Connecticut: what an unlicensed TC can do
What Connecticut law says about unlicensed transaction coordinators, what needs a license, and how broadly the state defines negotiating.
Last reviewed October 2026 from Connecticut General Statutes. Connecticut contract deadlines →
What you can do without a license
Connecticut's licensing law does not apply to "any person who is employed by a broker to perform clerical services" (Conn. Gen. Stat. 20-329(11)). The Department of Consumer Protection publishes no list of assistant tasks, so your broker decides what you handle within the law.
You can do (no license needed)
- Perform clerical services for the broker who employs you.
- List a property, but only on behalf of a real estate licensee.
Needs a license
- Negotiate the terms of an agreement.
- Act as a go-between by facilitating or taking part in communications between the parties about their interests in the deal.
- Open, or be a signatory on, the broker's escrow or trust account.
- Sell, buy or lease real property for another person for pay.
- For a fee, negotiate for or offer, or attempt to list for sale, sell, exchange, buy or rent real estate for someone else.
A practical example
- You can:
- Send the signed contract to the closing attorney and the lender, and put the closing date on the calendar.
- Refer to the agent:
- The buyer's agent asks you whether the seller will give a repair credit. Send it to your agent.
Staying on the right side of the rules
The exemption says "employed by a broker"
The clerical exemption covers a person "employed by a broker" (20-329(11)). Elsewhere the law treats employees and independent contractors separately (20-311(2)). If you are an independent contractor, or you work for an agent rather than the broker, ask the broker or the Department how the exemption applies to you.
No commission sharing for unlicensed work
A licensee may not pay "any part or share of the licensee's commission or compensation" to anyone "who is engaging in the real estate business and who was not licensed" (Regs. Conn. State Agencies 20-328-8a(e)).
Penalties
Engaging in the real estate business without a license can bring a fine of up to $1,000 per violation, up to six months in prison, or both, and a one-year wait before you can get a license (Conn. Gen. Stat. 20-325). The Real Estate Commission may also fine up to $5,000 per violation (20-312(d)).
How Closima handles it
Closima asks whether you hold a Connecticut 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 Connecticut. A license lets you also do the work in the "Needs a license" column, under a broker. Here's what's involved:
Connecticut's first license is the real estate salesperson license. You must be at least 18 and complete an approved 60-hour Real Estate Principles and Practices course, then apply to the Department of Consumer Protection. Once approved, you take the PSI exam and must pass both portions within one year. You then have two years to activate the license, which requires supervision by a Connecticut-licensed broker and the license fee. How to apply.
Quick answers
Do you need a license to be a transaction coordinator in Connecticut?
No. You can work as a TC in Connecticut 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.
Can an unlicensed TC fill out a purchase agreement in Connecticut?
Connecticut has no official rule on assistants and contracts, and its law treats negotiating broadly, so leave completing purchase agreements to the licensee.
What can an unlicensed TC do in Connecticut?
Perform clerical services for the broker who employs you; list a property, but only on behalf of a real estate licensee.
What needs a real estate license in Connecticut?
Negotiate the terms of an agreement; act as a go-between by facilitating or taking part in communications between the parties about their interests in the deal; open, or be a signatory on, the broker's escrow or trust account; sell, buy or lease real property for another person for pay; for a fee, negotiate for or offer, or attempt to list for sale, sell, exchange, buy or rent real estate for someone else.
How do you get a real estate license in Connecticut?
Connecticut's first license is the real estate salesperson license. You must be at least 18 and complete an approved 60-hour Real Estate Principles and Practices course, then apply to the Department of Consumer Protection. Once approved, you take the PSI exam and must pass both portions within one year. You then have two years to activate the license, which requires supervision by a Connecticut-licensed broker and the license fee.
Resources
- Real Estate Salesperson: Initial/Exam (DCP)DCP's requirements, fees and exam steps for the salesperson license.
- Connecticut General Statutes, Chapter 392The real estate licensing law, including the clerical exemption in 20-329(11).
- Regulations, Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons (20-328)The Department's rules for licensees, including commissions and agreements.
- Buying or Selling Real Estate (DCP)DCP's consumer page, with a link to verify a real estate license.
Questions about what's allowed? Ask the regulator: Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (Real Estate Commission), [email protected].
Source: Connecticut General Statutes, Chapter 392, Real Estate Licensees (Connecticut General Assembly); administered by the Department of Consumer Protection and the Connecticut Real Estate Commission (General Statutes revised to January 1, 2025 (2026 Supplement does not change the sections cited)).
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.
See also: Connecticut contract deadlines · TC duties, licensed and unlicensed · How to become a transaction coordinator
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