Alberta calls new entrants mortgage associates and the Real Estate Council of Alberta licenses them. Two courses, two exams, one brokerage, then a licence.
Written by A.I.M.I. Collective Mortgage Group, Brokerage editorial team
Published September 2026 · Last reviewed 5 October 2026
Official sources: Real Estate Council of Alberta (RECA)
In Alberta the entry licence is mortgage associate, not mortgage broker. Mortgage broker is an upgrade that needs at least two years of licensed experience within the last five, the Mortgage Brokers Program with a 70 percent exam result, and a brokerage of your own. Almost everyone starts as an associate, and RECA (the Real Estate Council of Alberta) runs the whole process.
In Alberta you start as a mortgage associate licensed by RECA: meet eligibility, pass the two courses and exams, clear a criminal record check and get sponsored by a licensed brokerage. Most people finish the courses first and find a brokerage before applying. Broker status comes later, after two years of licensed experience and the Mortgage Brokers Program.
Be 18 or older, legally able to work in Canada, hold a Canadian high school education or equivalent, and be proficient in English.
Apply to RECA for eligibility and complete a certified criminal record check. RECA reviews suitability before you are cleared to license.
The first pre licensing course and exam, delivered by RECA recognised providers such as AMBA and Alberta Real Estate School.
The second course and exam. Both courses are self paced with completion and exam booking windows, so check the current limits when you enrol.
You cannot apply for the licence until an Alberta licensed brokerage has agreed to take you on.
Your brokerage submits the application through RECA. Once approved you are licensed to deal in mortgages in Alberta.
Published provider figures put the two courses, the RECA application, the licence fee and the assurance fund contribution at around $3,500 in total. Fees change, so confirm current amounts with RECA before you start.
Every Alberta mortgage licence expires on 30 September, regardless of when it was issued, and renewal comes with mandatory re licensing education whose topic changes by cycle. Our guide to Alberta licensing and the 30 September renewal covers it.
We onboard licensed brokers only, so the licence is yours to earn before we can help with anything else. After that you get weekly lender training, a team chat where new and experienced brokers answer around the clock, and senior brokers who will work your first files alongside you. There is no scripted programme with a guaranteed timeline. There is a room full of people who pick up.
Comparing provinces? See how to become a mortgage broker in Canada: the licence, course and cost in Ontario, BC and Alberta on one page.
RECA publishes eligibility, education and licensing requirements at reca.ca. Current as of 10 September 2026.
Leave your name, province and the month you expect to write the exam. We will check in around then, and when you have passed we will walk you through what a brokerage needs from you.
Upgrade from Level 1 to Level 2 in Ontario: 12 months licensed, the Private Mortgages Course, no FSRA fee, and what Level 2 lets you do.
Step by step: the course, exam and sponsoring brokerage you need to become a mortgage broker in Ontario, BC or Alberta, plus the cost and timeline.
What mortgage agent and broker jobs in Canada actually are: commission not salary, licensed through a brokerage, and what to compare before you join one.
REMIC, Mortgage Professionals Canada, CMBA Ontario, Humber, UBC Sauder, AMBA and Alberta Real Estate School compared on price, format and exam rules.
A.I.M.I. Collective onboards licensed brokers only. Once RECA has issued your licence, you submit directly to our full lender panel with the same training and support as our BC and Ontario teams.