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How To Become A Real Estate Agent in Florida
Learn how to get a real estate license in Florida and choose the pre-license courses right for you.
How Do I Become A Real Estate Agent In Florida?
An entry-level real estate agent in Florida is called a "sales associate." You must have a Florida real estate sales associate license issued by the Department of Business and Professional Regulations (DBPR) to conduct real estate business. The DBPR requires that an applicant must:
- Be at least 18 years of age.
- Hold a high school diploma or equivalent.
- Complete a 63-hour Florida real estate pre-license course.
- Submit a real estate license application.
- Submit fingerprints.
- Pass the state licensing exam.
- Associate with a real estate brokerage and activate your license.
You can find additional information on how to apply for a real estate sales associate license at MyFloridaLicense.com.
Florida Real Estate License Course
Your first step toward becoming a real estate agent in Florida is getting the real estate pre-license education required by the Florida Real Estate Commission (FREC). This 63-hour course is known as "FREC 1" and covers fundamental real estate concepts. Your pre-license course concludes with a final exam. Completing this course will allow you to sit for a Florida state real estate licensing exam.
You can take your real estate course online and literally start today!
Submitting a Real Estate License Application
You may apply for a sales associate license with the DBPR either before or after passing the FREC 1 final exam. We recommend completing your application early to get the process started as soon as possible.
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:
Applying for the Florida real estate sales associate license will cost $89. After submitting the application, the DBPR will notify Pearson VUE once the application has been approved. Pearson VUE will then send an authorization letter to the sales associate candidate notifying them that they qualify to take the state licensing exam. The FREC 1 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. It is recommended that you call your selected location to check on available hours and fees.
The LiveScan vendor will ask you for an Originating Agency Identification (ORI) number, which will identify the profession that you are applying for. For real estate salesperson exam applicants, the ORI number is FL920010Z. Even if you had your fingerprints scanned for another DBPR license, you will need to have them scanned again so they are filed under the correct ORI.
The FDLE's background check results are only valid for six months. If you do not apply for the sales associate license before the results expire, then you will need to have your fingerprints filed again by a LiveScan vendor.
Passing the Florida Real Estate Exam
After you receive an authorization letter from Pearson VUE that you qualify for a sales associate licensing exam, you may contact them at 1-888-204-6289 to schedule your real estate exam. You may also schedule your exam 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 real estate sales associate exam will cost $31.50.
On the day of your exam, arrive at the testing center before your scheduled exam time in order to check in and become familiar with the testing system. You will need to bring:
- Two pieces of valid signature identification (one of which must be government issued such as a driver's license or passport)
- The course completion certificate from your FREC 1 course
- The authorization letter from Pearson VUE.
Cell phones, bags, purses, food, and other personal items will NOT be allowed in the testing room; storage lockers may be provided at the testing center, but they are not guaranteed to be available.
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.
For more information about the real estate exam, please review the following helpful documents:
Activating Your FL Real Estate 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 real estate broker to work under. That broker can use the DBPR Online Services to activate your license under their broker's license.
Sales associates are required to take a 45-hour post licensing course before the end of their first licensing period.