Become our Member : JOIN SFPMA TODAY   LogIn / Register: LOGIN/REGISTER

SFPMA Industry Articles | news, legal updates, events & education! 

Find Blog Articles for Florida’s Condo, HOA and the Management Industry. 

Property Management Requirements in Florida – SFPMA

Property Management Requirements in Florida – SFPMA

  • Posted: Jul 10, 2022
  • By:
  • Comments: Comments Off on Property Management Requirements in Florida – SFPMA

Property Management Requirements in Florida

State of Florida Property Management Association; On our Website you can find on our Licensing Course Partners the Licensing Courses are offered to you to become a CAM Manager in the State of Florida!

 

Find out about Licensing and Board Member Courses

 

Questions and Answers you might have

1. Must a Florida property management company have a real estate broker’s license

YES. Key components of property management (renting and leasing) are considered a real estate activity under existing Florida real estate licensing laws. A property manager needs a brokers license if he or she is paid by commission, and is handling rentals and leases for others.

No license is required for managing personally owned properties. There is a “Property Manager” license or certificate you should have. Also, certain rental properties need a license through the Div. of Hotels and Restaurants.

 

2. Are there any exceptions to the requirement that a Florida property manager have a broker’s license?

YES. For example, if a property owner employs someone to manage their property, and that “employee is paid a salary”, as opposed to being paid a commission or on a transactional basis, a broker’s license is not required.

For more information about these and other Florida property management requirements and exceptions, please contact the Florida Real Estate Commission.

Before hiring a property manager to manage your Florida rental property, you should always check that he or she is licensed appropriately. You can check the license status of Florida property managers at the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s Licensee Search webpage.

3. Must Florida community association managers have a real estate broker’s license?

No. However, a Community Association Manager license is required if someone receives compensation for providing management services for the following types of associations:

  • An association with ten or more units
  • An association with a budget of $100,000 or greater

 

4. Florida Real Estate Broker License Requirements

Florida real estate broker licensing requirements include:

  • Age: Must be at least 18 years of age.
  • High School: Must have a high school diploma or equivalent.
  • Experience: Must have held a current real estate sales associate license for at least 24 months during the 5 year period immediately preceding becoming a licensed broker.
  • Education: Successfully complete a Florida Real Estate Commission approved pre-licensing course for brokers, consisting of 72 classroom hours and covering specified topics. Courses are valid for licensure purposes for two years after completion. In addition, successfully complete a FREC-approved post-licensing course for brokers, consisting of 60 classroom hours before the initial broker license expires.
  • Exam: Pass the Florida Real Estate Broker Examination with a grade of at least 75.
  • Fee: $115 ($20 application fee; $90 license fee; $5 unlicensed activity fee).
  • Application: complete and submit broker license application which is available online.

 

5. Florida Real Estate Salesperson License Requirements

Florida real estate salesperson licensing requirements include:

  • Age: Must be at least 18 years of age.
  • High School: Must have a high school diploma or equivalent.
  • Education: Successfully complete a Florida Real Estate Commission 63-hour sales associate course.
  • Trustworthiness: Must be of good moral character; must have a background check and submit fingerprints.
  • Exam: Pass the Florida Real Estate Sales Associate Examination with a grade of at least 75%

 

6. Florida Community Association Manager License Requirements

Florida community association manager licensing requirements include:

  • Age: Must be at least 18 years of age.
  • Education: Must complete at least 18 hours of pre-licensure education from an approved provider.
  • Trustworthiness: Must be of good moral character; must have a background check and submit fingerprints.
  • Exam: Pass the Community Association Management Exam.
  • Then Pay the License fee in your state.

Become a Property Management (CAM) in Florida

Tags: , ,
Real Estate Agent vs. Broker in Florida

Real Estate Agent vs. Broker in Florida

What is the Difference Between a Real Estate Agent and a Broker in Florida?

by Prolicense Florida

If you are just beginning your Florida real estate career, or coming with experience from another state, it’s important to understand the differences between a sales associate (real estate agent) and a broker. It is also useful to know the required qualifications and duties of these two types of real estate licenses in Florida.

The Sales Associate

Sales associates are most commonly called “real estate agents” by the public. In Florida, a sales associate is a licensed real estate professional who can list properties, carry sales transactions, represent buyers or sellers, and earn commissions. Sales associates provide the necessary information to guide their clients through the contractual aspects of the purchase or sale. They arrange showings and negotiate transactions.

A sales associate must always work under the direction of a broker.

A licensed sales associate is allowed to practice in five (5) main sales specialties of the real estate market:

  • residential

  • commercial

  • industrial

  • agricultural

  • business

They are no additional education requirements to practice in any of these specialties. Once you get your sales associate license, you are free to market your expertise in any of these fields.

