West Virginia originally passed a law requiring nonresident real estate brokers, including those from Virginia, to maintain a brick-and-mortar office within West Virginia in order to be licensed there. In response, Virginia REALTORS® supported a bill in Virginia that passed, imposing a reciprocal requirement: West Virginia brokers would also have to maintain a physical office in Virginia in order to do business there. 

Then, during the 2025 Regular Legislative Session, West Virginia enacted Senate Bill 747, which amended the state’s Real Estate License Act (§30-40-17) to ease licensure requirements for nonresident real estate brokers. Prior to SB 747, brokers were required to maintain a definite place of business within West Virginia. The new law introduces an exception: nonresident brokers who already operate from a permanent office in their home jurisdiction are no longer obligated to establish a separate physical office in West Virginia. 

As a result of this amendment, Virginia’s place-of-business reciprocity requirement for nonresident brokers is no longer triggered. In other words, because West Virginia no longer requires Virginia brokers to maintain a physical office in West Virginia, Virginia will no longer require West Virginia brokers to do the same in Virginia. 

Under SB 747, as long as you have a permanent office in Virginia (or your home state), you no longer need to open a second office in West Virginia to be licensed there. 

If you have questions, please reach out to the Virginia REALTORS^® Legal Hotline.