EARB registration is the legal gateway to practising estate agency in Kenya. The board's requirements are specific, its fee schedule has changed, and a surprising amount of what circulates online is out of date. This guide sets out exactly what the board's live application portal asks for in 2026.
If you are still deciding whether this career is for you, start with our pillar guide on how to become a real estate agent in Kenya.
Table of Contents
- How much does EARB registration cost?
- What are the EARB registration requirements?
- What documents does EARB require?
- How do you apply on the EARB portal?
- How do you pay EARB fees?
- How long does EARB registration take?
- What about estate agency firms?
- Why do some sources say it costs KES 1,000?
- Is EARB registration worth the cost?
- Frequently asked questions
How much does EARB registration cost?
KES 24,000 in total for your first year, paid in four separate instalments. You pay KES 2,000 to apply, KES 5,000 when invited to interview, and — only after passing — KES 10,000 to register plus KES 7,000 for your Annual Practising Certificate. Renewal is KES 7,000 a year.
| Item | Fee (KES) | When you pay it |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | 2,000 | On submitting your application. Non-refundable. |
| Interview fee | 5,000 | When the board invites you to interview. Non-refundable. |
| Registration fee | 10,000 | Only after you pass the interview. |
| Annual Practising Certificate | 7,000 | On registration, then every year to stay licensed. |
| Total to get licensed | 24,000 | First-year total, assuming you pass first time. |
Fees verified against the EARB online application portal as of July 2026. The board can revise them at any time — confirm current figures before you pay. (Note: EARB’s certificate has expired, so your browser may show a security warning on their site.)
What are the EARB registration requirements?
Four requirements, all of which must be met together. You must be a Kenyan citizen; hold a KCSE certificate or higher; have at least two years' experience under a registered estate agent; and supply a recommendation letter from that agent.
Your recommender is subject to their own conditions. They must have been registered with EARB for more than two years, hold a current Annual Practising Licence, and have trained you for more than two years. If your intended recommender fails any of those tests, the board will return your application.
Certificates from foreign universities must first be recognised by the Commission for University Education.
What documents does EARB require?
Eight attachments, uploaded through the portal. The recommendation letter is the one that trips people up: EARB publishes a sample template and requires your recommender to use that exact format.
- Passport-size photograph, JPEG format only
- Copy of your National ID or passport
- Certified copies of all educational certificates (KCSE minimum)
- An updated CV
- Recommendation letter from a registered estate agent, on EARB's official template
- A current copy of your recommender's Annual Practising Licence
- A current Certificate of Good Conduct from the DCI
- Certificate of good standing from a professional membership body, if you hold one
You finish by appending or uploading a signature.
How do you apply on the EARB portal?
Applications now run entirely through the members portal. You create an account, select Individual membership under the Estate Agent category, enter your academic and professional background, upload your documents, pay, and submit.
- Select your application type. Individual, or Firm — firm listing is open only to agents already registered with EARB.
- Create your account with your personal details.
- Enter your information — academic and professional background.
- Upload supporting documents — certificates, ID or passport photo, CV, recommendation letter.
- Pay the KES 2,000 application fee and submit for review.
- Await verification. The board sends either an approval email advancing you to the next step, or a return email listing changes to make before you resubmit.
- Attend the interview and pay the KES 5,000 interview fee.
- Pay KES 10,000 registration and KES 7,000 for your practising certificate once you pass, and collect your unique registration number.
How do you pay EARB fees?
Three payment channels, all to the same board account. eCitizen is the simplest because it is wired directly into the application portal.
- eCitizen — pay directly through the application link on the portal.
- Bank — cheque or deposit to Estate Agents Registration Board, KCB Bank, Kipande House branch, account 1104163829 (SWIFT KCBLKENXO17).
- M-Pesa — Lipa na M-Pesa, Pay Bill, business number 522522, account number 1104163829. Keep the transaction code; the application form asks for it.
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How long does EARB registration take?
