Florida Real Estate Licenses are not Reciprocal But....

Many Real Estate practitioners from other states migrate to Florida and inquire about getting their Florida Real Estate License.  They always want to know if there is any reciprocal relationship between Florida and their home state.   What they are asking is if they can practice real estate in Florida with an out of state license.   The answer each time is “Florida is reciprocal with NO states”.  We do not allow you to practice real estate in Florida without a Florida license.

However, if you have a sales or broker license in ANY other state, and it has been active for two out of the previous five years, you do not have to go through the same process as a Florida Resident seeking their broker’s license. 

For a Florida resident to become a broker, they must successfully complete a 63 hour course (that means pass the end of course exam), pass the Florida Sales Associate Licensing exam, and successfully complete the 45 hour post licensing course within the first licensing period.
In addition, they must have their sales license active with a broker for 24 months in order to qualify for their Florida Real Estate Broker’s license.
If you are moving from another state, and have been licensed as either a sales associate or a broker for two out of the past five years, you may bypass the sales associate’s license and apply for your Florida Broker’s license.  
If you have any questions regarding becoming licensed in Florida, go to my website, call me at 352-650-1029 or email jmgavish@aol.com.
Nature Coast Real Estate School is located four miles north of the Pasco County line on US 19 in Sprng Hill Florida and serves the Real Estate licensing needs of Pasco County and Hernando County.

Finding A Broker When You Are Newly Licensed

As the owner and instructor of a Florida Real Estate school the most frequently asked questions from my licensing students is "How do I go about finding a broker to work for once I get my license?" or "Will any Broker want to hire me since I have no experience?" They want to know what to look for in a company, what questions to ask a potential broker, wil they be commission only, how long until they begin making money, and how much it is going to cost to get started once  get licensed and how much can they expect to make in this business.
Starting a new career is exciting and challenging.  It is also intimidating, especially if a student had a successful career that they left behind.  It is not easy to start over as an adult and they are looking for some reassurance. 

Students have a vague idea of what the real estate business is about, but most of them get in because they like the idea of selling homes.  Very few understand that they are going into business for themselves rather than changing jobs.

A Real Estate Career is not a job.  It is a business.  It is YOU, Inc.  The amount of money that you will make in your first year has no bearing at all on how much money you will make in the subsequent years, because your first year is your learning year and you will make lots of mistakes on the road to mastery of the real estate business.  Forgive yourself in advance.  It is part of the process and we the painful mistakes are the ones we remember.  


One of the hardest mistakes is going to work for a company that is not a good fit.  It is also one of the most costly because when you go to work for a brokerage, those listings that you acquire and buyer contracts you write by law belong to your broker.  Make your choice carefully after much interviewing, because if it doesn't work out you may have to leave the business behind.

There are many different models in Real Estate Brokerages, and each has a type of licensee that will thrive in the different settings.  The question to ask yourself is, “what’s most important to me as a novice?”  I would think it is training, but many new licensees look to the commission split only and spend a lot of money on marketing and buying leads, getting little or no return, and find themselves financially strapped.

If you have someone who is willing to mentor you, by all means, join them into their company.  Otherwise, look for one with training, an experienced broker, and a good reputation and culture.

One thing is certain: what you envisioned your career to be before you were licensed is not going to match the reality of your new career.  It is a lot of hard work, sometimes with no apparent reward for a long period of time and it is easy to get disillusioned in the beginning.
What you may blame your broker for is really an unrealistic expectation on your part, so make sure you ask questions about what you can expect and also ask the potential broker what they expect from you. Find out what happens to the business you procured if it doesn't work out and you feel you need to find a new broker.  This is a negotiable item in many firms, which is why you may want to ask those in the business for some advice.
 
 Make sure the company has a Policy and Procedures Manual, and that you are given a copy to review before you sign with the broker.  Make sure you take notes in your interview, and that you recap what you wrote before you leave.  Make sure the notes you took match what is in the P & P Manual.  If not, make the notes an addendum to the manual and ask your broker to sign it when you meet again to join the firm.

As a former Century 21 Broker, EXIT Realty Broker, Coldwell Banker manager, and an independent Broker, I have interviewed countless licensees that did not take these precautions, and regretted it financially when they had to start over without their listings or their commission checks. Be smart and you will be successful!

There are many opportunities for success in today’s real estate market.
If you have any questions about a career in real estate in Florida, please call or email me, or visit my website.  If you have any questions about the licensing process, the Division of Real Estate has answers to Frequently Asked Questions as well as a complete Candidate Information Booklet to guide you through the process of getting your license.  To apply for a real estate license in Florida, follow the link to the license application.

Nature Coast Real Estate School offers live classroom and online courses and has four convenient locations in Pasco and Hernando Counties.  

Is that Online Florida Real Estate School Really Accredited?

Not everyone on the internet is who they claim to be….

