How to Become a Real Estate Agent in Manitoba
Manitoba real estate agent licensing: the MREA salesperson course, registration with the Manitoba Securities Commission, and the $400 fee.
How to Become a Real Estate Agent in Quebec
How to become a real estate agent in Quebec: the OACIQ broker licence route, recognized training, the certification exam, and agency attachment.
Applies in: Quebec
The short answer
Quebec has no salesperson licence: to work as a real estate agent in Quebec you become a licensed real estate broker. The regulator is the Organisme d'autoréglementation du courtage immobilier du Québec (OACIQ), which issues broker licences for residential and commercial brokerage. The route is: pass the OACIQ's record checks, choose residential or commercial brokerage, complete an OACIQ-recognized basic training program, pass the OACIQ certification examination, apply for a licence within 12 months of your results, and get written confirmation from the Certification Department. Then you practise on your own account or on behalf of an agency. Do not import another province's salesperson steps: there is no separate salesperson course, no salesperson exam, and no salesperson licence in Quebec.
Step 1: Pass the OACIQ record checks
To obtain a broker licence, the OACIQ checks your probity: your criminal, penal, and professional conduct record, and bankruptcy. The Licence Issue and Maintenance Committee may refuse to issue a licence or impose restrictions or conditions on it, notably if you have already had a licence revoked, suspended, or made subject to restrictions by a discipline committee or another brokerage regulator, have been convicted of an offence related to brokerage transactions, are under tutorship or a protection mandate, or, in the OACIQ's opinion, lack the necessary probity to ensure public protection. If anything in your record could be a problem, check the OACIQ's disclosure rules before you spend money on training.
Step 2: Choose residential or commercial brokerage
Choose the field you want to practise in — residential brokerage, commercial brokerage, or both. The field sets the basic training program you take and the certification examination you write, because the exam tests the competencies for the right to practise you want. Pick the field before you enrol, since switching fields means different training.
Step 3: Complete OACIQ-recognized basic training
The basic training program you follow must be recognized by the OACIQ. The OACIQ publishes a list of educational institutions offering recognized training. As an example of what the training looks like, the residential real estate brokerage program at Champlain College Saint-Lambert runs ten courses for a total of 585 hours, covers the seven competencies the OACIQ set for new residential brokers, and leads to registration for the residential brokerage certification examination. The exam may be written in English or French; if you write it in English, you will need to prove knowledge of French before a licence is issued. Do not enrol in a program that is not OACIQ-recognized: without recognized training you cannot register for the certification exam.
Step 4: Pass the OACIQ certification examination
Once you have successfully completed the recognized training program, register for the OACIQ certification examination. To pass, you must master all the competencies in the framework for the right to practise you want. Results are available in the Brokers' Area within 30 to 45 days, no results are given over the phone, and the OACIQ sends a notice by email. If you fail, you are entitled to a maximum of three retakes within 12 months of the initial examination. If you fail all retakes, you must wait 12 months after your last retake before you can re-register.
Step 5: Apply for your licence within 12 months
A candidate who has passed the certification examination may apply for a licence within 12 months of receiving the results. Proof of knowledge of French is required when applying if you took the exam in English. Until the licence application has been approved by the OACIQ, it is not advisable to create promotional tools such as a website or business cards. You obtain your licence when you receive written confirmation from the Certification Department — that confirmation, not the exam pass, is the point at which you are licensed.
Step 6: Practise and keep the licence valid
A new broker practises on their own account or on behalf of an agency. A broker licence runs from May 1 to April 30. To keep it valid, no later than April 30 of each year you must pay the applicable fees and update your personal information, and you must complete the Mandatory Continuing Education Program every two years. The annual licence renewal period starts in mid-March and ends on April 30. If you do not meet these obligations, your licence could be suspended or revoked, and you must immediately stop brokerage activities and remove your advertising.
What the opened pages do not state
The opened OACIQ pages state the record checks, the recognized-training requirement, the three retakes within 12 months, the 12-month licence application window, the 30-to-45-day results window, the French proof rule, and the May 1 to April 30 licence year, but they do not publish the basic training fee, the certification exam fee, or the licence fee, so this guide states none of them. The opened OACIQ pages also do not publish an exam pass mark or a fixed exam duration, so this guide states neither. The 585-hour figure is the residential program at one OACIQ-recognized institution, Champlain College Saint-Lambert, not an OACIQ-wide training length, and other institutions' programs differ.
