Pennsylvania wholesaling law · checked October 21, 2026
The short answer — Pennsylvania
No. Since January 4, 2025, wholesaling is broker work in Pennsylvania. If you promote the sale of an equitable interest in a 1–4 unit home to assign it for a fee without taking title, the state says you are acting as a broker — and the usual owner exemption does not save you. One deal is enough; there is no deal-count threshold.
Rule: Act 52 of 2024 (SB 1173), amending RELRA: 63 P.S. §§ 455.201, 455.304(1), 455.610 · In force: January 4, 2025 · Penalty if ignored: Practicing without a license under RELRA; the seller can cancel within 30 days and must be repaid in full within 10 business days.
Checked October 21, 2026 against the official source: www.legis.state.pa.us. Information only — not legal advice.
Act 52 of 2024 wrote 'wholesale transaction' into the definition of broker in the Real Estate Licensing and Registration Act. An unlicensed person doing a wholesale transaction is practicing without a license. If a wholesale deal does happen, the contract must prominently state the wholesale nature of the deal, the seller's right to an appraisal, the right to consult an unaffiliated licensee or lawyer, and a cancellation right — and the seller may cancel within 30 days of signing or until the property changes hands, whichever comes first. That cancellation right cannot be waived.
Yes. No. Since January 4, 2025, wholesaling is broker work in Pennsylvania. If you promote the sale of an equitable interest in a 1–4 unit home to assign it for a fee without taking title, the state says you are acting as a broker — and the usual owner exemption does not save you. One deal is enough; there is no deal-count threshold.
Double closing does not cure Pennsylvania: the Act 52 definition turns on promoting an equitable interest for a fee, and the contract disclosures still apply to a wholesale transaction.
Philadelphia adds its own city wholesaler license on top of the state license — see the Philadelphia overlay below.
Scope: 1–4 unit residential property. Cancellation: Seller may cancel within 30 days after signing or until conveyance, whichever is sooner (non-waivable). Source: official text / regulator page.
Philadelphia requires its own Residential Property Wholesaler License (Philadelphia Code Ch. 9-5200) — separate from, and in addition to, the Pennsylvania state license under Act 52. Application: $200 application fee (kept by the city even if the application is denied), insurance as the agency requires, disclosure of all Pennsylvania entities the applicant holds equity in, and a criminal-history search: no license if convicted within the past 6 years of fraud, dishonesty, breach of trust, deceit, or an Ethics Law violation. License valid 1 year.
If it goes wrong: An agreement signed by an unlicensed wholesaler at the time of solicitation is rescindable at any time before title transfer, at the homeowner's sole option (§ 9-5206). Other violations are a Class III offense under § 1-109.
Rule: Philadelphia Code Ch. 9-5200, §§ 9-5202, 9-5204, 9-5206 · Source: Philadelphia Code. Full breakdown in the guide: Philadelphia's second license.
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The statutory disclosure forms, the deal calendar, the marketing words sheet and the walk-throughs for Pennsylvania's tier — rendered from the same checked dataset as this page — live in the kit.
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