The 6 Essential Steps To Get A Florida Real Estate License
Before you go through the steps to get a Florida real estate license, pause a while and think whether it is worth your effort and investment to get one. Is it a rewarding career option both in terms of monetary benefits and lifestyle? The answer is yes to both your doubts, and let us explain why it is so.
Why Should You Obtain A Florida Real Estate License
Financial Angle
To understand the financial angle of obtaining a real estate license Florida, it is necessary to go through the mode of earnings for real estate agents.
Real estate agents do not get a regular salary; they earn commissions instead, which are pegged at 6% of the sale price of a property. This is divided equally between a seller’s and a buyer’s agent.
Currently, the median home sale price in Florida is $420,700. At 3% the commission comes to a whopping $12,621, and this is from one deal only. Just 8 deals a year will take you past the magic six-figure mark, which is quite remunerative by any standards.
Lifestyle Angle
Real estate agents are their own bosses and get to set their work schedules. You are not bound by fixed timings, unlike regular 9-to-6 jobs. Hence, you can plan your lifestyle optimally and spend quality time with your friends and family with a lot to spare.
However, since your work is fully client-oriented, you might have to accept certain compromises. For example, a client might want you to conduct showings on holidays or weekdays according to their convenience. You cannot turn them down, as closing a deal means significant income for you.
An Insight Into The Florida Real Estate Market
High earnings and a rewarding career as a real estate agent can only be possible in a flourishing real estate market. Florida has a booming housing sector that has always been above the national average. Fueled by vibrant and growing cities, a booming tourist industry, and sunny beaches, the Sunshine State has always drawn people like a magnet, wanting to settle here for good.
Currently, the Florida real estate market is steadily going North, partly due to increased listings and inventory. Take the instance of single-family homes in Florida; the supply has reached a 5.6-month level in April 2025, healthier than last year. This scenario means more supply of houses and a bonanza for buyers as they do not have to compete with low inventory that pushes up prices.
Additionally, home prices in Florida have eased, down 4% when compared to April 2024. This means more potential homebuyers and an increase in business for real estate agents.
This proves that for aspiring real estate agents in the state, now is the time to get a Florida real estate license and take the plunge.
Even though the entry-level designation in this profession is a Sales Associate, we shall refer to it in this article as a real estate agent for a better understanding.
The Controlling Body For Real Estate In Florida
The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) is the overall state agency that regulates and licenses various professions, including real estate. The Florida Real Estate Commission (FREC) is a division within the DBPR that focuses exclusively on the real estate sector.
FREC has multiple responsibilities, including licensing, rule-making, setting pre-licensing courses and education, and initiating disciplinary actions related to real estate licenses. In short, it regulates the real estate industry and enforces real estate laws. It is the FREC that mandates that you must have a FL real estate license if you sell, buy, rent, or lease properties in Florida on behalf of third parties for a commission.
In this post, we will now go through the 6 essential steps to be awarded a Florida real estate license.
Step 1: Go through the basics
Before embarking on the actual stages to get a real estate license Florida, the following requirements must be met.
- You must be at least 18 years old on the date that you apply for a license. This does not stop you from going through the other formalities, like completing the pre-licensing coursework before that.
- You must be a citizen of the USA with a Social Security Number to apply for a license. However, legally admitted migrants with sanctioned working rights in the USA can also apply for a license in Florida.
- You must have a high school diploma to set the process of getting a real estate license rolling. An equivalent, such as a GED, is also considered the base educational qualification to apply for a Florida real estate license.
Step 2: Completing the pre-licensing coursework
The FREC has fixed that all aspiring real estate agents in Florida must complete 63 hours of Florida real estate course to get a Florida real estate license. The reason is that the real estate sector is governed by various complex rules and regulations, and until you are fully conversant with them, you will not be able to provide error-free services to your clients in the future.
Moreover, real estate sees huge financial transactions when a deal is closed. Any wrong step here can lead to severe implications, both financial and legal, often impacting a budding career for good. Hence, it is necessary that, as a candidate for a license, you thoroughly go through the Florida real estate license course to avoid any pitfalls in your career as a real estate agent.
The 63-hour Florida real estate course consists of two parts, the national and the state-specific sections. In the national section, the subjects cover the areas that are common to all the states in the USA. The state-specific section, on the other hand, deals with all the topics that are exclusive to Florida. Questions in the licensing exam cover both parts.
The following subjects are covered in the 63-hour pre-licensing coursework.
