Karen Climer, Author at Demetree School of Real Estate

About Karen Climer

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So far Karen Climer has created 97 blog entries.

How To Study For The Florida Real Estate State Exam

One of the most frequent calls I get is when someone says, “I am taking the exam in ___ days, what should I be doing?” I know the person wants some hack that says if you take chocolates the exam proctor you will pass. Unfortunately, there are no hacks. Instead I tell them what they should’ve been doing for the past several weeks.

First and foremost, you need to read the book cover to cover. You do not need to read it ten times. In fact, reading it ten times is a waste of time. Read it once. While you are reading it, make flashcards and take notes. After you finish a short part of the reading, explain it out loud in your own words. If you can’t explain it, you didn’t really read it – your eyes glossed over it, but that isn’t reading. Going forward, you will study from your notes and flashcards.

Figure out someway to practice retrieving information. I like flashcards, but it isn’t the only way. What does retrieving information mean? It means testing yourself to be sure you know the information. You can repeat to yourself a million times, “Tallahassee is the capital of Florida.” You won’t know if you know that until someone says, “What is the capital of Florida?” This retrieval step is what most people skip in their studying and it is the most important part.

Why do people skip it? Because it takes more effort. They would rather watch another video.

Use material that is written for Florida. If you are watching videos or using practices exams that you bought online, be sure you are buying it from a Florida based school. Real estate laws vary in each state. The way the test is given varies in each state. If you are studying for the national real estate test (which we don’t have in Florida), don’t be surprised when you fail the Florida test.

But aren’t the definitions the same in every state? Yes and no. You can read more about that in this post.

When you are studying, don’t focus on getting the correct answer. Focus on how you got it. Let’s say you are trying to learn math… on the exam, the only thing that matters is getting the correct answer. In practicing, you need to focus on how you got it. If you don’t know how you got it, you won’t be able to repeat it. If you can’t repeat it, it’s not a sound method.

Teach the material to other people. Teach it to your dog. Teach it to your teddy bear. Anyone will work. When you can explain the material in your own words, you are far better off than when you can’t.

Lastly, it’s not a two-day plan. If you are calling me the night before the exam asking me what you should be doing, it is too late. If two months ago, you realized that you need to lose ten pounds to fit into the dress for the big day, and 24-hours before the event, you haven’t lost the weight, it’s too late. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.

Good luck. Feel free to call me. If you are calling five hours before the exam asking me what you should be doing, I’m going to tell you it’s probably too late to worry about that. You should’ve called me five weeks ago.

Please note that neither Karen Climer nor Ron Climer have any affiliation with Climer School of Real Estate. Ron Climer sold Climer School of Real Estate in 2014. It is now owned by a large corporate conglomerate. Karen Climer owns Demetree School of Real Estate.

By Karen Climer|2022-12-12T17:02:44-05:00January 31st, 2022|

Best Textbook For Florida Real Estate Exam

In Florida, a real estate school can use any textbook they choose, as long as they get it approved by the Florida Real Estate Commission. Some schools, like Demetree School of Real Estate, choose to purchase a textbook that someone else wrote. Other schools write their own books.

For all of my classes, I use the books that are published by Dearborn Real Estate Education. The sales associate textbook is called Florida Real Estate Principles, Practices, and Law by Linda Crawford.

The textbook makes a big difference. At Demetree School of Real Estate, we use Florida Real Estate Principles, Practices, and Law.

I have looked at nearly every Florida real estate textbook that’s out there. In fact, I have most of them on my bookshelf because companies send them to me hoping I will use them. I use the Dearborn textbook because it is by far the best one out there. The second best isn’t even close.

There are a few reasons that I use it…

The authors keep current on the Florida real estate exam

The authors, Linda Crawford and Denise Johnson, are regular attendees at the Florida Real Estate Commission meetings. I see them there almost every month. They know the law. They study the law. They solicit feedback from instructors. If something isn’t working for instructors, they change it in the next edition.

