Cheers, everyone! Since I got my real estate license in Florida, I have fallen in love with anything and everything real estate. I dove right into my new career and spent many hours learning from many different people. I couldn’t get enough information and then I was given a chance to sell my friend’s house and then in turn help her buy a house, and it’s been a non-stop love affair since. With my love for real estate, my determination to succeed, and some luck, my real estate career took off and people began sending me messages that I was their inspiration and that they have been following my career and want to know how I did it. So, I naturally love to helps, so that’s why I wrote this article and came up with 5 simple steps to becoming a licensed real estate agent in Florida!

Step 1: Take the 63-hour course

Taking the required 63-hour course is the first step in becoming a licensed real estate agent. The only requirements needed are that you must be at least 18 years of age and have a high school diploma, GED, or equivalent. You do not need to be a US citizen or a resident of Florida.

With that being said, there are a ton of schools you can attend to get started on your path to becoming a real estate agent. Some schools you can attend in-person or even online at your own pace. I will discuss 3 different schools I recommend and that you can choose from to complete the required 63-hour pre-licensing sales associate course. One school offers in-person or livestreaming plus online courses but is only located in Florida, and the other two schools are online based and can be used to get licensed in other states.

1. Gold Coast Schools: Gold Coast offers in-person classes, livestreaming, and online courses. They are a little costly, but they have some of the best teachers in the business. The pre-licensing class at Gold Coast will cost about $550 for the in-person or livestreaming option. This will include two years access to the course, the course textbook, weekly tutoring sessions, even a cram session, employment assistance and more. The online course is about $425 and offers one year access to the course, the textbook, a cram class, an online exam prep and even access to review the livestream classes. You can even go for the more economical package for the basic online course and that will only provide you with the one-year access to the course and the online exam prep. You won’t get the textbook, which I find to be an incredible resource of information. The basic online course will run you about $325. There are other schools you can attend if the prices at Gold Coast don’t match your budget.
2. Real Estate Express: Real Estate Express is good for those that want to complete the coursework online and at their own pace. The premium package or “Ultimate Learning” package will cost you less than $310 and will include an exam prep, and cram video and workbook, plus the post-licensing course you are required to take to renew your license the first time, and a ton of other things. So, definitely a great price for completing your pre and post licensing education with Real Estate Express. I know that when I competed the post-licensing requirement, it cost me about $125, and I thought that was a deal. Let’s move on to the last school I will talk about today.
3. The CE Shop: The CE Shop is a fully online school and very cost effective. For about $225 you can have the full online premium package. There’s even a free 5-day trial you can try to see if it’s something you’re interested in. The course is done on your own time and can be completed in as little as two weeks or even sooner. This is a very economical way of going about getting your license and with an 88% pass rate, you can tell they’re doing something right. I have personally used this school and have recommended them to other people who have highly enjoyed their experience with The CE shop.

Now that we have learned about the different options and schools we can choose from to get your real estate license, let’s move on to step #2.

 

Step 2: Pass the Course Final Exam

Passing the real estate course final exam is the second step in getting your real estate license in Florida. This is usually done once you have completed the 63-hour course. The State of Florida requires that you pass the real estate school exam with a score of at least 70%. During the pre-licensing course, you will learn about the real estate business, contracts that are used in real estate, mortgages, appraisals, real estate taxes, planning, zoning, environmental hazards, how to stay out of jail, basically all the laws, penalties, and procedures for agents in Florida, and so much more. I learned so much in my class and I had never even bought or sold a house in my life. I didn’t know the first thing there was to know about the world of real estate. I was worried it would be difficult, but it wasn’t that bad at all and ended up passing the school exam with an 84%. Everyone talks about the math portion of the exam, and stresses about it, but it really isn’t that hard. I plan on making some videos on the real estate math portion, so if this is something you’re interested in, comment below “math” and I will make sure to get you a video on my YouTube channel explaining the math portion of the real estate exam.

OK, so step 1 is that you have to complete the 63-hour state approved course, and then step 2 is you have to pass the school exam… on to step 3!

