Real Estate can be a fun, dynamic and fast-paced career field with excellent earning potential. All Real Estate agents must meet certain licensing criteria required by their state. Florida Real Estate agents must be licensed by the state to work in the field.
An applicant must meet several requirements to acquire a Florida Real Estate License. First, the applicant must be at least eighteen years of age, have a high school diploma or GED and have a Social Security number. It is not required that he be a resident of Florida. The applicant must complete and pass 63 classroom hours of instruction in courses approved by the Florida Real Estate Commission. This coursework is available in many specialized licensed real estate schools throughout the state. Once the class is completed, it can be used for up to two years as part of the licensing requirements.
The coursework required covers topics necessary to pass the exams, as well as help the applicant succeed once he does receive his license. The student will learn general Florida real estate principles and practices, the responsibilities of a real estate agent, and real estate legal considerations. Courses may be taught in a classroom setting or online, or in some cases, a combination of both. Exam prep and tutoring are often offered to help ensure the student is better prepared to pass the final examination and the licensing exam.
Upon completion of the required hours, the applicant must submit a license application to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation along with the fee associated with the application A criminal background check of the applicant will be performed, so electronic fingerprints must also be submitted at this time. It may take ten to thirty days for the application to be approved and the background check to be completed.
When the application has been accepted and the background check passed, the applicant will be allowed to schedule to take the state exam. The exam consists of 100 multiple choice questions – 45 of the questions are on real estate principles and practices, 45 questions are on Florida and Federal laws, and 10 questions require mathematical calculations. The exam is given on a computer and a dry erase sheet and marker are provided for notes and calculations. A score of 75 or above is required to pass the exam.
Some of the above requirements are waived if the applicant is an attorney with a current Florida Bar Card or has a four year degree in Real Estate. If the applicant holds a valid Real Estate License in one of the States of Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Mississippi, Nebraska or Oklahoma, he will only need to take a 40 question state specific exam to receive a Florida Real Estate License. These states have mutual recognition with Florida so it is not necessary to take the pre-license courses again.
After the exam is passed, the real estate agent must submit a DBPR RE-10 form to activate the license, or a broker may activate the license online. Before the license comes up for renewal, the agent must complete another 45 hours of post-licensing courses to be completed before the renewal period.
Continuing Education credits are required to keep the Real Estate license current. After the initial renewal period, each agent is required to take fourteen continuing education courses every two years to remain in good standing and keep the license active. These courses are necessary to keep the agents abreast of the most current laws and regulations.