N
Common Ground News

Is wholesaling legal in Illinois?

Author

Chloe Ramirez

Updated on February 16, 2026

Is wholesaling legal in Illinois?

The upshot of the recent amendment is that wholesaling is not illegal per se in Illinois, which is what some misinformed investors have believed since the legislation became law. Nonetheless, the practice has been greatly restricted.

Keeping this in view, do you need a real estate license to wholesale in Illinois?

For any person, or entity, engaged in the business of Wholesaling real estate, you cannot wholesale more than one deal a year. Any individual involved with Wholesaling without a Broker's license should cease all activity until obtaining a license.

Beside above, is wholesaling legal in all states? Wholesaling is legal in all 50 states.

Similarly, will wholesaling become illegal?

Absolutely not, as long as you abide by the laws set forth in your state. Wholesaling with a real estate license is legal, but you need to disclose your position as a real estate professional.

How many houses can you wholesale in Illinois?

one property

How much does a wholesale license cost in Illinois?

Business Licensing: What Do I Need?
BUSINESS SECTOR/ActivityLICENSE TYPELICENSE APPLICATION FEE / 2 YEARS
Wholesale Food Sales (Business to Business Sales)Wholesale Food$660
HOME BASED BUSINESS - Complete Requirements
Home Office/OccupationRegulated Business$250
HOME REPAIR AND CONSTRUCTION SERVICES - Complete Requirements
Double-close is illegal in IL. You have to do back-to-back closings That is, they need to be two stand-alone, arm's length transactions, funded individually.

Do you have to have an LLC to wholesale real estate?

Yes, you can wholesale houses without a limited liability company (LLC). However, it is advisable to create an LLC and then wholesale houses. Many wholesalers, unfortunately, make the critical mistake of not creating or procrastinating on setting up an LLC.

Is it illegal to wholesale in Indiana?

There are no laws against co-wholesaling in Indiana, but you have to do it the right way. Co-wholesaling happens when you partner with another real estate investor to close a wholesale deal. This can be on a one-time or ongoing basis, depending on your agreement.

Do you need a real estate license to flip houses Illinois?

When beginning a flipping career, it's a good idea to be the most rather than the least prepared. You don't need your real estate license to become a house flipper but it's a good idea to get your real estate license because it will open up more opportunities for you throughout the process.

Is wholesaling easy?

You can make a lot of money in real estate by wholesaling houses but it is not as easy as many make it out to be. Wholesaling is when an investor buys and sells houses very quickly using a double close or they get a property under contract and assign the contract to another buyer.

How can I legally wholesale real estate?

How To Start Wholesaling Real Estate In 5 Simple Steps
  1. Research your local market before getting started.
  2. Curate a buyers list for your area.
  3. Secure a financing source that works best for you.
  4. Begin searching for potential wholesaling properties.
  5. Decide whether to sell the contract or work on a double closing.

How old do you have to be to start wholesaling?

You have to be 18 years old to enter into a real estate contract on your own. However, while teaching my ex's son how to wholesale he contracted his first house at 16. His father had to sign off on the contract as well but he did the negotiations, found the buyer and assigned the contract on his own.

How much do you need to start wholesale real estate?

With the above in mind, it's not uncommon for wholesalers to earn between the range of $5,000 and $10,000 for each contract, with some deals going higher with a bit of luck. This also means that you need spend less than $5,000-10,000 during each deal, in order to make a profit.

What is wholesaling a home?

In real estate wholesaling, a wholesaler contracts a home with a seller, then finds an interested party to buy it. The wholesaler contracts the home with a buyer at a higher price than with the seller, and keeps the difference as profit. Real estate wholesalers generally find and contract distressed properties.

How much money can you make wholesaling real estate?

While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $100,000 and as low as $21,500, the majority of Wholesale Real Estate salaries currently range between $61,500 (25th percentile) to $100,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $100,000 annually across the United States.

Are wholesaling houses legit?

Here is when it's NOT a scam: By definition "wholesaling" is buying products, and then selling them at a profit. In almost every industry this can be done ethically and legally. This would be a perfectly ethical example of real estate wholesaling.
Wholesaling is NOT illegal. As a wholesaler, you are the principal buyer in the transaction and you are selling your contract to another buyer; it's as simple as that. As long as you abide by the laws set forth in your particular state, wholesaling is both legal and a lucrative exit strategy.

What contracts are needed for wholesaling real estate?

The Purchase Agreement is a sub-agreement within the wholesale real estate contract. The Wholesale Purchase Agreement states that the wholesaler can legally assign or sell the agreement to the buyer. The wholesaler then finalizes an Assignment Agreement to legally transfer their ownership rights to the buyer.

What's the best state to flip houses?

The data includes everything from the median purchase price of homes to the average remodeling costs. Coming in as the overall best cities for flipping homes are Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Missoula, Montana; Peoria, Arizona; Nampa, ID; and Tampa, Florida.

Why is wholesaling illegal?

Those who argue that real estate wholesaling is illegal claim so because the wholesaler acts as a broker in the deal without being licensed. Those who defend wholesaling without a license say that wholesaling is not brokering but simply signing a contract and then assigning that contract to another.
Wholesaling is a normal selling transaction and, therefore, should be perfectly legal in all states. Simply contact your local real estate attorney to confirm. To wholesale, you purchased a property. Once you purchase, you can do anything you want with it and, because you own it, you do not need a license of any type.
You do not need a real estate license if you have a property under contract. I have not actively starting wholesaling myself yet but from my research wholesaling anywhere is legal anywhere in the US if done correctly with a contract.