- Official section
- Illinois III.J: Commercial Broker Lien Act
- Broker weight
- Part of 25% of the Illinois state portion
- Expected scored items
- Additional Illinois Laws and Regulations accounts for about 10 of 40 state items
Illinois laws and regulations topic guide
Illinois Commercial Real Estate Broker Lien Act
A commission agreement and a broker lien are not the same thing. The agreement may establish that money is due; the lien is the extra statutory remedy that can reach a covered property interest only after a demanding series of steps. On the exam, a single wrong fact, such as vacant land, six apartments, an oral promise, late recording, or missed owner notice, can remove the lien even while the underlying payment dispute remains.
Last updated: August 1, 2026
What does current Illinois authority require?
Short answer: The Illinois Commercial Real Estate Broker Lien Act gives the broker named in a signed written compensation instrument a lien for amounts due in a qualifying commercial transaction. Covered property must be in Illinois and cannot be one-to-six-unit residential property, vacant land, assessed farmland, or a single residential unit conveyed unit by unit. A general owner-side sale lien is recorded before transfer; a lease lien is usually recorded within 90 days after possession; and a buyer or tenant broker generally records within 90 days after acquisition or lease. The lien attaches only on recording, follow-up owner notice is usually due within 10 days, prior recorded liens have priority, and strict enforcement and release deadlines apply.
The PSI broker outline effective June 24, 2026 lists the Commercial Broker Lien Act in Illinois III.J. The statute's correct name is the Commercial Real Estate Broker Lien Act, 770 ILCS 15. This guide is current through August 1, 2026 and teaches the tested statutory structure. Recording and foreclosure are legal procedures with severe deadline and title consequences, so a real brokerage should use its sponsoring broker and qualified Illinois counsel rather than relying on a study summary.
Where is this tested on the Illinois outline?
- Topic
- The statutory remedy
- What to know
- Broker compensation, written instrument, amount due, commercial real estate, property interest, recorded notice, statutory lien, underlying contract claim, title record, strict compliance, no automatic lien, no oral shortcut, and legal enforcement
- Best exam move
- Separate entitlement to a fee from entitlement to this property lien; the broker needs both the contract right and every statutory step.
- Topic
- Covered Illinois commercial real estate
- What to know
- Located in Illinois, building, structure, office, retail, industrial, warehouse, hotel, more than six residential units as a whole, land trust interest, and no assumption from business use alone
- Best exam move
- Begin with the statutory property definition before analyzing the agreement or deadlines.
- Topic
- Excluded property
- What to know
- One residential unit, two through six residential units, vacant land, no building, no structure, farmland assessment, condominium unit, townhouse unit, subdivision home, unit-by-unit sale, unit-by-unit lease, larger building, intended development, zoning, and no lien under this Act
- Best exam move
- Treat each exclusion as independent; a commercially zoned vacant parcel and a six-unit apartment property are both outside this remedy.
- Topic
- Written instrument and proper claimant
- What to know
- Owner, buyer, tenant, duly authorized agent, signature, written compensation instrument, commission, fee, amount due, broker named, sponsoring broker, employee, affiliated licensee, independent contractor, no personal claim by salesperson, and enforceable entitlement
- Best exam move
- Confirm the correct party signed and the claimant is the broker named in the writing, not an individual employee seeking a separate lien.
- Topic
- General sale attachment
- What to know
- Owner-side agreement, otherwise entitled to compensation, notice of lien, county recorder, registrar of titles, commercial property county, before actual conveyance, before transfer, recording date, attachment, no relation back, closing, and title search
- Best exam move
- For the ordinary owner-side sale, record before the actual transfer because the agreement date does not preserve priority.
- Topic
- Installment commissions
- What to know
- Payment due in installments, portion due after conveyance, post-transfer recording, before installment due date, money still owed by transferee to transferor, effective only to that extent, future payment, single pre-transfer notice, invalid as to post-transfer installments, and separate timing
- Best exam move
- Do not secure every future installment with one pre-transfer notice; post-transfer payments follow the narrow subsection 10(c) rule.
- Topic
- Lease recording deadline
- What to know
- Lease, tenant possession, 90 days after possession, intended signing, written notice, personally served on broker, at least 10 days before signing, accelerated deadline, record before stated signing date, attachment on recording, no agreement-date relation back, renewal commission, and installment overlay
- Best exam move
- Use possession plus 90 days unless a properly and timely served signing notice moves recording to before the stated signing date.
