agency
sponsoring broker
A sponsoring broker is the licensed broker with whom a salesperson or associate broker is affiliated and under whose license that person works. In most states, a salesperson cannot conduct real estate activities or collect compensation except through the sponsoring broker, who is responsible for supervision. The salesperson's license is typically held by or registered with the sponsoring broker, and all listings belong to the brokerage rather than the individual licensee.
- Exam tip
- A salesperson may only be paid by their sponsoring broker, never directly by a client or another broker. Listings belong to the broker.
- Example
- A salesperson closes a sale and the $9,000 commission is paid to her sponsoring broker, who then pays her split.
Related terms & state variants
Sources
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Last verified: 2026-10-23