FREC I Florida Sales Associate Prelicense Training [Basic]

Individuals who want to practice real estate in the State of Florida are required to be licensed with the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulations (DBPR). This online course meets DBPR and Florida Real Estate Commission (FREC) requirements to train licensee applicants on how to participate in the real estate industry as a real estate sales associate.

The 63-hour FREC Course I: Florida Real Estate Sales Associate course covers the required educational study topics as outlined by the FREC. The chapters covered in this course are:

1. Course Overview: The Real Estate Business
2. Real Estate License Law and Qualifications for Licensure
3. Real Estate License Law and Commission Rules
4. Authorized Relationships, Duties and Disclosure
5. Real Estate Brokerage Activities and Procedures
6. Violations Of License Law, Penalties and Procedures
7. Federal and State Laws Pertaining to Real Estate
8. Property Rights
9. Title, Deeds, and Ownership Restrictions
10. Legal Descriptions
11. Real Estate Contracts
12. Residential Mortgages
13. Types of Mortgages and Sources of Financing
14. Real Estate Related Computations and Closing of Transactions
15. The Real Estate Markets and Analysis
16. Real Estate Appraisal
17. Real Estate Investments and Business Opportunity Brokerage
18. Taxes Affecting Real Estate
19. Planning, Zoning, and Environmental Hazards

This 63 hour Florida real estate sales associate license course is presented in an online format that allows students to complete the course at their own pace. This course can be viewed on your desktop computer, laptop, tablet, or mobile device. The chapters in the course contains reading materials, videos, and small quizzes to help enforce the concepts taught in the chapter.

At the end of the course is a 100-question final exam. Florida regulations allow students only two attempts at the final exam. If a student fails the final exam the first time, then a 30-day waiting period is enacted. Once the 30 days have elapsed, the student may take a second attempt to pass the final exam. If the exam is failed a second time, then the student will fail the course. Please keep these regulations in mind when preparing for the course final exam.

How to Become a Real Estate Sales Associate in Florida

To obtain a Florida real estate sales associate license, the Department of Business and Professional Regulations (DBPR) requires that an applicant must be at least 18 years of age or older, hold a high school diploma or equivalent, complete a 63-hour prelicense course, and pass the state licensing exam with a score of 70% or higher.

The FREC I Course

The FREC I course will meet the educational requirements to take the real estate sales associate state licensing exam. The course will take approximately 52 hours to complete (63 "clock hours" of 50 minutes each) and covers the topics as outlined by the FREC.

Applying for a License

Either before or after passing the FREC I final exam, you will apply for a sales associate license with the DBPR. Sales associate candidates must apply to the DBPR before they will be permitted to schedule the state licensing exam with Pearson VUE, the state's licensing exam proctor. Applying for the sales associate license will be done through the DBPR's myfloridalicense.com website or by mailing in a paper application. For online applications, you will need to first create an account to use the DBPR Online Services:

• Online Myfloridalicense.com
• Paper Application Form DBPR RE 1

After submitting the application, the DBPR will notify Pearson VUE once the application has been approved. Pearson VUE will then send an authorization letter, notifying you that you qualify to take the state licensing exam. The FREC I pre-licensure course completion certificate will be presented at the license exam testing center and not at the time of applying for the sales associate license.

Fingerprinting

You may have your fingerprints electronically filed either before or after you submit your license application. Fingerprinting must be done through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's LiveScan Program. You can find a LiveScan location on the FDLE's web site. There are locations throughout the state and each may have its own set of fees you will have to pay. It is recommended that you call your selected location to check on available hours and fee requirements.

Passing the State Exam

After you receive an authorization letter from Pearson VUE that you qualify for the sales associate licensing exam, you may contact them at 1-888-204-6289 to schedule the exam. You may also schedule from their website, pearsonvue.com. At registration, you will be asked for the candidate information number listed on the authorization letter. There are testing centers in many areas of the state (e.g., Orlando, Jacksonville, Coral Gables, and Lakeland to name a few). 

The test will be delivered electronically via computer and contains 100 multiple-choice questions. Candidates will have three and a half hours to complete the exam with a score of 75% or higher. An exam report will be issued immediately upon completing the exam.

Activating Your License

Once the DBPR has been notified of your successful license exam test results, which can take up to 48 hours, a sales associate license will be issued to you in inactive status. You cannot practice real estate until your license has become active. Florida sales associates need to be supervised by a licensed Florida real estate broker to ensure that regulations are followed as well as to protect the real estate buying public. You will need to find a responsible broker to work under. That broker can use the DBPR Online Services to activate your license under their broker's license.