In the last five to ten years, the state of Florida has seen a non-stop increase in home values and resale turnover. Tens of thousands of people have moved to the state or changed careers to risk it all for a chance to make an unlimited income by becoming a real estate sales agent (commonly mistakenly called Realtors). For the majority of these people, the gamble has paid off, many of which took them far beyond their financial dreams. However, before any of these people were able to go out and sell people’s homes for a profit, they had to go through the process of becoming a real estate sales agent.
The first step to becoming a real estate sales agent in the state of Florida is to sign up for and complete an accredited sales agent course that is approved of by the Florida Real Estate Commission (FREC). The required first class is forty five hours in length and can be taken either online or in class under a various array of time tables. You will be required to pass the final exam to this class with an eighty percent or better grade in order to be allowed to sit for the state exam. While you are attending your class, you will need to apply for you Florida Real Estate License. At the time of writing this article, the cost of the initial license is $144 and takes up to six weeks to process and get approved. You will need to have this license in your hands and the passing letter of recommendation from your course instructor in order to apply for a seat at the state exam.
The state exam is hosted by a third party testing center in a few places across the state on a daily basis, usually offering up to three testing times per day. It is important to book your seat ahead of time (usually three to five days ahead) in order to assure your spot for the desired date and time to take your test. You will need to sign in and be seated prior to the start of the test or you will not be allowed to enter the room after the test has started. The test itself is computerized so you will not need to bring any testing related materials with you. You are however allowed to bring a pencil and two pages of blank paper to the test in which once you have been seated you can make any notes on this paper that you would like as a reference for once you have started the exam. You are given up to three hours to complete this exam, and you are required to grade of at least seventy percent in order to pass the exam and get your real estate sale license activated.
Once you have passed the test you are legally allowed to work in the real estate field in the state of Florida. However, a few more catches remain before you can sell or rent anything for someone else. In order to participate in any of the services of real estate for another person to earn a commission you will need to be working under the employment of a licensed Broker. If you are found to be participating in any such activity without being under the employment of a Broker, you can be charged with a felony.
Now that you had found employment under a broker, you can go about you real estate sales career. Best of luck with your Florida real estate career!
