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, 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.