How to Become Real Estate Agent in Florida

Are you currently interested in becoming a Florida real estate agent? Becoming a realtor can be a fun and rewarding way to make money, where you can meet new people, seeing (and selling) beautiful houses, and learn more about the real estate market, among other reasons. Arguably, however, helping people getting their dream house is one of the best benefits of being a real estate agent. 

One thing to bear in mind is that in Florida, there are two different real estate license: the sales associate license and a broker license. Below, we will guide you on how you can get these licenses.

Here, we will discuss everything about becoming a real estate agent in Florida: the courses you’ll need to take, the licenses required, and everything in between.

Let us begin.

General Licensing Requirements In Florida

Every state in the U.S. has their own real estate licensing levels, which is developed by a state regulatory agency. In the case of Florida, the licensing requirements are regulated by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) of Florida. 

If you don’t have previous experience as a real estate agent in Florida (or in states with reciprocity agreements with Florida, discussed below), you will first need to get a sales associate license. With this license, you can work for a real estate broker, and after two years, you can apply for your own real estate broker license.

Here are the general requirements for obtaining a sales associate license in Florida: 

• You must be at least 18 years old
• Possess a U.S. Social Security number
• Have a high school diploma or the equivalent
• Submit the application to obtain the license, pay the required fee ($89 at the moment), and get fingerprinted
• Must complete 63 hours of state-approved pre-licensing courses within the last 2 years (will be discussed further below)
• Those with a permanent physical disability can still be qualified for a pre-licensing course. You can check the website of  Florida Administrative Code and Florida Administrative Register here to check for the corresponding rules. 

Pre-Licensing Course Requirements

As mentioned above, one of the general requirements of getting your real estate sales associate license is to complete pre-licensing instructions from FREC (Florida Real Estate Commission)-approved schools or educational providers.You will need to complete 63 hours worth of this course. 

After you’ve possessed a real estate sales associate license, you will also need to complete another 45 hours of post-licensing associate course. Some important considerations regarding these course requirements are:

• If you already have a Bachelors or Master’s degree in real estate from institutions recognized by FREC, you are exempt from pre-licensing and post-licensing course requirements.
• If you are a registered attorney in the state of Florida, you are exempt from pre-licensing course requirements, but you will still need to take post-licensing courses
• These courses (and broker courses) are valid for 24 months after the course completion.

To summarize, here are the key steps of getting a Florida real estate sales associate license:

1. Complete a FREC-approved 63-hour pre-licensing course. There are online courses available, or you can also take this course in-person. Remember that this course will only be valid for 2 years.
2. Submit your online application here. You will need to pay $89, as well as submitting electronic fingerprints
3. Take your licensing exam online, which is conducted by Pearson Vue. You will need to get a score of at least 75 out of 100, or you can also pass the Florida Real Estate Law Exam with a score of 30 out of 40.
4. If you pass the exam, you will get an inactive sales associate license. You can activate the license after you get employed by a real estate broker, and you can apply for activation here. The employer might also activate your license for you. 
5. Before it’s time to renew your license in 2 years, you will need to complete a FREC approved 45-hour post-licensing instruction. This is required even if your sales associate license is inactive throughout the period, or you won’t be able to renew your license.

Becoming a Florida Real Estate Broker

What if you want to become a full-fledged real estate broker in Florida? The first and most important requirement is to complete 2 years worth of experience as an active real estate sales associate. You can complete this 24-month experience in five years. 

Also, you can get this experience from states outside Florida. You will need to inform this by getting a certification of your real estate license history from your current jurisdiction, and apply for the real estate broker license within 30 days.

Here are the other requirements for getting a Florida real estate broker license:

1. Complete a 72-hour pre-licensing broker course from FREC-approved institutions
2. Similar to the above process for sales associate license, submit an application online including your electronic fingerprints
3. Take a Florida Real Estate Broker Examination exam. You will need to score at least 75 out of 100 to pass.
4. Complete a DBPR RE 13 Broker Transaction form to activate this license
5. Before the expiration of the license (2 years), you will need to complete another 60-hour post-licensing course for brokers. Or else, you can’t renew this license.

Florida Real Estate License Reciprocity

Real estate license reciprocity refers to the agreement between states to so that a license holder in one state can get licensed in another state where the agreement is in effect.

These states below has reciprocity agreements with Florida:

• Alabama
• Arkansas
• Connecticut
• Georgia
• Illinois
• Mississippi
• Nebraska
• Rhode Island

How Much Will I Get Paid As a Florida Real Estate Agent?

The average salary range in Florida for a real estate sales association is $38,000. However, this can vary greatly because a real estate agent also get a portion of commissions of the house’s price in completed sales. If you can sell a lot of houses, you can potentially make six-figure in a year. 

End Words

We have discussed a quick breakdown of the general requirements and course requirements if you want to be a licensed real estate agent in Florida. The requirements discussed above are up to date per 2019, but it is wise to check Florida DPBR’s site for changes in regulations.