How to Become a Real Estate Broker in Florida?

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If you have been working as a real estate salesperson in Florida for some time, and wish to bring your business to the next level, then upgrading your license to become a real estate broker could be a sensible choice.

Rather than making income solely based on your sales production, being a broker allows you to build a team of real estate agents. You’ll be recruiting, providing training and support to your underlying agents. In return, you would get a share of their commission.

To become a real estate broker in Florida, you must:

1. Be at least 18 years and have a valid SSN;
2. Have at least 24 months of active real estate sales experience in the past 5 years;
3. Hold a high school diploma or equivalent;
4. Complete 72 hours of pre-licensing courses from an approved education provider;
5. Pass the Florida Real Estate Broker Exam;
6. Provide fingerprints to a Livescan service provider;
7. Submit an application and a $91.75 fee to the Florida Real Estate Commission (FREC)
8. Complete the 60 hours of post-licensing courses;
9. Maintain the broker license

FREC is the regulatory body that protect consumers in matters relating to real property transactions. They are responsible for issuing the licenses and regulates the real estate industry.

In this guide, you’ll learn the steps to become a real estate broker in Florida, income updates, and FAQs on this profession.

(By the way, if you are just starting the real estate career, but haven’t obtained the sales associate license yet, you should read over this career starter guide first.)

But before we start, I want to give a brief disclaimer. This post is not intended as legal advice or state/federal real estate training. It is for general information only. Please always follow your State laws and best practices.

When choosing a real estate school, I prefer one where you could take the courses online. This way, you could study at your own pace whenever and wherever. The CE Shop is a trustworthy real estate education provider. You may click here to see whether they offer pre-licensing course in your state. (**)

8 Steps to Become a Real Estate Broker in Florida

Step 1: Meet the eligibility requirement

• At least 18 years old;
• Have a valid Social Security Number;
• Hold a high school diploma or equivalent

Step 2: Fulfill the work experience requirement

You must be an active licensed real estate sales associates for at least 24 months in the previous 5 years.

The Florida Real Estate Commission will also look into whether there had been any disciplinary action against you.

Step 3: Complete the pre-licensing education

You are required to take the 72 hours of pre-licensing courses. It equips you with the essential knowledge to running a real estate broker business.

Before you enroll, you may go to the Public License Search and confirm whether the education provider is on the approved list. 

Here’s the list of classes you need to complete.

I just checked with a broker course provider. The pre-licensing course is only $139.30. But if you pay $278.60, you will have the package that includes the 60-hours broker-license courses. 

They are only valid for 2 years after you complete them.

The Colibri is the online school that I like. Their Exam Prep have helped thousands of students pass their exam on the first try. They even have a “Pass or Don’t Pay” Guarantee. That’s why confident they are with their program. You may click here to view their exam prep. (**)

Step 4: Go through background check

Since the FREC needs to protect the public interest, they will conduct a background check on all real estate license applicants.

To do so, you must submit fingerprints through the approved Livescan Service Provider. They will ask for the ORI number, which is FL920010Z, for real estate sales and brokers.

It would be best if you do so at least five days before submitting the application. Then they would send the results to the Florida Department.

Although the fee varies among different vendors, I checked with several of them. It is usually around $50.

Step 5: Submit an Broker License Application to the Florida Real Estate Commission

Similar to the registration process of being a real estate agent, you’ll need to apply to the Florida Real Estate Commission.

This time, you’ll complete the Application for Broker License Form # DBPR RE 2 or you could do so through the DBPR Online Services. The best would be to do so online. It saves mailing time, and less paper usage is good for the environment too.

In addition to the application, you need to provide other necessary documents, such as the transcript of pre-licensing classes completion and a fee of $91.75.

Step 6: Pass the Real Estate Broker Examination

The Florida Real Estate Broker Exam is a 3.5 hours test with 100 multiple choice questions. The required passing score is 75% or higher. The broker exam will be administered by Pearson-Vue, and the exam fee is also $36.75.

Below are the 12 content areas which will be tested and the percentage weighting of each.

Step 7: Complete the Broker Post-Licensing Course

Within 24 months you got the broker license, you must complete the 60 hours of post-licensing courses.

These courses will equip you with the skills to run a successful brokerage, how to plan for the real estate business, risk management and operational issues, the guideline in budgeting, compensation, and recruiting.

They will also cover different marketing tactics, agency disclosures, and the advertising and license laws.

