Illinois Agency Law

# Illinois Agency Law ## Why This Matters on the Exam Illinois agency law is one of the highest-weighted topics on the IL RE Salesperson exam, accounting for roughly 12% of questions. Mastering the five relationship types, fiduciary duties, disclosure timing, and the new written-agreement requirements of SB 3740 is essential to passing. --- ## The Big Picture: What Is Agency? Agency is a legal relationship in which one party (the agent) is authorized to act on behalf of another party (the principal or client). In Illinois real estate, RELA 2000 — the Real Estate License Act of 2000, 225 ILCS 454 — governs all agency relationships. RELA 2000 is administered by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR). A person a licensee is working with but does NOT represent is called a customer (as opposed to a client). Clients receive fiduciary duties; customers receive honest, fair dealing. ### Illinois License Education Requirements — Sourced from IDFPR (2026-06-29) | License Level | Pre-License Education | Regulator | |---|---|---| | Broker | 75 hours in approved curriculum | IDFPR | | Managing Broker | 45 hours in approved curriculum (upgrade from broker) | IDFPR | | Leasing Agent | 15 hours in approved curriculum | IDFPR | CE (Broker renewals): 12 hours per 2-year cycle — 6 core hours (including a mandatory 2 hours of fair housing) + 6 elective hours. *Source: IDFPR Real Estate page — idfpr.illinois.gov/profs/realest.html (verified 2026-06-29)* > **Note for…