- Topic
- Buyer or tenant broker
- What to know
- Prospective buyer, prospective tenant, signed written instrument, acquisition, purchase, lease, conveyance, transfer, interest purchased, interest leased, recorder, registrar, property county, within 90 days after transaction, attachment to acquired interest, recording date, and no relation back
- Best exam move
- A buyer or tenant agreement can support a lien, but it attaches to the interest that party purchases or leases after timely recording.
- Topic
- Notice of lien contents
- What to know
- Claimant name, owner name, property description, amount claimed, real estate license number, true and accurate to knowledge, signature, broker, authorized signer, verification, county record, accurate legal identification, and no incomplete notice
- Best exam move
- A recorded paper labeled lien is not enough; test every required content and verification element.
- Topic
- Owner copy after recording
- What to know
- Within 10 days, record owner, registered mail, certified mail, return receipt requested, personal service, owner agent, property address effective, postage prepaid, effective on mailing, recorded within 10 days before closing exception, missed delivery, and unenforceable lien
- Best exam move
- After recording, calendar the 10-day service rule immediately unless the close-to-closing exception exactly applies.
- Topic
- Enforcement proceeding
- What to know
- Circuit court, property county, complaint, sworn affidavit, recorded lien, two years after recording, option to purchase, six months after option transfer, extinguishment, no second notice for same claim, contract statement, agreement date, services, unpaid amount, property description, interested parties, summons, notice, judgment with prejudice, and Mortgage Foreclosure Law
- Best exam move
- File the proper foreclosure complaint before the applicable outside deadline and join and serve every known interested party.
- Topic
- Demand to sue and release
- What to know
- Written demand, owner, lienee, authorized agent, registered mail, certified mail, return receipt, personal service, commence suit, answer pending suit, 30 days, extinguished lien, condition precluding compensation, owner demand, 10-day release, payment, expired enforcement time, five-day satisfaction, and written acknowledgment
- Best exam move
- Distinguish the owner's 30-day demand to force enforcement from the separate 10-day and five-day release duties.
- Topic
- Priority
- What to know
- Prior recorded lien, prior mortgage, broker lien, mechanic's lien, later recording, relation back before broker record date, revolving credit, construction loan, future advance, no agreement-date priority, recording order, and title interests
- Best exam move
- The broker does not leap over prior recorded interests, and some mechanic's liens count as prior because of their relation-back date.
- Topic
- Escrow so the deal can close
- What to know
- Recorded claim, prevents closing, transaction proceeds, sufficient amount, release lien, escrow account, no refusal to close, written agreement, court decision, other agreed process, broker release, acceptable alternative, transferee approval, insufficient proceeds, all liens, and disputed commission
- Best exam move
- Move the dispute from title to money by escrowing the claimed amount when Section 20 applies, then obtain the broker's release.
- Topic
- Costs and professional boundaries
- What to know
- Prevailing party, nonprevailing party, reasonable attorney fees, costs, prejudgment interest, equitable apportionment, recorder filing, legal description, foreclosure, sponsoring broker, brokerage counsel, title company, closing agent, no unauthorized legal advice, and deadline control
- Best exam move
- Recognize the financial stakes and route a real claim through the named broker and counsel rather than treating recording as a routine salesperson task.
The LIENED method for Illinois broker claims
- Locate qualifying property. Confirm Illinois location, an existing building or structure, more than six units if residential, no farmland assessment, and no unit-by-unit residential exclusion.
- Identify the proper written instrument. Find the signature of the owner, buyer, tenant, or authorized agent, the compensation entitlement, and the broker actually named.
- Establish the transaction path. Separate owner-side sale, post-transfer installment, lease, prospective-buyer, prospective-tenant, and option facts.
- Note the recording deadline. Use before transfer, within 90 days after possession or acquisition, before an accelerated signing date, or before a future installment comes due as the applicable subsection directs.
- Execute recording and follow-up precisely. Include all required notice contents, verify and sign it, record in the right county, and complete the 10-day owner-copy step when required.
- Enforce or release on time. Track two years, six months for an option claim, a 30-day demand, 10-day release, five-day satisfaction, priority, and escrow.
- Direct the legal work properly. The named broker, sponsoring broker, closing professionals, title company, and counsel should control a real filing and foreclosure.