- Florida license and state laws
- Real Estate contracts and closing
- Real estate ethics
- Real estate marketing
- Property management
- Real estate finance
- Industry rules and violations
- Foreclosures
How to choose the best Florida real estate license course
While there are several course providers offering pre-licensing study materials, you should know how to select the best course. It can make all the difference between passing the licensing exam on the first try and failing.
Among the best in this niche is RealEstateU with the most affordable study materials. They offer online Florida real estate courses that are designed by top real estate professionals and, hence, of the highest quality. Check out their top-end packages that have study guides, mock tests, and practice questions.
Here are some tips to follow to select a Florida real estate course.
Select a learning medium
Pre-licensing courses are available in both online and classroom-based platforms, and candidates should choose one that matches their learning style. However, a comparison of the two shows that online courses have an edge over their physical learning counterparts. Here are some of the reasons for it.
An online Florida real estate course offers lessons and study materials that can be downloaded onto any Internet-enabled device. You thus have the flexibility to study from anywhere and at any time without disrupting your normal routine. This is very crucial if you already have a job with fixed hours and are now branching out into the real estate industry.
Further, online Florida real estate license course
are substantially cheaper than classroom-based ones. RealEstateU, for example, offers its base package at only $69 while real estate school instructions and textbooks can set you back upto $700. Moreover, you spend a lot of time commuting to classrooms that could be better utilized in studies.
FREC-approved courses
Before investing in a Florida real estate course, ensure that it is approved by FREC. This is important as going through 63 hours of non-approved courses will not be counted as having completed the educational requirements to appear for the licensing exam. To be sure, visit the FREC portal and check the list of approved Florida real estate course providers before spending your money on one.
Check packages available
Online and school-based courses are available in various packages starting from the basic ones with online study materials only to advanced packages with e-textbooks, mock tests, and practice questions. The advantage of working with practice questions and mock tests is that the questions here replicate the form and structure of the questions in the actual licensing exam.
This has a two-fold effect. First, you know what type of questions you will face in the licensing test, and this will boost your confidence for D-Day. Second, by evaluating your answers in the mock tests, you will know how well prepared you are for the licensing exam. Topics where you score poorly in the mock tests may be revised for more thorough preparation.
Keep these aspects in mind while selecting a Florida real estate license course.
Step 3: Background verification
Having a clean past with no criminal history is a requirement to get a Florida real estate license. Real estate agents are expected to have high financial integrity and moral standards since they will be handling millions of dollars in their careers in real estate transactions. One way of knowing this is fingerprint verification, and this action is taken so seriously that an adverse fingerprint report might bar you from obtaining a real estate license Florida.
The process of fingerprint verification is as follows. Submit fingerprints to DBPR through a Livescan Service provider approved by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). The service provider will send the fingerprints to FDLE using an Originating Agency Identification (ORI) number. It is FL920010Z for real estate agents and brokers in Florida.
Step 4: Schedule and pass the licensing exam
Passing the licensing exam is a critical step towards a Florida real estate license.
Visit the DBPR portal and apply for a real estate license Florida. You will get an application ID number using which you must schedule a licensing exam. The real estate licensing exam is proctored by Pearson Vue at various testing locations, among them being Miami, Orlando, Tampa, and Jacksonville. Even though the exam is held online, you must visit the designated center physically to take the exam.
On the test day, visit the designated test center to appear for the exam. The questions are in a multiple-choice format with 100 questions that must be completed in 210 minutes. Secure at least 75% to pass the licensing test and take one step forward to get a Florida real estate license.
With the exam being held online, the result in a pass/fail format is announced soon after the exam is over and an official mail is sent within a couple of weeks of the test day.
Step 5: Apply for a real estate license Florida
Visit the DBPR portal again and apply for a Florida real estate license. Upload required documents, such as completing the 63-hour Florida real estate license course, fingerprint clearance certificate, and proof of passing the licensing exam. You will now get a provisional license but must wait till completing the next step to get it activated and start your career.
Step 6: Find a licensed broker for sponsorship
This is required as it is in a brokerage firm where you will get the practical training to start your career and learn the ropes of the real estate industry. Additionally, a broker will provide the required infrastructure and space to meet your clients as well as referrals to launch your practice.
Inform DBPR of your present employment status to get your provisional license converted to an active career to kickstart your career. The license will be issued in the name of the broker and will be transferred to a new brokerage should you change your links to a firm in the future.
Follow the 6 steps above to be awarded a Florida real estate license.