Not everyone's schedule fits with the offered classroom courses at the Real Estate Schools. With the birth of online real estate education also came the advent of online “National Education Facilities” that claim they are accredited to offer Real Estate courses in multiple states.  For preferred placement in searches, many of them have names that begin with “A”, and offer very low priced classes.  Problem is, they may not actually be accredited in the states they claim.

The Department of Business and Professional Regulation of the State of Florida publishes a list of accredited Real Estate Schools, along with the contact information.  Real Estate Licensing courses in Florida are very rigorous, and the state test is difficult to pass.  If you cannot find a real estate course in a classroom setting, you may decide to take the online course.  Unlike the classroom course, most of the online courses are self study, and the material is dry and difficult to understand unless you have a background in law, or are licensed in another state already. If you choose this route, be careful to verify with the State of Florida DBPR that the school actually has the purported accreditation.

This also applies to Florida licensees who are considering upgrading a Florida Sales Associate license to a Broker license and is finding it difficult to fit a classroom course into a busy schedule. 

I received a call recently from a non resident Florida Broker who had taken 30 of the required 60 hours of Post-Licensing education in a classroom, and the other 30 hours through an online school.  When she went to renew her license, she was refused and told she was deficient by 30 hours.  When she read the name of the school from her completion certificate, she was informed  by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation that the online school not an accredited real estate school in Florida.  They directed her to their website where she could find an accredited school which was how she found my school and contacted me.  I did not offer that class online but directed her to a school that did, and hopefully she was able to complete the education before the expiration of her initial license.

Be very wary of online Real Estate Schools.  Do diligent research and verify the accreditation before signing up and paying for a class.  If you have any questions regarding Real Estate licensing education or licensing, please visit my website, call me at 352-650-1029 or email me at jmgavish@aol.com. Nature Coast Real Estate School has four convenient locations in Hernando and Pasco counties and serves the real estate licensing needs in Pasco County and Hernando County Florida.

Scheduling your Florida Real Estate State Licensing Exam

Once you have submitted your Real Estate Sales Associate or Broker License Application you are able to track the progress of your application on www.myfloridalicense.com using your social security number.  You will see a checklist of tasks required by the state to complete the approval process and when completed you will see the status change to “EXAM ELIGIBLE”. Congratulations!  You have been approved to the the exam, but may not know the next step. 

Although you should have received an email or an authorization letter in the mail  you do not have to wait to hear from the test vendor, Pearson VUE.  Once  you know that you are eligible to take the state exam, you may contact Pearson VUE directly through their website or by phone at 888.204.6289.

You will be required to submit a valid email address and pay at the time the exam is scheduled. You will not be able to pay at the test site on the day of the exam.  

If you wish to take the exam in Spanish, you must make your language preference known when scheduling your exam.  If you choose Spanish, you may toggle back and forth between Spanish and English to compensate for the fact that there are many dialects in Spanish.  If you do not make the request at reservation time, your exam will be in English.

Make sure you bring proper identification to the test site!  Two forms of signature identification are required.  One must bear your photo.  Your name and address must match the application submitted to the DBPR.  Government issued identification such as driver’s license, state identification card, passport and military identification card are acceptable. YOU MUST BE PREPARED TO SHOW PROPER I.D. TO GAIN ADMISSION TO THE TEST SITE. Student, employment I.D. cards and photo bearing credit cards are not acceptable as a picture bearing identification.

If the name on one or both forms of identification does not match the name listed in the vendor registration system, you must present an official document detailing why your name was changed. Examples of permissible documents accepted at the test center for this purpose include divorce papers, marriage licenses, and/or permanent resident certificates.
Remember to bring your Completion Certificate from Real Estate Licensing School to the Test Site.  Keep a copy for your records in case you need to retake the exam. You will need to provide the Completion Certificate if you retake the exam. 

Your test will be graded at the site and you will receive a pass/fail certificate.  If you failed the exam, your certificate will have a chapter by chapter breakdown of the questions asked and correctly answered for that chapter. This allows you to focus your studies on the chapters or topics that are your weakness.  

Finally, if you don't pass, don't be in a rush to retake the exam right away.  The statewide pass rates for retakers is significantly lower than first time testers.  Use the time to go back over your weakest chapters so that you are prepared when you retake the test.  It is especially tempting when you failed by only a few points.  You may berate yourself for changing those few answers that cost you the test, but remember, you will not receive the same exam when you retake, so use the time to study before signing up to retake the test.

For information on obtaining a real estate license or are considering a career in Real Estate and live in the Tampa Bay area, Contact Nature Coast Real Estate School’s website for our schedule of classes..
Nature Coast Real Estate School offers LIVE CLASSROOM and ONLINE INSTRUCTION for Pre and Post Licensing Classes for Sales Associates and Brokers, as well as Weekend Exam Prep Courses.  We have  four convenient locations in Pasco and Hernando counties to serve the Real Estate Licensing needs of Pasco and Hernando Counties.

For more information on the location and class preparation, check out the website, call Jeanne Gavish at 352-650-1029 or email me at jmgavish@aol.com.