Related guides:
- How to Become a Real Estate Broker in Quebec — the Quebec broker path in detail, including the record checks, training, exam, and licence year.
- How to Become a Real Estate Agent in Ontario — Ontario's salesperson route, which is a different system from Quebec's broker-only model.
- How to Become a Real Estate Agent in New Brunswick — New Brunswick's salesperson licensing route and brokerage requirement.
- How to Get a Contractor Licence in Quebec — Quebec contractor licensing, another Quebec regime with its own regulator and steps.
- How to Get a Liquor Licence in Quebec — Quebec liquor licensing through its own provincial process.
- How to Start Getting Your Driver's Licence in Quebec — Quebec's graduated licensing path for new drivers.
Other duties that keep your licence valid
Paying the annual fees, updating your personal information, and finishing the Mandatory Continuing Education Program are not the only maintenance duties. The OACIQ licence maintenance rules also require brokers to maintain a professional liability insurance policy, honour any training commitment, update their licence photo, maintain a trust account, and comply with the conditions on their licence. If your licence has been suspended or revoked, you also need an email confirmation from the OACIQ before you resume activities. Build these duties into your yearly routine alongside the April 30 renewal deadline.
Becoming a real estate broker in Quebec, in six steps
- Pass the OACIQ record checksThe OACIQ checks your probity: criminal, penal, and professional conduct record, and bankruptcy.
- Choose residential or commercial brokerageThe field you choose sets the basic training program you take and the certification exam you write.
- Complete OACIQ-recognized basic trainingTake a basic training program recognized by the OACIQ, for example a residential brokerage program of 585 hours.
- Pass the OACIQ certification examinationRegister for and pass the exam once training is complete. Results arrive in the Brokers' Area within 30 to 45 days.
- Apply for your licence within 12 monthsSubmit the licence application within 12 months of receiving your exam results, with proof of knowledge of French if you wrote in English.
- Get written confirmation and join an agencyObtain written confirmation from the Certification Department, then practise on your own account or on behalf of an agency.
Questions people ask
Is there a salesperson licence in Quebec?
No. Quebec does not have a separate real estate salesperson licence. To work as a real estate agent in Quebec you hold a real estate broker licence issued by the Organisme d'autoréglementation du courtage immobilier du Québec, the OACIQ, and you practise on your own account or on behalf of a real estate agency.
What does the OACIQ check before I can become a broker?
The OACIQ checks your probity: your criminal, penal, and professional conduct record, and bankruptcy. The Licence Issue and Maintenance Committee can refuse a licence or impose restrictions or conditions if, for example, you have had a licence revoked, have been convicted of an offence related to brokerage transactions, or are under tutorship or a protection mandate.
What training do I need to become a real estate broker in Quebec?
You must complete a basic training program recognized by the OACIQ in the field you choose, residential or commercial brokerage. For example, the residential brokerage program at Champlain College Saint-Lambert runs ten courses for a total of 585 hours and covers the seven competencies the OACIQ set for new residential brokers.
What happens if I fail the OACIQ certification exam?
You are entitled to a maximum of three retakes within 12 months of the initial examination. If you fail all retakes, you must wait 12 months after your last retake before you can re-register. Results are available in the Brokers' Area within 30 to 45 days, and no results are given over the phone.
Do I need to prove I know French to get a Quebec broker licence?
Yes, if you wrote the OACIQ certification exam in English. Proof of knowledge of French is required when you apply for the licence in that case. The exam itself may be written in English or French.
How long is a Quebec real estate broker licence valid?
A broker licence runs from May 1 to April 30 each year. To keep it valid you must pay the applicable fees, update your personal information, and complete the Mandatory Continuing Education Program every two years. The annual renewal period starts in mid-March and ends on April 30.
Sources
- OACIQ, Steps to follow to become a broker — the record checks, choosing a field, proof of knowledge of French, recognized basic training, the certification examination, and the licence application.
- OACIQ, Steps to becoming a broker and obligation to maintain licence — the 30-to-45-day results window, the three retakes within 12 months, the 12-month application window, the French proof rule, the May 1 to April 30 licence year, the renewal period, and the continuing education requirement.
- Champlain College Saint-Lambert, Residential Real Estate Brokerage — the OACIQ-recognized residential program of ten courses and 585 hours, the seven competencies, and the exam in English or French with French proof required.