The applicant’s spouse must be on active duty and assigned to a duty station in Florida, and this license is not renewable.  It is valid for six months, and the applicant must be living in the state of Florida to qualify.

Formal application process applies, and a background check is mandatory for all licensees in the State of Florida, including electronic fingerprinting that is scanned through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and Federal Bureau of Investigation.

If the applicant intends to continue practicing real estate in Florida, they should use this six month period to acquire their Sales Associates License in Florida.   Applicants must be married to an active duty member of the Armed Forces of the United States. Applicants must provide a copy of their military dependent ID card.

Applicants must hold a valid license for the profession in another state, the District of Columbia, any United States territory or possession, or a foreign jurisdiction.  Applicants are required to provide a copy of the certificate of licensure and a copy of the statutes and/or rules that define the scope of work for the current license.

Applications are not available online.  To make download and print application, go to website or call 850-487-1395 to speak to the Call Center for the DBPR.

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.

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 licence.  

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 or call me at 352-650-1029.

Never intend to become a Broker/Owner of your own firm?  One thing I have learned in my 21 year career in real estate is that change happens,  and the more prepared you are, the smoother the transition into whatever is coming your way.

Beside the incentive of more income as a reward, the credibility and prestige of being a broker opens more doors, increases your knowledge base, and carries much more clout with the public.

The Broker Exam has undergone some substantial changes effective July 2011.  To familiarize yourself with the new material, I have included links to pertinent information below.

Passing the course exam is only one part of the equation.  The other important aspect is the state license application and approval process, which can take up to 90 days.  It is best to begin that process as quickly as possible.  Use the link in this paragraph to access the site.

Challenge yourself to take your business to the next level.  Go to Nature Coast Real Estate School’s website and save your seat in class. Class starts January 2 and runs for six weeks in the evenings (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday).  I look forward to seeing you there!

Broker Candidate Information Booklet

Broker Exam at a Glance

Sample Case and Questions

Broker Examination Update

We are seeing a tremendous upsurge of real estate sales, although the values are much less than in the boom just a few short years ago.  Todays buyers are flocking to Florida from Canada, Mexico, India, and Europe, taking advantage of the weakened US dollar and prices that are lower than any other time in this decade.

Even with the difficult lending climate, it is a great time to buy and a great time to begin a Real Estate Career.

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.

The 60 hours is broken into two 30 hour courses: Brokerage Management and Real Estate Investments. 

Brokerage Management is an intensive and comprehensive course outlining the operations of a successful Real Estate Brokerage firm.  Business Planning, Management Selection, Training, and compensation; attracting and retaining quality associates and other skills necessary to become a successful Real Estate Broker/Owner are covered.

Real Estate Investments covers all aspects of investment properties, from Industrial, Commercial, Multifamily, and Residential Properties.  Accounting Principles and their relevance in valuing Business operations for sales, evaluating Present worth of Investment Properties based on future income and the formulas necessary are discussed.

Go to Nature Coast Real Estate School website for course schedule and registration.

I was unaware of these changes when I published my class schedule for the year, and have a Real Estate Broker Class scheduled for June 2011.  The new manual will not be available, so it would be a grave disservice to my students to teach materials from a manual that will not prepare them for their state licensing exam.

For this reason, the schedule for the second half of 2011 for Nature Coast Real Estate School is being revised.  The Florida Real Estate Broker Course will be offered starting September 26th and run through November 7. 

The Florida Real Estate Sales Associate Couse will be offered from July 5th through August 4th.  This will be a great opportunity for teachers and college students to take the real estate course during the summer break.

We apologize for any inconvenience this causes for students, especially those who have spoken to me and were anticipating the September/October Sales Associate Pre-Licensing class.

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.

Hot off the press via email today from the DBPR…

Lately, there were a few scheduling incidents with Digital (Electronic) Finger Printing. Candidates that choose to schedule thru Pearson VUE may have experienced some delay due to scheduling thru the wrong web site.

Some applicants were instructed to use www.catglobal.com which is dedicated to other Agencies other than DBPR, instead of the correct web site of www.pearsonvue.com for all DBPR professions, including Real Estate. Scheduling thru www.catglobal.com could result in delays and possible loss of fingerprint results.

Kindly pass this along to your colleagues so applicants that choose to use Pearson Vue can avoid delays and disappointment.

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.

Passing the Florida Real Estate State License Examination

Each month the number of candidates vary, but the ratios do not.  This month 180 tests were given to first time Florida Real Estate Broker Candidates.   Out of this group, 67 passed and 113 failed, which is a 37% pass rate.  262 candidates were retakers, and the same 37% pass rate applied.  This is pretty consistent month after month.  The Florida Real Estate Broker test is completely changing in July 2011, so the students who have taken the course and not passed the state licensing exam will be  unprepared for the new test.

The Florida Real Estate Sales Associate exam has a much higher pass rate for first time takers.  This month, out of 954 students taking the exam for the first time, 543 passed and 411 failed.  This is a 57% pass rate.  Ironically, the pass rate drastically decreases for retakers, whose pass rate is a dismal.  Out of 1017 retakers for the Sales Associate candidate, only 320 passed, which is less than 32%. 

With the advent of the computerized examamination, candidates no longer have to wait 30 days to retake the state exam.  They can reschedule their exam after 24 hours, and many do just that, rather than cracking the books and studying before trying again.

How can you maximize you potential for passing on the first attempt?  Read the entire course manual.  Carefully review the questions at the end of each chapter.  Find a weekend EXAM PREP class.  Dearborn Publishing has a review manual for Sales Associates and Brokers and this is an incredibly helpful tool for passing.

Nature Coast Real Estate School offers an EXAM PREP Course utilizing the Dearborn manual.  It is imperative that the student complete the exam questions before class.  A great test taking tip, since the answers and explanations are in the back of the book, is to mark the correct answer to each question, then study the questions, and the correct answer only.  When a student reads all four options, they are subconsciously implanting 3 incorrect answers along with the one correct answer, and under the stress of the test are unlikely to remember which was was correct.

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.

How do I go about finding a broker

These are the most commonly asked questions I get as a Real Estate Instructor.  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 really do learn more when we mess up.  Really.  It’s okay, although the loss of commission dollars when a sale is lost is painful.

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 now return, and find themselves financially strapped. 

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

You may find after finding a broker that things are not what they appeared, or you did not get what you hoped or were promised.  It happens, sometimes because of unrealistic expectations, sometimes because the Broker overpromised.  Whichever way, when you leave it is very important to know what is going to happen to the listings you have procured for your company, and your pending sales.  Make sure when you go for that interview that if things do not work out, you may take your listings and you will be paid on your pending sales. 

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 get your broker to sign in when you meet again to sign up. 

This may sound a little extreme, but 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. 

In today’s uncertain financial times, it is hard to know the financial strength of your potential broker.  I am currently following a tragic blog story about one of the largest Real Estate Franchise’s demise and one Agent’s struggles to get paid and salvage his business after 12 years in a company that failed.

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.

Today’s real estate license candidates have no aspirations of easy money, and many came from business backgrounds from the northern states.  As introductions were made throughout the classroom, most students revealed a lifelong dream of selling real estate and this was the perfect time to fulfill their dream of starting their real estate career. 

It is an encouraging experience as a real estate instructor in Spring Hill to see such bright students with backgrounds in business and the corporate world moving into a field that is evolving.  Short Sales, Foreclosures, and a difficult lending environment demands a level of commitment and professionalism and determination, and I am committed to preparing this class for the rigours required in the industry today.

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.