The verbiage the book uses is similar to the Florida real estate exam

The language in the book is the language of the law, which is the language on the Florida real estate exam. For example, the Dearborn book defines false advertising as advertising in a fraudulent, false, deceptive, or misleading way. They could have said it’s advertising that isn’t true. But the state exam questions often use the exact language from the statute, so their book uses the exact language from the statute. Students often say that state exam questions are worded in a difficult manner. If you’ve been reading the Dearborn book, you won’t think it’s difficult – you will be used to that wording.

The book only covers what is on the sales associate exam, not extra material

The book covers what is on the exam and only what is on the exam. Some Florida textbooks cover what they think is important not what is actually on the state exam for Florida. I know of one sales associate textbook that covers material that is on the broker’s exam. The instructors at the school are required to teach it in their sales associate classes. They just think that students should know it. If the Florida Real Estate Commission says you don’t need to know about equity dividend ratios until you get to the broker class, I won’t teach it in my sales associate class. Some books include this in their sales associate class. I even know of one school that requires their sales associate student to learn how to fill out a closing disclosure. That is waaaay beyond the scope of what is necessary.

At Demetree School of Real Estate, we teach you what you need to know to pass the exam, not random things from more advanced classes.

The books is written for the Florida syllabus

FREC publishes a syllabus that says what is going to be on the Florida real estate exam. This textbook was originally written for Florida real estate. It is not a national book that is trying to fit into Florida. There are some textbooks that are designed to be used in multiple states, so they use vocabulary that is on other states’ exams. They have to include certain words that might be on the Georgia test because they are selling the same textbook for Georgia schools.

Before you register for a real estate class in Florida, whether in person or online, ask them what curriculum they use. If they aren’t using Florida Principles, Practices, and Law by Linda Crawford and Denise Johnson, I’d keep looking.

Please note that neither I, nor anyone in the Climer family has any affiliation with Climer School of Real Estate. My father, Ron Climer, sold the school in 2014. Today, it is owned by a large national company.

By Karen Climer|2023-10-19T10:16:27-04:00January 26th, 2022|

Demetree School of Real Estate Success Story: Rafi Pinsky at Keller Williams Aventura

It is fun to keep up with past students to hear how their real estate careers are doing. Recently, I talked to Rafi Pinsky in South Florida. He attended a class at Demetree School of Real Estate, then I sponsored him to join Keller Williams. He has been doing very well there since he started, just about a year and a half ago. Here is our interview…

Tell us briefly about you.

I was raised by my grandmother (my mother’s mother) at 18 months old. During the first 18 months, my grandmother and mother were in a custody battle as my mother wanted to raise me but was unfit due to alcohol and habits which deemed her unfit to raise a child. I was in foster care during that period and thankfully I was placed in full custody with my grandmother. I never met either of my parents and unfortunately was informed of the passing of my homeless mother about a year ago. I didn’t grow up with any luxuries or any siblings but I was blessed to have all that I needed and all in all, I had a great childhood and a loving parent. I went through middle school, high school, and three years of undergrad where I worked as a waiter part time before deciding to join the Israeli military. I served in an infantry unit in the West Bank before returning to New York to finish my last year of school. After obtaining my Bachelor’s in business, I started working with a friend selling different kinds of loans to small businesses. When COVID hit, I decided to become a real estate agent with Keller Williams. I started a podcast at the same time as my real estate career and I’m proud of my accomplishments. Karen has helped me ace the exam. I will always recommend her to anyone looking to take the exam and ace it (10/10 would recommend).

How long have you been in real estate and how long with Keller Williams?

I’ve been in Real Estate since August of 2020 and have been with Keller Williams from the beginning.

Why did you choose Keller Williams?

I initially interviewed with Douglas Elliman but found their rules on social media posts too restrictive for me. I interviewed next with Keller Williams and was much happier with the energy there.

