Final answer:
A real estate licensee can bring an action in the courts for a commission if there was a signed listing agreement and the licensee was licensed when the transaction occurred.
Step-by-step explanation:
A licensee can bring an action in the courts for the collection of a commission under certain conditions. According to real estate law, a critical requirement is that there must be a written and signed listing agreement or another contractual agreement between the licensee and their client that authorizes the licensee to act on behalf of the client and specifies the terms of the commission. Additionally, the licensee must have been licensed at the time the cause of action arose, meaning when the transaction that entitled them to the commission was completed.
Therefore, the correct answer to the question is B: If there was a signed listing agreement and the licensee was licensed at the time the cause of action arose. Verbal agreements for real estate commissions are typically not enforceable in court (A), the amount of the commission is irrelevant to the enforceability of the contract (C), and while a commission dispute may be a reason to go to court, a dispute alone doesn't provide grounds for a suit unless the aforementioned conditions are met (D).