- Checkpoint
- Residential unit count
- Rule
- One through six units excluded
- Exam warning
- More than six is not enough if unit-by-unit sale
- Checkpoint
- Vacant land
- Rule
- Excluded
- Exam warning
- Commercial zoning does not cure it
- Checkpoint
- Farmland
- Rule
- Excluded if classified as farmland for assessment
- Exam warning
- Use assessment classification
- Checkpoint
- Written agreement
- Rule
- Signed by owner, buyer, tenant, or authorized agent
- Exam warning
- Oral promise is insufficient
- Checkpoint
- Claimant
- Rule
- Broker named in instrument
- Exam warning
- Not employee or independent contractor
- Checkpoint
- General sale
- Rule
- Record before actual conveyance or transfer
- Exam warning
- No relation back
- Checkpoint
- Ordinary lease
- Rule
- Record within 90 days after possession
- Exam warning
- May be accelerated before signing
- Checkpoint
- Buyer or tenant broker
- Rule
- Record within 90 days after acquisition or lease
- Exam warning
- Attaches to acquired interest
- Checkpoint
- Owner copy
- Rule
- Within 10 days after recording
- Exam warning
- Unenforceable if missed; closing exception
- Checkpoint
- Ordinary suit
- Rule
- Within two years after recording
- Exam warning
- Missing deadline extinguishes claim
- Checkpoint
- Option claim suit
- Rule
- Within six months after option transfer
- Exam warning
- Different starting event
- Checkpoint
- Demand to sue
- Rule
- Within 30 days after proper demand
- Exam warning
- Can shorten ordinary clock
- Checkpoint
- Release after precluding condition
- Rule
- Within 10 days after owner demand
- Exam warning
- Compensation condition failed
- Checkpoint
- Satisfaction after paid or expired
- Rule
- Within five days after owner demand
- Exam warning
- Written acknowledgment
- Checkpoint
- Priority
- Rule
- Prior recorded liens and mortgages first
- Exam warning
- Mechanic's relation back may count
Which Illinois distinctions matter most?
- Terms
- Commission claim vs. broker lien
- Difference
- A commission claim seeks payment under the brokerage agreement. The lien adds a statutory claim against qualifying real estate or an interest only after every Act condition is met.
- Question cue
- Money due or property encumbered?
- Terms
- Commercial use vs. statutory commercial real estate
- Difference
- Business intent does not control. Vacant property, assessed farmland, and one-to-six-unit residential real estate are excluded even when a business buyer is involved.
- Question cue
- Ordinary label or Section 5 definition?
- Terms
- Seven-unit building vs. individual condominium
- Difference
- A residential property containing more than six units may pass the unit-count exclusion. A single condo, townhouse, or subdivision home conveyed unit by unit remains excluded despite the size of the larger development.
- Question cue
- Whole income property or one residential unit?
- Terms
- Broker vs. affiliated licensee
- Difference
- The lien belongs to the broker named in the signed instrument. The broker's employee or independent contractor does not receive a separate lien under that writing.
- Question cue
- Who is named in the agreement?
- Terms
- Agreement date vs. recording date
- Difference
- The agreement creates the contractual compensation right. The statutory lien attaches on recording and expressly does not relate back to the agreement date.
- Question cue
- Contract formed or lien attached?
- Terms
- Sale deadline vs. lease deadline
- Difference
- The general owner-side sale notice is recorded before actual transfer. The ordinary lease claim is recorded within 90 days after tenant possession, subject to an accelerated pre-signing rule.
- Question cue
- Conveyance or lease possession?
- Terms
- Recording vs. owner service
- Difference
- Recording places the lien in the county property record. The broker must also provide the record owner a copy within 10 days unless the close-to-closing exception applies.
- Question cue
- Public record or direct follow-up?
- Terms
- Two-year enforcement vs. 30-day demand
- Difference
- Two years is the ordinary outside period after recording. A properly served owner or lienee demand can require suit or an answer within 30 days.
- Question cue
- General clock or accelerated challenge?
- Terms
- Ten-day release vs. five-day satisfaction
- Difference
- If a compensation-precluding condition occurs, the broker has 10 days after owner demand to release. After payment or expiration of enforcement time, written owner demand triggers a five-day acknowledgment.
- Question cue
- No entitlement, or lien paid or expired?
- Terms
- Escrow vs. commission award
- Difference
- Escrow replaces the title obstruction with held money so closing can proceed. It does not decide which party ultimately deserves the commission amount.
- Question cue
- Preserve funds or decide merits?
How does the Illinois rule apply?
A six-unit apartment building
Scenario: A broker has a signed owner agreement and earns a commission on the sale of an Illinois apartment building containing exactly six residential units. The broker records before closing.
- The property is located in Illinois.
