course is useful only if it satisfies the Oregon Real Estate Agency’s current education requirements. Prospective brokers should confirm:

• The provider is approved by the Agency.
• The course is specifically intended to meet Oregon’s broker pre-license requirement.
• The course includes the required 150 hours.
• Completion is reported or documented in the manner required by the Agency.
• The provider explains how students receive proof of completion.
• Course information is current and aligned with Oregon law and rules.

A course can prepare an applicant for the examination, but the Agency—not the education provider—controls licensing eligibility and issuance.

The Agency’s Role in Public Protection

The Oregon Real Estate Agency protects the public by combining licensing, education, supervision, renewal, and enforcement functions in one regulatory system.

Its work helps establish:

• Minimum qualifications for entry into the profession
• Ongoing education standards
• Accountability for licensed professionals
• Public access to licensing information
• Regulatory procedures for potential violations
• Clear consequences for practicing without proper authority

The Agency cannot eliminate every risk in a real estate transaction, but it provides the legal and administrative framework within which Oregon real estate professionals must operate.

Final Takeaway

The Oregon Real Estate Agency is the key authority for real estate licensing and professional regulation in Oregon. It determines who may enter the profession, what education and testing applicants must complete, how licenses are renewed, and how potential violations are handled.

Applicants should use the Agency’s official requirements throughout the licensing process. Consumers should use its licensing and regulatory resources when evaluating a real estate professional. Understanding the Agency is one of the clearest ways to understand how Oregon’s real estate system protects the public and supports professional accountability.

Authoritative Sources

• Oregon Real Estate Agency: Broker Licensing
• Oregon Real Estate Agency: Licensing
• Oregon Real Estate Agency: New Licensee Information
• Oregon Real Estate Agency: Continuing Education Requirements
• Oregon Real Estate Agency: Continuing Education Recordkeeping Requirements