Kansas Bans Dual Agency. The Exam Tests the Alternative.

Kansas is one of the only states that bans dual agency entirely, and the exam tests every scenario where candidates assume dual agency is legal with consent.

The KREC governs real estate licensing in Kansas. The Pearson VUE exam tests 70 state specific questions alongside 80 national questions, with a minimum passing score of 70%. The dual agency prohibition under Kansas BRRETA, the transaction brokerage structure that replaces it, and the written compensation disclosure requirement are the three areas where Kansas law diverges most sharply from what national prep courses teach. Candidates who enter the exam assuming dual agency is an option in any Kansas transaction are already starting with a wrong premise. Let me break this down, because the Kansas framework is actually cleaner than most states once you understand what replaced dual agency.

BRRETA

Kansas borrowed BRRETA's name from Georgia but wrote a fundamentally different statute, one that prohibits dual agency outright rather than defining duties within it. That prohibition is the starting point for understanding the entire Kansas agency framework, and most national courses treat it as a footnote. Here's the thing most people miss: same acronym, completely different law. The exam will test the Kansas version, not Georgia's.

Kansas prohibits dual agency entirely, instead requiring a transition to transaction brokerage when both sides are involved, a rule that catches every candidate who assumes dual agency is legal with consent.

Kansas's BRRETA statute borrowed its name from Georgia's law but operates differently. Missouri governs agency relationships through the Broker Disclosure Act instead, and Colorado mandates specific commission-drafted forms. Both test a different set of rules from what Kansas BRRETA requires.

The Pearson VUE exam will present a scenario where a single brokerage works with both the buyer and the seller. Know that this scenario can't produce dual agency in Kansas. It produces transaction brokerage. Know the disclosure requirement that triggers the transition, and know that client consent doesn't make dual agency legal in Kansas the way it does in neighboring states. The KREC exam tests the prohibition itself, not just awareness that the statute exists.

Transaction Brokerage

Transaction brokerage in Kansas functions as a neutral facilitation role. The broker assists both parties without representing or advocating for either, and the confidentiality obligation around price willingness and motivation is what the Pearson VUE exam tests most precisely.

Because Kansas bans dual agency, transaction brokerage becomes the default when a single firm works with both buyer and seller, the broker must maintain confidentiality about price willingness and motivation while never advocating for either party.

Know exactly what a transaction broker in Kansas can and can't do. The broker can present offers, provide information, and assist with paperwork. The broker can't advise one party on negotiation strategy, share what the other party would accept, or take any action that constitutes advocacy. The KREC exam will test whether a described action falls within the transaction broker role or crosses into representation, and the confidentiality around price and motivation is where the line is most frequently drawn.

Disclosure of Compensation

Kansas requires the compensation disclosure in writing before the licensee provides brokerage services. Not at the time of listing, not at the time of offer, but before services begin. That timing requirement is tighter than most candidates expect, and a verbal agreement doesn't satisfy it.

Kansas requires written agreements disclosing exact compensation arrangements before a licensee provides brokerage services, the exam tests timing and whether verbal agreements suffice (they do not).

Know that "before brokerage services" is the operative standard. Kansas doesn't permit compensation to be disclosed retroactively or ratified verbally after the fact. The Pearson VUE exam will test whether a given compensation arrangement was properly disclosed at the right moment. Candidates who answer based on when a written listing agreement was signed, rather than when brokerage services first began, miss the timing question every time. Why did the Kansas broker insist on paperwork before showing a single property? Because the KREC doesn't accept "we had a verbal understanding." (Neither does the exam.)