Step 8: Maintain the Florida Real Estate Broker License

All real estate license holders must renew their license once every two years. You may do so at the MyFloridaLicense and pay the renewal fee.

For the first renewal, you need to complete the 60 hours post-licensing courses, which is the one I just talked about.

For subsequent renewals, you will take at least 14 hours of Continuing Education.

A Quick Table Summary of Becoming a Real Estate Broker in Florida

How much does it cost to get a real estate broker license in Florida?

It costs approximately $457.10 to get a real estate broker license in Florida. Here’s the breakdown:

• Broker courses including pre-licensing and post-licensing – $278.60 (Approx.)
• Exam fee – $36.75
• Background check – $50
• FREC fees – $91.75

However, if you were setting up a real estate brokerage, the cost of getting a broker license is only part of the expenses. There is also other office expenses such as salary of administrative staff, office lease, furniture, equipment, software subscriptions.

How long does it take to become a real estate broker in Florida?

It takes at least 24 months to get a real estate broker license in Florida. That is the required amount of real estate sales experience. But it also depends on the time it takes you to complete the pre-licensing courses, exam, background check, application.

You may speed up in getting the Florida real estate license by taking online courses. This way, you’ll have the flexibility to finish the pre-licensing education at a quicker pace.

Can you become a real estate broker with a felony in Florida?

An applicant with a felony may not obtain a real estate broker license if the Florida Real Estate Commission (FREC) determines that the offense is too severe. They would typically be more alarmed on incidents that impact the applicant’s honesty, trustworthiness, character, and integrity.

What is the nature of the crime? Does it have anything to do with the honesty, truthfulness, and reputation of the applicant? Is the applicant currently under probation or parole? All these are factors that may affect a real estate license application.

The FREC will evaluate each case independently. They may also require you to provide further documents and explanation about the incident.

But don’t get discouraged as everyone has a past. The most important is that you can demonstrate that you will serve the public in a fair, honest, and open manner.

Here’s an article that covers how to apply for a real estate license with a felony record. In there, you’ll find practical ideas which could help your application.

How Much do Real Estate Brokers Make in Florida?

Real estate brokers in Florida earn an average yearly income of $59,550. It typically ranges between $31,230 and $76,440. Top earning real estate brokers are making $123,380. (*)

Your earning depends on many factors. For example, the amount of time per week you are dedicated to run the business and the number of agents in your sales team. Having the skills and vision to delegate tasks to others rather than DIY is another major determining factor.

(*) Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2019)

Here’s another post you could be interested. “Do Brokers Make More than Real Estate Agents? (Facts Revealed)”

Is there a demand for real estate brokers in Florida?

Currently, there are only 3,160 real estate brokers in Florida, but 19,240 real estate agents. This works to an average of 6 agents per office.

So whenever there are sales associates who need support and training to grow their business, there is always a demand for real estate brokers in Florida.

Whom should I contact if I have more questions about the Florida real estate license?

You could contact the Florida Real Estate Commission:

• Division of Real Estate, 400 West Robinson Street, N801, Orlando, Florida 32801
• Telephone: 850.487.1395
• Facsimile: 850.488.8040

Alternatively, you may fill out their online contact form. Their turnaround time is 48 hours.

If you are reading up to this point, I bet you must be interested in getting a real estate license. Your first step is to complete the pre-licensing courses. You should select one that has an excellent reputation and long-term track record of satisfying students. The Colibri is exactly that! You may click here to check it out yourself. (**)

(**) Affiliate Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you. Our company, JCHQ Publishing will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking on the link. Please understand that we include them based on our experience or the research on these companies or products, and we recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions we make if you decide to buy something through the links. Please do not spend any money on these products unless you feel you need them or that they will help you achieve your goals.

Disclaimer: The information in this post is for general information only, and not intend to provide any advice. They are subjected to change without any notice, and not guaranteed to be error-free. Some of the posts on this site may contain views and opinions from individual not related to JCHQ Publishing. They do not necessarily reflect our view or position.

Reference:

• Candidate Information Booklet for the Real Estate Broker Examination (source)
• Florida Real Estate Commission (FREC) (source)
  • Broker Initial Application (source)
  • Electronic Fingerprint (source)
  • Florida Statutes Chapter 475 – Part I (source)
  • Florida Administrative Code Chapter 61J2 (source)
  • Renewal Information (source)
• Bureau of Labor Statistics
  • Occupational Employment and Wages- Real Estate Brokers (source)
  • Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates Florida (source)