- There is a building, so the vacant-land exclusion does not apply.
- However, the definition excludes real estate containing one through six residential units.
- Exactly six is within the excluded range.
- Timely recording cannot transform excluded property into commercial real estate under the Act.
Answer: The statutory commercial broker lien is unavailable, although the broker may still pursue a contractual compensation claim.
The vacant industrial parcel
Scenario: A parcel is zoned industrial and sold to a manufacturer for a future plant. On the transfer date it contains no building or structure.
- Industrial zoning suggests a commercial purpose but is not the statutory definition.
- The Act expressly excludes real estate with no building or structure.
- Future construction does not change the condition on the relevant facts.
- The buyer's business identity does not cure the exclusion.
- The written commission agreement remains a separate contract issue.
Answer: The parcel is excluded vacant land for this lien statute despite its industrial zoning and intended use.
Recording after the seller's conveyance
Scenario: An owner-side broker is due a commission under a signed agreement for a covered warehouse sale. The deed transfers on June 10, and the broker first records a general lien notice on June 11.
- The warehouse is assumed to be covered commercial property.
- The signed writing and commission entitlement are also assumed.
- The general owner-side rule requires recording before actual conveyance or transfer.
- The June 11 recordation follows the June 10 transfer.
- No installment or buyer-side exception is stated.
Answer: The general sale lien was recorded too late. The agreement does not make the lien relate back.
The accelerated lease deadline
Scenario: A commercial lease will be signed September 30. On September 15, the owner personally serves the entitled broker with written notice naming September 30 as the intended signing date.
- The notice is in writing and personally served.
- It arrives 15 days before the stated signing date, satisfying the at-least-10-day condition.
- That service activates the accelerated lease rule.
- The ordinary 90 days after tenant possession no longer controls this fact pattern.
- The broker must record before September 30.
Answer: The lien notice must be recorded before the date identified for signing, September 30.
The owner copy was never sent
Scenario: A broker records a lien 25 days before closing but never mails or personally serves a copy on the record owner.
- The ordinary follow-up requires a copy within 10 days after recording.
- Registered or certified return-receipt mail or personal service is permitted.
- The exception applies only when recording occurs within 10 days before closing.
- Twenty-five days before closing is outside that exception.
- The Act states that missing the required mailing time and manner makes the lien unenforceable.
Answer: The lien is unenforceable because the required owner-copy step was missed.
Escrow preserves the closing
Scenario: A disputed $40,000 recorded broker lien would stop a covered sale. The transaction has sufficient proceeds, and the parties have no acceptable alternative procedure.
- The recorded claim is preventing the conveyance from closing.
- The proceeds are sufficient to fund the claimed amount.
- Section 20 calls for an escrow sufficient to release the lien.
- The escrow requirement is not a statutory reason to refuse to close.
- Once $40,000 is escrowed, the broker provides a release and entitlement is decided later.
Answer: Place $40,000 in escrow, obtain the lien release, close the transaction, and resolve the commission dispute through the agreed or legal process.
Where do candidates misread the Illinois rule?
- Trap
- Every business transaction involves statutory commercial real estate.
- Correction
- The property definition controls. Vacant land, farmland, and one-to-six-unit residential property are excluded despite business purpose.
- Trap
- A six-unit apartment building qualifies because it produces income.
- Correction
- The exclusion covers one through six residential units. A six-unit building is outside the Act.
- Trap
- A condo in a 100-unit building is always covered.
- Correction
- A residential condominium conveyed unit by unit is excluded even though the larger property contains more than six units.
- Trap
- An oral commission promise supports the lien.
- Correction
- The amount must be due under a signed written instrument involving the proper owner, buyer, tenant, or authorized agent.
- Trap
- The individual salesperson can file the brokerage's lien personally.
- Correction
- The lien is available to the broker named in the agreement, not the broker's employee or independent contractor.
- Trap
- The lien dates back to the listing agreement.
- Correction
- The statute repeatedly states that the lien attaches on recording and does not relate back to the agreement date.
- Trap
- Every commercial lease lien has 90 days after possession.
- Correction
- Timely personal service of written signing notice can accelerate recording to before the stated lease-signing date.
- Trap
- Recording alone completes notice.
- Correction
- A copy generally must reach the owner through the statutory 10-day mailing or service process unless the narrow closing exception applies.
- Trap
- A recorded lien always defeats an older mortgage.
- Correction
- Prior recorded liens and mortgages have priority, including specified construction-credit and relation-back interests.
