In September of this year, about 25% of all real estate licensees must renew their Florida real estate license.  They must take either continuing education or postlicensing education.  What’s the difference?

Difference Between Postlicensing and Continuing Education

If you have never renewed your license before, you need to take postlicensing.  If you have renewed it at least once, you have to take continuing education.

The Consequences of Not Renewing Your License

If it is time for you to take postlicensing, you need to read this article carefully because the consequences of messing this up are severe.  If your initial license expires on September 30 and you don’t renew it, your license will become null and void.  There is no grace period – not one day.  If you want to continue in the real estate business, you will have to repeat the prelicensing class and relearn how many feet are in an acre, how to prorate taxes, and the difference between transaction broker and single agent relationships.  And retake the state exam.

The Real Cost of Not Renewing Your License

But the real cost could be even higher?  Once your license goes null and void, you no longer have a license.  If you don’t have a license, you cannot get paid.  I’ve seen several tragic situations here.

• I remember a call from someone who completed their postlicensing. He renewed his Realtor dues.  He thought that renewed his license.  It didn’t.  It only renewed his Realtor membership.  His license went null and void.  I remember the anguish in his voice.  He had done the postlicensing, but he didn’t go to the DBPR website to renew.  He called the DBPR for mercy, but they didn’t have any mercy.  They would have to break the law to make an exception for him.  He was able to get his license back within a few weeks by retaking the class and state exam, but in the meantime, he lost a few listings because the broker was forced to reassign them to other agents in the company.  Cost of not renewing the license: two listings.
• I had a student who looked up the co-op agent right before closing, as I encouraged him to do in class. The broker told the seller that they were not paying the buyer’s side commission because that agent no longer had a real estate license.  The listing agent got both sides of the transaction.  Cost of not completing the post-licensing class: negative $20,000.  Value of paying attention to minor details in class: positive $20,000.

So the real cost of skipping the postlicensing and not renewing isn’t that you have to repeat the prelicensing class.  That really isn’t the end of the world.  The real cost is that you lose listings, lose clients, and lose money.

Postlicensing at Demetree School of Real Estate

Demetree School of Real Estate offers the post-licensing class in-person twice a year.  We offer it in March and September, right before the expiration dates.  This class is much more fun than the prelicensing class.  This class includes practical material like where to find clients, how to get listings, how to do better CMAs, sales psychology, and other useful material.  Plus, most of the students have experience in real estate now.  So we can talk about real-world experience and learn from each other.

If you can’t take it in the classroom, or would rather take it online, we offer it online as well.  But however you chose to take, the most important thing is that you take it and renew your license.

Please note that Karen Climer has no affiliation with Climer School of Real Estate.  Her father, Ron Climer, sold Climer School of Real Estate in 2014.  It has since been involved in several mergers and acquisitions and is owned by a large investment company.  Karen owns Demetree School of Real Estate in Orlando, Florida.