The Florida real estate market is one of the most remarkable in the country. There are year-round residents, snowbirds, and investors lining up to own a little piece of the Sunshine State. If you want to become a real estate agent in Florida, it’s a great time to make a career change. We’re going to share everything you need to know about getting your Florida real estate license, including:
The Florida Real Estate Commission (FREC) has some basic requirements you have to meet in order to secure your state real estate license:
Overall, the process to become a real estate agent in Florida is fairly simple. It’s also an incredible opportunity to build a lifelong business of your very own.
In order to get your Florida real estate license, you’ll have to attend a school that’s approved by FREC. There are quite a few approved real estate schools in Florida. Most are online courses, but there are a few that still offer classes in person. Here are a few of the most popular real estate schools:
Your pre-licensing course will cover several key areas including property rights, contracts, zoning, appraisals, mortgages, and Florida real estate law.
When you are shopping for the best real estate schools, make sure that they offer additional support for exam preparation. Some Florida real estate schools even offer weekend cram sessions or exam prep courses or online support/chat to ensure that you pass the state exam with flying colors.
In Florida, you must affiliate with a real estate brokerage in order to activate your real estate license.
Once you’ve completed the pre-licensing real estate course and are waiting to take your state exam, we would recommend starting to research and interview potential brokerages. There are a few ways to find the best brokerage for your new business:
Keep in mind that many brokerages are independently owned franchises. So one Remax or Coldwell Banker office could be completely different from another down the street. The training, culture, and sometimes the commission splits vary from office to office, even though they share the same franchise name.
The most important thing you should look for in a brokerage is how they support brand new real estate agents. Do they have a formal training program? Will you have at least 3 people you can reach out to if you have questions? Do they have mentors – and what exactly will the mentors do to assist you?
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There are several fees involved when working to become a real estate agent in Florida…
Getting licensed is just the beginning! There are several other expenses to consider when you are becoming a real estate agent. After all, you are building a brand new business and there are always costs associated, whether you are opening a coffee shop or launching your real estate empire.
Here are some of the most common expenses:
Considering these added expenses, you will likely need to spend a total of around $1,300 to $1,800 to launch your new real estate career.
Learn more about the costs associated with becoming a Florida real estate agent:
Now that you know how to become a real estate agent in Florida and have found the best real estate brokerage, it’s time to lay the foundation for your new business and get to work!
Your pre-licensing class is primarily focused on learning common terminology, ethics and laws when practicing Florida real estate. The courses don’t usually cover topics like writing contracts, building your database, learning your scripts, and how to promote your business.
As a new Realtor, you need to be highly motivated and laser-focused on learning as much about the real estate industry as you possibly can. When you wake up each morning, there won’t be anyone there telling you what to work on, as you are now the owner, manager, and boss! Your brokerage should have classes that will help you understand what you need to focus on first but if you want to have a successful first year in the real estate business, your primary focus areas should be:
The Building Better Agents team talks with dozens of newly licensed real estate agents each year. Most have no idea how challenging the first year or two can be and how much you need to learn to be successful. It’s not easy, but if you are a self-starter who is 110% committed to being successful and you have the support of a great brokerage and mentor, it can be a rewarding and profitable business.
lass exam and then apply to take the state exam. Usually, it takes a few weeks to get your background check and your appointment for the exam, but you could potentially get your license within 6 weeks and then you’d need at least another 6 weeks to select your broker and get up and running on all the tools and systems at your new brokerage.
There are 100 multiple choice questions and you’ll have up to 3.5 hours to take the exam. It can be tricky, so it’s vital that you do as many practice exams as possible. If you’re still not feeling confident, sign up for a Florida exam prep course.
It’s not uncommon for people to fail on the first try. You can easily take the real estate exam again, you just have to wait 24 hours to reschedule a new exam date. The cost is $35 to retake the exam.
If you’d like to quickly get your real estate license, we would recommend signing up for a self-paced online course at one of the real estate schools above. The online real estate courses have come a long way over the last few years, so you’ll get a top notch education in the field of real estate. When deciding on the best online real estate course, be sure to check their “average pass rate.” You want to make sure you sign up with a Florida pre-license course that will fully prepare you for the state real estate exam so that you can pass the first time you take it!
You do not need a college degree to become a real estate agent in Florida. You just need to have a high school diploma or GED, be at least 18 years old and successfully complete the 63 hour pre-license course.
Absolutely! As long as you’ve passed the pre-license course and received your license application approval, you can take the state exam before you have a sponsoring brokerage.
If you’ve been an active Florida real estate agent for at least 24 months over the last 5 years, you can qualify to become a broker in FL. You’ll have to enroll in a 72 hour approved broker licensing course and pass the Florida Real Estate Broker exam.
Most states refer to this as “reciprocity” but in Florida, it’s called “Mutual Recognition.” Florida currently has an agreement with Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Mississippi, Nebraska, and Rhode Island. If you hold an active real estate license in any of these states, you can become a real estate agent in Florida just by passing the State portion of the real estate licensing exam.
According to ZipRecruiter, as of February 2022, the average US monthly pay for real estate professionals is $6,908 (about $82K annually). This can fluctuate dramatically based on the home prices in your area, as the larger the sales price the larger your commission check will be. Market conditions can play a role in how much Realtors can make, but ultimately what you earn is up to you. To give you a better idea of what real estate agents make in Florida, here are a few examples from GlassDoor:
As you’ll see above, we outlined all of the expenses above. To sum it up, you should plan to spend about $250-$425 getting your real estate license, and then you’ll have other fees to officially get your business up and running (i.e. Board of Realtors, MLS, marketing, etc). It will cost a minimum of $1,300 to $1,800 to become a real estate agent in Florida.