The board publishes no service-level commitment. The two-year supervised experience requirement dominates the timeline and must be complete before you apply. After submission, vetting, the interview invitation, and issuance of your certificate typically span several weeks to a few months, driven by when the board next convenes interviews.
Both the application fee and the interview fee are non-refundable, so make sure your documents are right the first time.
What about estate agency firms?
Firms register separately, and only registered agents may list one. The firm pays KES 3,000 on application, KES 7,000 for its first-year subscription, and KES 10,000 on each renewal thereafter.
| Item | Amount (KES) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Firm application fee | 3,000 | One-off, on submission. |
| Annual subscription (first year) | 7,000 | Charged on first-time listing. |
| Annual renewal (thereafter) | 10,000 | Every subsequent year. |
| Professional indemnity cover | 200,000 minimum | A cover limit, not a fee. Your premium is set by your insurer. |
Beyond the fees, a firm must produce its certificate of incorporation or registration, memorandum and articles (or CR2 for an LLP, or a deed poll for a partnership), a sample letterhead, proof of registration with the Financial Reporting Centre, a professional indemnity insurance certificate for at least KES 200,000, a KRA PIN and tax compliance certificate, a CR12 or CR13 official search, and details of all directors and employed professionals.
The board will not register firms with common directors, or firms whose directors are employees of other firms.
FRC registration is done free of charge on the goAML platform, and is mandatory for real estate agencies under section 47A of the Proceeds of Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Act.
Why do some sources say EARB registration costs KES 1,000?
Because EARB's own website still says so. A post published on the board's site in April 2023 states that "the registration fee is Ksh 1,000, payable through a bank deposit or a banker's cheque." That page has never been updated.
The board's live application portal — the system that actually processes your application and takes your money — lists a KES 2,000 application fee, a KES 5,000 interview fee, a KES 10,000 registration fee, and a KES 7,000 annual practising certificate. Where the two conflict, budget for the portal figures.
This is worth knowing before you walk into the process expecting to spend a thousand shillings.
Is EARB registration worth the cost?
Twenty-four thousand shillings is real money for someone starting out. The counterweight is that practising unregistered is a criminal offence under section 18 of the Estate Agents Act, carrying a fine of up to KES 20,000, up to two years' imprisonment, or both — and that unregistered agents have no clean legal route to recover unpaid commission. We set out the full case in why EARB registration matters for Kenyan estate agents.
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Frequently asked questions
KES 24,000 in your first year, split into four payments: KES 2,000 to apply, KES 5,000 for the interview, KES 10,000 to register, and KES 7,000 for the Annual Practising Certificate. Thereafter you pay KES 7,000 a year to renew. Figures are from EARB's live application portal as of July 2026.
You must be a Kenyan citizen, hold at least a KCSE certificate, have a minimum of two years' experience under an EARB-registered estate agent, and provide a recommendation letter from that agent on EARB's official template. All four apply together.
Via eCitizen directly through the application portal; by cheque or bank deposit to the Estate Agents Registration Board account 1104163829 at KCB Bank Kipande House; or through M-Pesa Pay Bill, business number 522522, account number 1104163829. Retain the transaction code for your application form.
No. Both the KES 2,000 application fee and the KES 5,000 interview fee are explicitly non-refundable. The KES 10,000 registration fee and KES 7,000 practising certificate fee only fall due after you have passed the interview.
That figure comes from an April 2023 post on EARB's own website which has not been updated. The board's live application portal lists a KES 2,000 application fee and a KES 10,000 registration fee. Budget for the portal figures, since that is the system that processes payment.
Yes, if you operate as a firm. Firm listing is open only to individually registered agents. The firm pays KES 3,000 on application, KES 7,000 for its first-year subscription, and KES 10,000 on each annual renewal, and must carry professional indemnity insurance of at least KES 200,000. It must also be registered with the Financial Reporting Centre on goAML.
Real estate agencies are reporting institutions under section 47A of the Proceeds of Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Act, and must register with Kenya's Financial Reporting Centre on the goAML platform. Registration is free and done online. You will need your business registration details, KRA PIN, and a designated Money Laundering Reporting Officer.