How to start a real estate brokerage in Virginia license, firm, and day-one ops

Opening a brokerage in Virginia (sequence)

Nationwide, the operating sequence is the same: individual broker authority → firm registration → money and supervision controls → systems → recruiting. Virginia sets the local forms, hours, and office rules through Virginia Real Estate Board (Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation).

Use the universal open-brokerage guide for the order of operations. Use this page for Virginia-specific checkpoints with official links. More states: state start guides.

Individual broker license path

These are the published checkpoints as of last review (2026-07-31). Always re-check DPOR / REB before you enroll in education or file.

• Experience: Actively engaged as a salesperson for 36 of the 48 months immediately preceding application (DPOR pre-license / process materials).
• Education: 180 class/clock hours of Board-approved broker pre-license courses, including a required Real Estate Brokerage course plus broker-specific/related courses (see DPOR Pre-License page). High school diploma or GED required.
• Exam: Pass state and national broker exam portions (PSI) before applying; complete application within one year of the initial exam date or re-examine.
• Fees: Broker license by examination fee listed at $299.50 on the DPOR broker application (includes Transaction Recovery Fund assessment)—confirm live fee on the form you file. VA salesperson upgrading to broker has a lower listed fee.

Principal office, branch, and place of business

Office and “place of business” rules are where virtual models succeed or fail. Confirm before you assume a home office or coworking address is enough.

• Confirm firm office and concurrent broker rules on DPOR broker forms before multi-office launch.

Record retention

Retention periods and inspection rights come from Virginia statute and DPOR / REB rules:

• Confirm retention expectations in current Board regulations; keep deal and trust evidence audit-ready.

Supervision & managing / qualifying broker duties

Supervision is the product of a brokerage. File review depth: transaction file checklist. Firm audit: compliance audit checklist.

• Principal broker duties for the firm are central—pair statutory supervision with written file-review gates.
• Death/disability of a broker has specific DPOR forms—know the contingency path.

Virtual / cloud brokerage notes (Virginia)

Virtual is a business model, not a waiver of Virginia supervision or office rules. Nationwide framing: virtual brokerage guide.

• Firm licensing still applies to virtual Virginia brands—do not skip the firm application when you are the principal broker opening your own company.

Day-one operating stack (after compliance)

Once DPOR / REB requirements are on track: transaction file review, commission/CDA path, CRM ownership rules, onboarding checklists, and a branded agent portal. Evaluate platforms with brokerage software buyer’s guide.

Brokurz is a white-labeled OS option (CRM, transactions, commissions, recruiting, compliance workflows, sites) used by brokerages licensed to operate in their markets—including Virginia. Product does not replace DPOR / REB compliance. Self-guided demo · Get started.