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Arizona: what an unlicensed TC can do

What an unlicensed transaction coordinator may do in Arizona, what needs a license, and why an unlicensed assistant may not originate documents.

Yes, you can work as a TC in Arizona without a real estate license.Stick to administrative work under a licensed agent and their broker, and leave anything that needs a license to them. Here's where the line is.

Arizona infographic for unlicensed transaction coordinators: clerical tasks allowed under the direct supervision and employment of an Arizona licensee, and four things not permitted: originating documents, giving advice, pricing or opinions of value, negotiating, and procuring prospects.

What you can do without a license

ADRE's policy statement describes an unlicensed assistant working under the direct supervision and employment of an Arizona licensee, and the employing broker must have written policies so assistants don't do anything that needs a license.

You can do (no license needed)

Do clerical and administrative work for the licensee: filing, copying, mailing and scanning.
Answer phones and forward calls.
Write down callers' information for the licensee.
Run personal errands for the licensee, such as picking up or buying office supplies.
Do routine property errands such as refilling flyer boxes or checking that signs are still standing.
Collect rent and related fees in person for the broker or salesperson as part of clerical duties, and give a receipt.

Needs a license

Originate documents.
Give a consumer advice, pricing or opinions of value.
Give advice about a property or transaction, or negotiate with anyone about one.
Help procure or direct the procuring of prospects for a sale, exchange, lease or rental, unless a statutory exemption applies.
Be advertised in a way that suggests you are licensed.
Withdraw money from the broker's trust account, except in the narrow property-management case the policy describes.

Filling in a contract is originating a documentADRE's list of what an unlicensed assistant "shall not" do starts with "Originate documents." A purchase agreement, counter offer or addendum is a document that has to come from the licensee. You can file, copy, scan and send what your agent has prepared.

A practical example

You can:: Scan and file a signed addendum your agent sent you.
Refer to the agent:: Draft or fill in a new addendum. Your agent originates it.

Staying on the right side of the rules

Broker responsibility

ADRE says the employing broker is responsible for having written policies and procedures so that unlicensed assistants don't perform acts that need a license or get advertised as if licensed (A.R.S. § 32-2165).

Penalty for unlicensed activity

Under A.R.S. § 32-2165(A), a person who acts as a broker or salesperson, or advertises as licensed, without a license is guilty of a class 6 felony.

Advisory status

ADRE's substantive policy statement is advisory only. The statutes it cites (A.R.S. Title 32, Chapter 20) are what carry penalties.

How Closima handles it

Closima asks once whether you hold an Arizona license. If you don't, purchase agreements and addenda go to your agent with a link: they check every value and complete the form, and Closima records that a licensee completed it. If you do, you fill them in yourself and send them to your agent for approval before they go out. Everything else (deadlines, documents, emails, other forms) works as usual.

Thinking about a license?

You don't need one to work as a TC in Arizona. A license lets you also do the work in the "Needs a license" column, under a broker. Here's what's involved:

Arizona requires a 90-hour salesperson pre-licensing course plus a 6-hour contract writing course before you apply. You must pass both the general and state-specific exams with Pearson VUE, apply within one year of passing, and hold a Fingerprint Clearance Card from the Arizona Department of Public Safety. A salesperson works on behalf of a licensed broker; a license not tied to a broker is inactive. How to apply.

Resources

How to obtain a licenseADRE's starting point for original and out-of-state real estate licenses.
Salesperson license requirementsThe documents you need to apply: exam scores, course certificates and fingerprint card.
ADRE public database: individual license searchCheck an agent's or broker's license, employing broker and disciplinary history.
Substantive Policy Statement 2025.02: Unlicensed AssistantsADRE's guidance on what unlicensed assistants may do and how they may be paid.
Laws, rules, policy statements and advisoriesThe Arizona Real Estate Law Book and links to the statutes and administrative code.
Education division and CE FAQsSalespersons need 24 hours of approved CE each two-year renewal (A.R.S. 32-2130).

Questions about what's allowed? Ask the regulator: Arizona Department of Real Estate (ADRE), (602) 771-7700.

Source: Arizona Department of Real Estate, Substantive Policy Statement No. 2025.02, Unlicensed Assistants (Revised on February 14, 2025).

Buying or selling a home yourself? These pages are for people who work in real estate. Work with a licensed agent or a real estate attorney.

General information, not legal advice. Rules change, and your broker's policies may be stricter: confirm your duties with your supervising broker and your state's real estate regulator.

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