- Trap
- A disputed lien means the transaction must be canceled.
- Correction
- When the statutory escrow rule applies and proceeds suffice, escrow and release allow closing while the money dispute continues.
Can you apply the rule to a fresh scenario?
These questions are original study items aligned to the published outline. They are not copied, recalled, or predicted PSI questions.
1. Which property is excluded from the Illinois Commercial Real Estate Broker Lien Act?
- A six-unit residential building
- An occupied office tower
- A warehouse with a structure
- A retail center
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A six-unit residential building
The statutory definition excludes Illinois real estate containing one through six residential units.
2. Who receives the lien under a signed brokerage instrument?
- The broker named in the instrument
- Every affiliated licensee
- Any unlicensed assistant
- The county recorder
Show answer and explanation
Answer: The broker named in the instrument
The Act expressly makes the lien available to the named broker, not an employee or independent contractor of that broker.
3. Under the ordinary lease rule, when must the broker record the lien?
- Within 90 days after the tenant takes possession
- Within 10 years after possession
- Only after the lease expires
- Before the listing agreement is signed
Show answer and explanation
Answer: Within 90 days after the tenant takes possession
That is the ordinary deadline, but timely personal service of intended-signing notice can require recording before the stated signing date.
4. A lien is recorded 30 days before closing. What follow-up is generally required?
- Send or personally serve the record owner a copy within 10 days
- Wait until two years after closing
- Send it only to the tenant
- No further notice is ever required
Show answer and explanation
Answer: Send or personally serve the record owner a copy within 10 days
Because recording was not within 10 days before closing, the narrow exception does not apply. Missing the required owner-copy step makes the lien unenforceable.
5. What is the ordinary deadline to commence a broker-lien enforcement suit?
- Within two years after recording
- Within 30 days after the brokerage agreement
- Within five years after closing
- There is no deadline
Show answer and explanation
Answer: Within two years after recording
Two years is the ordinary outside period. Option-based claims and properly served demands use shorter special clocks.
How should you review this Illinois topic?
- Session
- 1. Master the property definition
- Focus
- Illinois location, building, structure, one through six units, seven-plus building, vacant land, farmland assessment, condominium, townhouse, subdivision home, unit-by-unit conveyance, and land-trust interest
- Proof you are ready
- Classify 30 properties as covered or excluded and state the exact defining fact for each.
- Session
- 2. Prove the lien foundation
- Focus
- Written instrument, owner, buyer, tenant, authorized agent, signature, compensation due, broker named, affiliated licensee, employee, independent contractor, contract claim, and lien remedy
- Proof you are ready
- Audit 20 agreements and identify the proper signer, claimant, fee right, and missing lien element.
- Session
- 3. Build the recording timeline
- Focus
- Before sale transfer, lease possession plus 90 days, signing-notice acceleration, buyer or tenant acquisition plus 90 days, installment before due, option exercise, recording date, and no relation back
- Proof you are ready
- Draw and solve 25 transaction timelines without confusing agreement, closing, possession, and recording.
- Session
- 4. Complete notice and content
- Focus
- Claimant, owner, property description, amount, license number, accuracy recital, signature, verification, recorder, registrar, correct county, 10-day owner copy, certified mail, registered mail, personal service, property address, and closing exception
- Proof you are ready
- Mark every defect in 15 sample lien notices and follow-up files.
- Session
- 5. Learn enforcement, priority, and escrow
- Focus
- Circuit court, two years, option six months, demand 30 days, release 10 days, satisfaction five days, foreclosure, interested parties, summons, prior mortgage, mechanic's relation back, escrow, sufficient proceeds, broker release, and prevailing-party costs
- Proof you are ready
- Recreate the deadline table and resolve 20 closing and enforcement scenarios at 90% accuracy.
- Session
- 6. Apply LIENED
- Focus
- Property, writing, proper broker, transaction path, recording, direct notice, attachment, priority, suit, demand, release, escrow, sponsoring broker, title company, and counsel
- Proof you are ready
- Score at least 90% on a fresh Illinois broker-lien set and explain every answer in LIENED order.
Do not count recognition as mastery. Close the notes and explain the rule, apply it to a new fact pattern, and identify why each distractor fails.
Practice the Illinois rule in context
From concept to decision
Drill this topic, then review the explanation
Pass Illinois gives you original national and Illinois questions, topic-by-topic study, clear explanations, timed practice, flashcards, progress tracking, and Math Coach. Start free, find the weak distinction, and focus the next session there.
