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North Dakota: what an unlicensed TC can do

What an unlicensed transaction coordinator may do in North Dakota, what needs a license, and why you can type an offer but not carry it between buyer and seller.

Last reviewed October 2026 from North Dakota Real Estate Commission. North Dakota contract deadlines →

Yes, you can work as a TC in North Dakota 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.

What you can do without a license

The North Dakota Real Estate Commission makes employing brokers responsible for keeping unlicensed persons, "either employed or contracted by licensees under his/her supervision," out of licensed activity, and tells brokers to set guidelines and monitoring procedures for them.

You can do (no license needed)

  • Answer the phone and forward calls to licensees.
  • Send listing data and changes to the multiple listing service.
  • Follow up on loan commitments after a contract has been negotiated.
  • Assemble documents for closings.
  • Get public documents from the courthouse, register of deeds or tax office.
  • Type offers, contracts and leases under the direction of the licensee.
  • Record and deposit earnest money, security deposits and other trust money.
  • Schedule appointments, and act as a courier for documents and keys.
  • Order and oversee routine, minor repairs as a licensee or the supervising broker directs.
  • Write and place ads, flyers and promotional material, and hand out objective written information on a listing, but not at open houses, kiosks, home shows or fairs.

Needs a license

  • Solicit potential sellers or buyers by phone or in person.
  • Show property.
  • Host open houses, kiosks, home show booths or fairs, or hand out materials at them.
  • Answer any questions on listings, title, financing, closing or other real estate issues.
  • Discuss or explain listings, offers, contracts or similar matters with anyone outside the firm.
  • Act as a go-between with a seller and buyer, such as while an offer is being negotiated.
  • Be paid based on real estate activity, such as a percentage of commission or an amount tied to listings or sales.
  • Negotiate or agree to a commission, commission split or referral fee for a licensee.
Type the offer, don't carry itThe Commission lets an assistant "Type offers, contracts and leases under the direction of the licensee," but an assistant may not "Act as a 'go-between' with a seller and buyer such as when an offer is being negotiated" or "Discuss or explain listings, offers, contracts, or other similar matters with persons outside the firm." Passing counteroffers and explaining terms is the licensee's job.

A practical example

You can:
Your agent tells you the price, earnest money and closing date, and you type them into the offer as directed.
Refer to the agent:
The listing agent calls to say the seller will come down $5,000 if the buyer drops a repair request, and asks you to pass it on. Send it to your agent.

Staying on the right side of the rules

A salary doesn't change the rules

North Dakota defines a broker as anyone who, for another, "for a fee, commission, salary, or other consideration," lists, sells, negotiates, or "Assists or directs in the procuring of prospects" (N.D.C.C. 43-23-06.1(9)). Being paid hourly or by salary does not make those acts clerical.

Commission sharing

The Commission says licensees "should not share commission with unlicensed persons acting as assistants, clerical staff, closing secretaries, etc.," because pay tied to closing a sale increases the temptation to negotiate.

Penalties

Acting as a real estate broker or salesperson without a license is a class B misdemeanor (N.D.C.C. 43-23-05 and 43-23-17), and the Commission may seek a court injunction (43-23-18). A broker who allows an unlicensed person to do licensed acts in the broker's name can be disciplined (43-23-11.1).

How Closima handles it

Closima asks whether you hold a North Dakota 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 North Dakota. A license lets you also do the work in the "Needs a license" column, under a broker. Here's what's involved:

North Dakota's first license is the salesperson license. You must be at least 18 and, as a resident, complete a 90-hour Commission-certified pre-licensure course, then apply online within 2 years of finishing it. The Commission runs a credit history check and a fingerprint criminal history check through the Attorney General's office. Residents must pass both the state and national exams given by PSI. To go active you need errors and omissions insurance and your broker's approval. How to apply.

Quick answers

Do you need a license to be a transaction coordinator in North Dakota?

No. You can work as a TC in North Dakota 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 North Dakota?

Only as typing. North Dakota lets an unlicensed assistant "Type offers, contracts and leases under the direction of the licensee," but not explain them or act as a go-between on an offer.

What can an unlicensed TC do in North Dakota?

Answer the phone and forward calls to licensees; send listing data and changes to the multiple listing service; follow up on loan commitments after a contract has been negotiated; assemble documents for closings; get public documents from the courthouse, register of deeds or tax office.

What needs a real estate license in North Dakota?

Solicit potential sellers or buyers by phone or in person; show property; host open houses, kiosks, home show booths or fairs, or hand out materials at them; answer any questions on listings, title, financing, closing or other real estate issues; discuss or explain listings, offers, contracts or similar matters with anyone outside the firm.

How do you get a real estate license in North Dakota?

North Dakota's first license is the salesperson license. You must be at least 18 and, as a resident, complete a 90-hour Commission-certified pre-licensure course, then apply online within 2 years of finishing it. The Commission runs a credit history check and a fingerprint criminal history check through the Attorney General's office. Residents must pass both the state and national exams given by PSI. To go active you need errors and omissions insurance and your broker's approval.

Resources

Questions about what's allowed? Ask the regulator: North Dakota Real Estate Commission, 701-328-9749, [email protected].

Source: North Dakota Real Estate Commission, "Guidelines for the Use of Unlicensed Persons by Licensees" (Personal Assistants) (Reviewed by the Commission October 6, 2022).

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: North Dakota contract deadlines · TC duties, licensed and unlicensed · How to become a transaction coordinator

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