Your guide to becoming a licensed sales associate in Florida
Looking for a career in real estate where you can earn a six-figure income and achieve your dream of working for yourself?
Becoming a real estate agent is a great career choice for anyone who wants to achieve financial fulfillment with the emotional satisfaction of helping people achieve their goals.
Did you know that Florida is amongst the top real estate markets and is currently the third most populated state in the country?
The Peach State is an attractive destination for tourists, professionals, homebuyers, real estate investors, and retirees who want to experience the best of nature, recreation, work, leisure, and entertainment.
Florida is home to some of the fastest-growing real estate markets in the country, including Fort Myers, Winter Haven, Palm Bay, North Port, Daytona Beach, and Port St. Lucie.
Plus, with an estimated population growth of around 3 million residents by 2030, Florida’s real estate market is showing no signs of slowing down.
In fact, now is a good time to enter the industry and prepare to make the most of the rising demand for housing and commercial real estate.
If you are an aspiring real estate agent who wants to work part-time or full-time, there couldn’t be a better place than Florida to kickstart your career.
Florida’s real estate market has been showing strong demand consistently for the last few years. Even the median selling price for homes in FL has been increasing year-on-year.
After all, it’s hard to ignore the temperate climate, scenic natural beaches, and a strong job market with a stable economy.
Working as a real estate agent in Florida could be a great way to embark on a rewarding and fulfilling career journey, especially if you are new and hungry to succeed.
The best part is that you do not need any advanced degree or spend years in college to get started. All you need to do is complete a Florida real estate course to get licensed.
As long as you meet the Florida real estate licensing and education requirements, you will be on your way to work with clients anywhere in the state.
In this article, we will walk you through all the steps you need to complete to start your real estate career in Florida.
Understanding the job profile of a real estate agent
Before we dive deep into the pre-licensing requirements and give you an in-depth look into the licensing process, it is important to learn about what you will be doing as an agent.
If you are not sure what real estate agents do, here’s a quick summary - a real estate agent is a licensed professional who works with clients ie. homeowners and homebuyers to help them sell or buy real estate.
Depending on who you are working with, you can work as a seller or as a buyer’s agent.
Real estate agents are responsible for conducting a range of tasks and duties as part of their job profile. Listed below are some of the core job responsibilities of a real estate agent.
- Responding to inquiries from potential clients via email, text, or phone calls
- Generating leads and inquiries on behalf of a broker or a brokerage firm
- Helping clients buy, sell, and lease residential and commercial real estate
- Showing properties and conducting site visits for clients
- Presenting and reviewing purchase contracts to buyers and sellers
- Promoting and advertising with listings, ads, and classifieds
- Preparing real estate contracts, deeds, rental agreements, and related documents
- Managing real estate listing database and records up-to-date
- Offer consultation services to clients on behalf of your employer or brokerage
As a real estate agent in Florida, you will juggle administrative, marketing, and customer service-related tasks on a daily basis.
Thus, it is important that you are well aware of the various laws, regulations, guidelines, and industry standards.
Now that you have learned about what a day in the life of a real estate agent looks like, let us walk you through the mandatory educational requirements to get your license.
Completing pre-licensing education in Florida
In Florida, aspiring real estate agents and salespersons are required to complete mandatory pre-licensing education and training to prove their eligibility and competence.
You will be required to complete 63 hours of pre-licensing course credits from a state-approved real estate college, school, or online course provider.
As per the Florida Real Estate Commission (FREC), completing the sales associate pre-license coursework is a must to satisfy the qualifying education requirements.
The purpose of completing pre-license education is to understand the various laws, regulations, and guidelines for working as a salesperson in Florida real estate.
Real estate is a highly regulated industry that is governed by state and federal laws and standards.
As an aspiring professional, it is important that you learn about the code of conduct, ethical standards, and best practices.