 

Step 3: Submit Fingerprints

The third step in getting your real estate license is to submit your fingerprints to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, or what we call the DBPR here in Florida. I suggest you get your fingerprints off to the DBPR as soon as possible so you can hurry up the process and get the state approval to take your state exam as soon as you finish the schooling. To complete the fingerprinting, you must submit them using a Florida Department of Law Enforcement or FDLE approved LiveScan Service Provider at least 5 days before submitting your application for licensure. Fingerprints will cost you about $50-$80 depending on the vendor. The DBPR will also perform a background check with the information you have provided them on your application and fingerprints. You will need to provide the following information when getting fingerprinted:

• Two forms of identification (your driver license & Social Security)
• Accurate demographic information for background check
• The ORI number for the sales associate license which is FL920010Z

 

So far this seems easy, right?! Nothing too complicated. Let’s move on to Step 4 of the process.

 

Step 4: Complete Your Licensing Application

The fourth step to getting your real estate license in Florida is to complete your licensing application.

All you need to do is apply for your license with the DBPR at myfloridalicense.com. The fee to apply is $83.75, which you can pay online or by mail with a check or money order. Once your application is paid, received, and approved, you will receive an email from the DBPR with an attached RE Application ID number. You will then be notified by the Pearson VUE company by email once your application has been approved by the DBPR which usually takes around 10-30 days. Once you get that email, you can sign up to take the state exam using the special code given to you. Pearson VUE is currently the only testing company you can use to take the Florida state exam to be a sales associate. When you go to take the state exam, make sure to take your drivers license and the paperwork showing you took your course work and passed the school exam. They will ask for this, so make sure to have that with you. Pearson VUE will also not allow you to go inside the testing room with your phone, watch, or any jewelry, but will provide you with a locker to put all your belongings. This takes us to step 5!

 

Step 5: Pass the State Real Estate Exam

The last step before becoming a licensed real estate agent is to pass the state exam.

Pearson VUE oversees the state exam process and offers the exam in a variety of languages and locations. The cost is $36.75 per exam.

Once you have completed all steps above, be on the lookout for an email from Pearson VUE with the subject line “Authorization to Test”. This is to let you know that you are eligible to take the state exam, as explained in step 4. This email includes your nine-digit Candidate ID number, which you need in order to sign up for the exam with Pearson VUE.  To schedule an exam, call 888.204.6289 or visit PearsonVUE.com.

The Florida state exam consists of 100 multiple choice questions where 45 of them are based on real estate principals and practices, 45 questions cover the Florida and federal laws, and 10 questions on real estate math. The exam is given on a computer and you must pass the exam with at least a 75% and you will be provided with dry erase sheets for notes and calculations, dry erase markers, and a calculator. Your test results will be given to you as soon as you are done with the exam. If you do not pass the state exam, you must wait 24 hours before you can schedule the exam again. You typically can take the test again within 3-5 days and you’re given a ton of chances to do so, but you must pay the testing fee of $36.75 each time.

After passing the exam, you will be able to download and print your license through your secure account at the DBPR website. Once your initial license is activated (can take more than 24 hours), it is valid for 18 to 24 months, depending on when you pass the state exam.

A few pieces of advice I would like to give you before going in to take the state exam is:

• Study for the exam. Don’t cram.
• After you pass, find a broker that has new agent training
• Start selling houses & make money!

That is the last and final step to getting your Florida real estate license. As you can see, it’s not that bad of a process. I was able to finish my 63-hour course and school exam in one week. I remember taking the course in the beginning of July and by August 3^rd, I was already licensed and ready to start my career as a real estate agent.

• Taking the 63-hour required course ($550 or less)
• Passing the school exam with a 70% or better
• Submit your fingerprints ($50-$80)
• Finish your application with the DBPR ($83.75)
• Pass the state exam ($36.75)

Total money spent = $750 or less!

I hope this helped you understand the first step in becoming a licensed real estate agent in Florida and will get you motivated to make that step to becoming a business owner. I have thoroughly enjoyed my career as a real estate agent and have loved the flexibility it provides me. I look forward to hearing about how you did on this journey so feel free to leave a comment below and subscribe to my YouTube channel for even more real estate content. Bye for now!