Licensing guides · Tennessee
Affiliate broker vs. broker in Tennessee: what is the difference?
Short answer
Tennessee calls its entry-level license an affiliate broker — what most states call a salesperson. An affiliate broker must work under a principal broker. A broker has met additional experience and education requirements and may operate independently or supervise others as a principal broker.
Affiliate broker — the entry license
This is the license you get first, and it is the one 90 hours of pre-license education leads to. An affiliate broker may list, show, negotiate, and close transactions — but always under a sponsoring principal broker, never independently, and never holding client funds personally.
Broker — the upgrade
A broker license requires additional experience and education: three years of active affiliate licensure, 120 total qualifying hours including the 30-hour Broker Licensing Course, and a separate examination. A broker may operate independently.
Principal broker — the responsible party
Every Tennessee firm has one. The principal broker supervises affiliates, holds their licenses, is responsible for trust accounting and advertising compliance, and answers to the Commission for what happens at the firm. It is a broker license plus accountability.
Which one do you need?
If you are getting into real estate, you need the affiliate broker license — start with the 90 hours. Broker is a decision you make three years in, once you know whether you want independence and supervisory responsibility.
Questions people ask us
- Is 'affiliate broker' the same as a salesperson license?
- Functionally yes. Tennessee simply uses different terminology than most states for the entry-level license.
- Can an affiliate broker open their own firm?
- No. Operating a firm requires a broker license and a principal broker of record.
- Does becoming a broker mean I have to manage agents?
- No. Many brokers never become a principal broker; they use the license for independence and higher-level work.
- Which license do I need to just sell houses?
- The affiliate broker license, held by a sponsoring principal broker. That is what the 90-hour path leads to.