Questions students ask about Illinois Commercial Broker Lien Act
What is an Illinois commercial real estate broker lien?
It is a statutory lien securing compensation due to the broker named in a signed written instrument for a covered Illinois commercial real estate transaction. The lien does not arise merely because services were performed or a commission dispute exists. The broker must satisfy the Act's property definition, written-agreement, entitlement, recording, notice, content, timing, and enforcement requirements.
Which Illinois property qualifies as commercial real estate under the lien Act?
The statute starts with Illinois real estate and excludes property containing one through six residential units, property with no building or structure, and property classified as farmland for property-tax assessment. It also excludes a condominium, townhouse, or subdivision home sold, leased, or otherwise conveyed one unit at a time, even when the larger building or parcel contains more than six residential units.
Can a broker claim this lien on vacant commercial land?
No. Real estate on which no building or structure is located is expressly outside the Act's definition of commercial real estate. Its zoning, planned use, price, or identity of the buyer does not supply the missing structure. A commission claim may still exist under the contract, but this particular statutory lien remedy does not attach to the vacant parcel.
Does an oral promise support an Illinois commercial broker lien?
No. The compensation must be due under a written instrument signed by the owner, buyer, tenant, or that party's duly authorized agent, as applicable. The Act makes the lien available only to the broker named in that instrument, not to the broker's employee or independent contractor. An oral promise may raise other issues, but it does not meet this lien statute's written-instrument requirement.
When must a broker record a lien for a commercial sale?
Under the general owner-side rule, the broker records the notice of lien in the recorder's office or registrar of titles for the county where the commercial real estate is located before the actual conveyance or transfer. The lien attaches on recording and does not relate back to the written agreement. Separate rules apply to post-transfer installment commissions and to a broker retained by the buyer or tenant.
When must a broker record a lien for a commercial lease?
The ordinary lease deadline is within 90 days after the tenant takes possession. There is an important acceleration rule: if the broker is personally served with written notice of the intended lease signing at least 10 days before that signing date, the broker must record before the date stated for signing. The lien attaches on the recording date and does not relate back to the brokerage agreement.
What notice follows recording an Illinois broker lien?
Within 10 days after recording, the broker generally must send a copy to the record owner by registered or certified mail with return receipt requested or personally serve the owner or agent. Mailing to the commercial property's address is effective under the Act. If the lien was recorded within 10 days before closing, the follow-up mailing or personal service is not required. Missing the required notice makes the lien unenforceable.
How long does a broker have to enforce the lien?
The ordinary enforcement period is two years after recording, and missing it extinguishes the lien. A claim based on an option to purchase uses a different deadline: suit must begin within six months after transfer or conveyance through exercise of the option. A record owner, lienee, or authorized agent can also serve a written demand that shortens the response time to 30 days to commence suit or file an answer in a pending case.
Does a broker lien automatically stop a commercial closing?
No. If a recorded claim would prevent closing, the Act generally calls for an escrow from transaction proceeds sufficient to release the lien. Establishing that escrow is not a statutory reason for a party to refuse to close. The broker provides a release when the claimed amount is escrowed, and the money remains until written agreement, court decision, or another agreed process resolves entitlement. Acceptable alternatives and insufficient-proceeds situations are addressed separately.
Are these official Illinois real estate exam questions?
No. They are original study questions aligned to the Illinois Commercial Broker Lien Act in Illinois III.J of the PSI broker outline effective June 24, 2026. The current Commercial Real Estate Broker Lien Act, Real Estate License Act definitions, and referenced foreclosure law were reviewed through August 1, 2026.
Primary sources
- PSI Illinois Candidate Information Booklet dated June 24, 2026
- 770 ILCS 15, current Commercial Real Estate Broker Lien Act
- 770 ILCS 15/5, covered commercial real estate definitions
- 770 ILCS 15/10, attachment, recording, notice, enforcement, and release
- 770 ILCS 15/15, broker-lien priority
- 770 ILCS 15/20, escrow of disputed broker-lien amounts
- 225 ILCS 454, current Real Estate License Act broker definitions
- 735 ILCS 5, Article XV, Illinois Mortgage Foreclosure Law referenced by the lien Act
The current official outline controls the tested scope. Statutes, regulations, and official agency materials control when a general study rule and a jurisdiction-specific rule differ.
Editorial status
Checked against primary sources
The Pass Illinois editorial team last checked this guide on August 1, 2026. Every practice question is an original study item, and the source links above let you verify the rules that support the lesson.