What do you like most about selling real estate?

I love networking, solving problems and negotiating. I can’t say either of them are more enjoyable than the other.

What do you like least about selling real estate?

I dislike when clients aren’t truly willing to proceed and just want to waste my time looking around. Prospecting can be a drag when not knowing when your next client will come but the early stages of any business are difficult so I’m ok with it.

Where do you find your clients?

I find most of my clients through cold calls.

Tell us a story about one particular sale. Maybe one that was challenging or particularly interesting or anything that made it memorable to you.

I had a listing (seller representation) where the seller received an offer around $50,000 over appraised value and we still had difficult closing. Post inspection, the buyer asked for everything to be credited and that was where the war started. Thankfully, the other agent and I worked well together to close the transaction and after numerous, and I mean numerous back and forth negotiations, almost killing the transaction. We were able to close by giving part of our commissions as a seller credit to the buyer. I also spent an entire day physically helping them move out since the movers came late and they were short on time.

How important to your success was joining Keller Williams?

The Keller Williams office in Aventura has a wonderful atmosphere with people who are always happy to help one another. Keller Williams as a whole, is an incredible company for new agents who need guidance and hands on coaching to succeed in a business like Real Estate. I don’t know what the future holds but I don’t have a reason to go elsewhere and I highly recommend KW to anyone who’s about to be licensed anywhere in the country and in any country that has a KW office for that matter.

This is Karen again. If you are a real estate agent or aspiring agent who is looking for a great place to work (even if it’s not in South Florida), give me a call.

Please note that neither Karen Climer nor Demetree School of Real Estate have any affiliation with Climer School of Real Estate. My father, Ron Climer, started Climer School of Real Estate. He sold it in 2014. It was recently acquired by a large national corporation.

By Karen Climer|2023-11-14T11:33:29-05:00January 21st, 2022|

What Is a FL REAPP ID and Other Common Questions About The Florida Real Estate State Exam

What is the FLREAPP ID? And where can I find it?

The FLREAPP ID is an ID number that Pearson Vue uses. Once you are approved to take the Florida real estate exam, you will receive an email from Pearson Vue. In that authorization email, you will find the FLREAPP ID.

If you have been approved by the DBPR, but do not have this number, you will need to register with Pearson Vue by phone. They can look you up by your social security number.

If I fail the Florida real estate state exam, when can I retake it?

In theory, you can take it again the next day – there is no wait period. Realistically, it will be a few days. Much like scheduling a doctor’s appointment, you can’t always call and get an appointment tomorrow. What’s important is that there is no wait period and you will be able to take the exam within a few days.

How does the DBPR know that I took the prelicensing class?

Florida real estate schools are not required to notify the DBPR of completion of the prelicensing class. You, the student, are required to give them your certificate.

By Karen Climer|2022-02-01T12:36:53-05:00November 30th, 2021|

Karen Climer Featured On Cool Jobs Podcast As Orlando Real Estate School Owner

Recently, I was featured on a podcast about people with cool jobs. Real estate school owner and instructor might not be what most people would consider to be a cool job, but I think it’s pretty cool. Or maybe all the NBA players, actors, and undercover agents weren’t available for an interview.

My career has never been a linear path, but I think it’s turned out pretty well for me. In the interview, I talked about how I got here, what I do on a regular basis, and some of the rewards and challenges of owning a real estate school.

Owning one of the best real estate schools in Orlando is a pretty cool job.

Thanks to the University of North Carolina in Asheville Career Center for interviewing me. It was fun discussing my career with you.

If you want to listen to the interview, you can listen to it here or here

Please note that neither I nor anyone in the Climer family have any affiliation with Climer School of Real Estate. My family sold the school in 2014. It is now owned by a large corporation and operates very differently than it did when it was a family business. If you are looking for me, I own Demetree School of Real Estate in Orlando.

By Karen Climer|2022-02-01T12:37:53-05:00October 18th, 2021|