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.