Becoming a real estate professional in Florida is a very rewarding and lucrative career. You are your own boss and decide your work schedules, there assuring a perfect work-life balance. Moreover, with a few years of experience under your belt, earning about $120k to $150k is a distinct possibility.
For all this to happen, you must first get a real estate license in Florida. The Florida Real Estate Commission (FREC), the controlling body for the real estate sector in the state, mandates that any person selling, buying, leasing, or renting real estate on behalf of clients for a commission must have a real estate license.
Among the several eligibility norms that must be fulfilled to get a license is going through the 63-hour real estate course. This is a critical point for several reasons and hence, you must choose the best real estate course in Florida to fulfill the required criteria for getting a real estate license.
This post will take you through what makes for the best real estate course in Florida and how to choose one.
Click here to learn more about the best real estate course in Florida.
What is Pre-licensing Education
Pre-licensing education is the coursework that imparts a high degree of knowledge to aspiring real estate agents. Armed with a good grip on the subjects related to their profession, they can then provide optimized services to their clients in the future. The curriculum is formulated the FREC and completing the 63-hour coursework is mandatory to sit for the licensing exam and get a license to practice in the state.
The subjects that are covered the real estate pre-licensing coursework in Florida are as follows:
- Real Estate Business
- Real Estate Laws and Licenses
- Real Estate Contracts
- Federal and State Laws
- Real Estate Commission Rules
- Real Estate Brokerage and Procedures
- Real Estate Appraisal
- Authorized Relationships, Disclosures, and Duties
- Violations of Real Estate Laws, Penalties and Procedures
- Types of Mortgages
- Titles, Deeds, and Ownership Types
- Real Estate Financing
- Market and Industry Analysis
By completing the pre-licensing coursework, you will get the necessary professional credibility to make a mark for yourself in your career. Clients who are investing hundreds of thousands in real estate will always want to work with agents who bring a high degree of understanding of the subject to the table.
Once you complete the pre-licensing coursework and pass the licensing exam you will be deemed to be trustworthy and knowledgeable enough to provide excellent services.
How To Choose The Best Real Estate Course in Florida
The best real estate course in Florida can be judged from several angles.
# Online or Classroom-based Courses: Real estate pre-licensing courses are available in both online and classroom-based settings. You have a choice to select one per your preferred learning method.
However, online courses have the flexibility and convenience not seen in physical real estate schools and colleges. In an online environment, you can download the course materials onto any Internet-enabled device and study from anywhere and at any time, even on the go. Hence, you can complete the 63-hour coursework without upsetting your normal routine.
Further, online courses in Florida are cheaper than classroom-based courses. While real estate schools and colleges generally charge around $400 to $500 depending on the type of course selected, online courses are available at less than $200. Add to this the expenses for commuting to regular classes and you have a substantial saving in money if you choose online courses.
# Quality of Course Materials: Not all pre-licensing courses are created equal; most differ per what is offered the course providers. Apart from the subjects covered, nothing much is similar between them and their mode of instruction.
In online platforms, you may choose live instructions if you want the benefit of classroom settings from the comfort of your home. Live online modules are good for those who prefer face-to-face interaction with the instructors and have any doubts cleared at once.
On the other hand, you can choose recorded study materials that can be downloaded and studied whenever you have free time. The best real estate course in Florida with live instruction costs more than a pre-recorded course.
# Type of Course Material: While selecting the best real estate course in Florida, check the type of study materials offered. While textbooks and study materials in the usual format are provided for physical courses, it is not so for online ones. Here, you get e-textbooks that can be downloaded and studied whenever convenient.
Select courses that offer periodic practice exams that have questions simulating the real exam scenario. By taking these tests, you can get the added confidence of doing well in the licensing exam as you know what to expect on D-Day. These practice exams are generally available with high-end courses that are priced more than the basic courses.
Best real estate courses in Florida have practice questions at the end of every chapter. Once you complete a topic you can start with the practice questions. If you score well, you know that you are well-prepared on that topic and can move ahead to the next one. If not, you can go back and go through the subject again. The benefit here is that step--step you can complete the 63 hours of coursework thoroughly and have a superior understanding of all the subjects.
# FREC-approved Courses: All providers of the best real estate courses in Florida are approved the Florida Real Estate Commission. Completing the 63-hour coursework with study materials that are not on the list is just a waste of time and money. It will not be counted as having completed the educational requirements to appear for the licensing exam. Visit the FREC portal and check the list before selecting a course.