To obtain a sales associate license in Florida you must:

  1. Complete a pre-licensing course of 63 hours.

  2. Get your fingerprints taken.

  3. Submit an application to the State.

  4. Pass the Florida real estate sales associate exam.

Florida has reciprocity with 10 states. Mutual recognition means that if you are licensed in one of these states, you can bypass the education requirement.

After getting your license, you will be required to complete post-licensing and continuing education to maintain your right to practice as a sales associate.

The Real Estate Broker

To become a real estate broker in Florida you must first have experience as an active Florida sales associate for at least 24 months or must have held a valid real estate license for at least 24 months in any other jurisdiction of the United States.

Brokers can operate independently, or have sales associates work for them. A broker can list and show properties just like a sales associate, but a sales associate cannot perform the duties of a broker.

Brokers oversee their sales associates, making sure their clients get the best service and that all laws are being observed. Brokers may be disciplined for failing to direct, control or manage sales associates who work under them.

A broker may elect to change her/his license from “broker” to “broker sales associate.” A “broker sales associate” is a real estate broker licensee who prefers to operate as a sales associate in the employ of another broker. A broker sales associate avoids the additional responsibilities and compliance requirements of an actual real estate broker.

To get a real estate broker license in Florida you must:

  1. Complete a Pre-Licensing Course of 72 hours.

  2. Get your fingerprints taken.

  3. Submit an application to the State.

  4. Pass the Florida real estate broker exam.

 

The Pros of Becoming a Real Estate Broker

• More control over your career

• Earn higher income

• Establish and run a property management company

• Use your experience to get leverage in marketing

 

The Cons of Becoming a Real Estate Broker

• More Requirements

• More Responsibility

• More Risk

As you plan your future as a real estate professional, consider your personal goals and how much responsibility you want to accept. The sky is the limit!

 

Tags: ,
Florida Community Association Manager License Courses, CAM License Courses and Real Estate in Florida

Florida Community Association Manager License Courses, CAM License Courses and Real Estate in Florida

  • Posted: Dec 03, 2021
  • By:
  • Comments: Comments Off on Florida Community Association Manager License Courses, CAM License Courses and Real Estate in Florida

Online Courses for Licensing can be completed while your at home.

ProLicense Florida CAM LICENSE COURSE 

ProLicense Florida Pre – CAM LICENSE COURSE

ProLicense Florida Continuing Education

 

  Questions & Answers                   

  A competent manager can add significant value to your investment, which is why many seasoned real estate investors will tell you that a good management company is worth their weight in gold.

 Q & A of Management

 

Tags: ,
Hire and retain skilled community association staff members

Hire and retain skilled community association staff members

  • Posted: Oct 28, 2019
  • By:
  • Comments: Comments Off on Hire and retain skilled community association staff members

Talent needed: How to hire and retain skilled community association staff members

Written by Alicia Muraca on . Posted in General Business.

Recruiting and retaining skilled team members can be challenging for community associations and management companies, especially in a very competitive labor market and with communities limited by tight budgets.

In this reality, it becomes even more important for associations and management companies to highlight their strengths and address organizational shortcomings, says business consultant Bob Begley.

The founder of Golden Sands Management Consultants, LLC, a Florida-based business consulting firm, Begley has been an innovative business thinker for more than 30 years. He has advised hundreds community leaders while serving as the CEO of Golden Sands Community Management, Inc. He’s also authored 27 continuing education courses for CAM’s and board members through his sister company, Florida CAM Courses.

The issue at hand is recruiting in a very different workforce. Begley states, “I noticed that over the past few years, there was a very big disconnect between what the young people that I was hiring wanted from their experience of work and what I needed from them at work, as their employer”. We want to help company leaders understand ways to attract talented workers.

People think that the secret to attracting and retaining talent is little things like, ‘Let’s give them free lunch’ or ‘What perks can we offer?’ or ‘What are our benefits compared to the benefits down the road?’ But at the end of the day, it really comes down to the quality of the organization. Is it successful? Is it high performing? Because good, smart people want to work in those environments.

 

Here are a three best practices for community associations and management companies for recruiting and retaining talent:

  1. Stop thinking about tactics, and start thinking about the performance of the organization. The focus should be on building an organization that is robust and resilient. Great organizations have no trouble attracting and retaining talent.
  2. Build a culture that people want to work in. The perks and benefits can’t be the only lure for bringing in talented workers. I caution you that if the culture doesn’t reflect what was promised to the manager when hired, you’ll find yourself in bigger trouble.
  3. Be courageous. It’s important to brave a tight labor market to find talented people. It’s also about having the courage to build a high-performing team. A team is only as strong as its weakest link, so we need to be capable of managing the performance of the underperformers or, at times, even having the courage to move people on.
  4. Once you find the perfect new hire, treat them as the valuable resource that they certainly should be in your organization. Practice A.R.E. with all team members – Appreciate, Recognize and Encourage. For more on creating Wonder in Your Workplace, visit the Florida CAM Courses website to download Wonder in the Workplace.

 

 

Tags: , ,