The 63 hours of sales associate pre-license education will also equip you with knowledge about various fundamental topics and general principles of the industry such as:
- Principles of Real Estate
- Real Estate License Laws
- Laws of Agency
- Real Estate Contracts
- Commission Rules and Laws
- Real Estate Brokerage
- Federal and State Laws
- Title, Deeds, and Ownership Laws
- Consumer Rights and Fair Trade
- Real Estate Appraisal
You are free to choose a Florida real estate license course based on your preferred learning medium.
Whether you want to learn in a classroom-based course or enroll in an online, self-paced course, you can decide and select a college or school of your choice.
However, it is important to consider that you must only learn from a state-approved education provider with a valid teaching and instruction license.
To find a list of state-approved education providers in Florida, you can visit the FREC website for the latest information.
Florida salesperson license requirements
Before you join a real estate school or course, it is important that you meet the basic eligibility requirements to start a career in real estate.
As per the FREC, all applicants must meet the statutory requirements listed below.
- You must be at least 18 years of age or older.
- You must be a legal resident of the state of Florida
- You must have a high school diploma in education or its GED equivalent
- You must be ethical in your conduct and truthful in the information provided
If you meet the above requirements, you can proceed to complete the background verification and criminal history check.
The FREC wants only eligible and trustworthy applicants to be allowed to apply for a salesperson license.
To ensure this, they require all applicants to undergo a federal background check as a mandatory requirement.
To complete this step, you need to submit an electronic copy of your fingerprints along with your licensing application to the FREC for review and approval.
Once your documents have been verified and approved, you will have to take the Florida sales associate licensing exam.
The exam consists of 100 multiple-choice questions based on your pre-license course curriculum. In order to pass the exam, you must score at least 75% or above.
If you successfully pass the salesperson licensing test, your license will be issued to you and you will receive it within a few weeks.
Florida post license educational requirements
In the rapidly evolving real estate landscape, upskilling and staying relevant is no more a choice, but a professional necessity for real estate agents.
Real estate laws, regulations, and guidelines continue to change and adapt to serve the best interests of consumers and industry professionals.
It is important to keep yourself current and up-to-date with the latest developments, industry updates, and other relevant trends.
This is where post-license education comes into the picture. Post license is a term that literally means any education required after obtaining your license.
In real estate, post-license education is an umbrella term that covers a set of courses and topics to help you gain advanced, in-depth knowledge.
The purpose of completing post-license education is to renew your license and extend its validity for the future.
As per the FREC, it is mandatory for all licensed salespersons to continually renew their license and keep it active by completing a 45-hour FL sales post-licensing course.
This course must be completed before your license renewal cycle i.e. within 18 to 24 months of the date your license was issued to you.
The curriculum covers advanced real estate topics and specialized courses that are useful for active and practicing professionals who want to go deeper into their profession.
Generally, the license renewal dates are either the last date of March or the last date of September. It is recommended that you verify the same on the FREC website.
Note that if you are unable to fulfill the post-license education requirements, your license will be made void and you will have to incur penalties and fines to get it renewed.
Post-license education plays a crucial role in helping you learn advanced topics and become more skilled and proficient in your profession. Here are some important reasons:
- Without completing post-license education, your Florida salesperson license will stand the chance of getting void. To maintain its active status, you must complete additional course credits.
- Education will keep you updated with industry news and real estate updates. As the real estate market is dynamic and ever-evolving, it is crucial to stay on top of the latest developments and trends.
- The real estate industry is highly competitive and to stay ahead, you must always be learning to stay ahead of the curve. Completing advanced courses will help you enhance your skill set and expand your knowledge.
- When you continue to invest in your career, it shows on your career profile. Keeping your license active and your credential updates enhances your trustworthiness and shows your commitment to the clients.
Completing post-licensing education is a must if you want to develop yourself professionally and build a thriving, long-term career.
Once you have completed additional course credits, you must log into the DBPR (Department of Business and Professional Regulation) website and submit your information.
After you have successfully completed the Florida real estate sales associate post-license course, you will have to take an end-of-course exam to prove your preparation.
Note that the test is a closed book format which consists of 100 multiple choice questions and you will get a total of 3 hours to attempt the questions.
To pass the exam, you must score at least 75 percent or above. In case you are unable to pass the test, you will have to retake it one more time.