Karen Climer Archives - Demetree School of Real Estate

Karen Climer Receives Proclamation From Secretary of DBPR

Melanie Griffin, Secretary of the DBPR, issued a congratulatory proclamation to Karen Climer honoring her 20 years of real estate licensure. The proclamation mentioned that Karen has taught thousands of students, many who have gone on to become leaders in the industry. It also mentioned that she now owns and operates Demetree School of Real Estate in Orlando.

Melanie Griffin, DBPR Secretary; Giuvanna Corona, FREC Executive Director; Chris Willenbring, Deputy Director, Division of Real Estate were involved in the presentation.

“I love teaching real estate and helping people begin their new career. I appreciate the recognition from the Department for my efforts,” said Karen Climer.

The proclamation was given to Karen at the Florida Realtors Convention. Other honorees include Dick Fryer, Guy Sanchez Jr, and Katherine Figueroa – all from Central Florida.

By Karen Climer|2023-07-06T14:24:37-04:00August 30th, 2022|

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|

Where Does Karen Climer Teach Real Estate Classes?

Today, I got a call from someone (for simplicity, we’ll call her Jane) who had heard about me, Karen Climer, and wanted to take a real estate class with me. Jane did an internet search and called Climer School of Real Estate. The person who answered the phone said that Climer School of Real Estate is now owned by another company. But Jane is in luck because Karen was teaching the next class.

Jane registered for the class thinking that Karen Climer would be the instructor, but it was actually another person named Karen. Was this school intentionally misleading Jane? I don’t know. I can only guess. Jane told me she wasn’t very happy about it and thought that I would be teaching the class.

Jane has since learned that the Climer family sold that real estate school in 2014 and that there are no Climer family members at any Florida real estate school other than Demetree School of Real Estate, which is owned by Karen Climer.

The Climer legacy continues at Demetree School of Real Estate, which is growing quickly. Our students consider Demetree School of Real Estate to be the best real estate school in Central Florida.

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. You can find us at Demetree School of Real Estate in Orlando, Florida.

By Karen Climer|2021-12-17T05:12:59-05:00August 19th, 2021|

Five Reason People Fail The Florida Real Estate Exam – And What To Do About It

How difficult is the Florida real estate exam? The majority of people think it is very difficult. In fact, according to Pearson Vue, 41% of the 3,706 people who took the exam in July 2021 failed it. Of the first-time takers, the results are a little better – 48% of first-time takers passed the exam.

I would say there are five reasons people fail the exam…

1. A language barrier – If your native language is not English, it is going to be more difficult. I wish I had a suggestion for this, but the reality is that the test is offered in English and Castilian Spanish. If neither one of those is your native language, you are going to have to study more.

2. Studying the wrong material – If you are watching videos from someone in California and the person teaching the video does not have a Florida real estate license, they are an actor. If you are studying to become an actor, many of these videos provide very good examples. If you are studying to pass an exam, I wouldn’t watch them. This is the material that Karen Climer recommends.

3. Not studying enough – Unfortunately, there is no shortcut for learning anything. You can buy all the right study material, but you also have to use it. You can have the best teacher, but you still have to apply yourself. A good real estate school will help you study the material.

4. Accepting that failure is inevitable – I am amazed at the number of people I met who before they take the exam have already decided that they will have to take it several times. They say things like, “I know most people take it 3-4 times, so I’m just taking it to see what it’s like. I’m pretty sure I’m going to fail.” What’s funny is that the same people who will spend 3-4 hours taking the exam for “practice” don’t want to study for 3-4 hours.

5. Blaming their failure on the exam – “The exam is designed to trick you,” they say. This is unequivocally inaccurate. The exam is designed to ensure “minimal competence.” That is in the Florida Administrative Code. Florida is a state that historically has less regulation and wants people to get jobs. We are not in the business of making it difficult to get a license. The victim-mindset of blaming the exam or the questions for your failure might make you feel better, but it is not going to lead to success on the exam or in the industry.

If you are looking to pass the Florida real estate exam the first time, enroll at Demetree School of Real Estate. Our only goal is to help you get your real estate license and get started in a real estate career in Florida.

Please note that neither I nor anyone in the Climer family has any relation to Climer School of Real Estate. My father, Ron Climer, sold the school in 2014. It has since been sold to a large corporate conglomerate based in Minnesota. If you are looking for Karen Climer, you will find me at Demetree School of Real Estate in Orlando, Florida.

By Karen Climer|2021-08-20T10:02:45-04:00August 5th, 2021|

I Have A Real Estate License In Another State And Now Want A Florida License. What Do I Need To Know?

This article is for people who have a real estate license in another state and are looking to get a Florida license. The process you take depends on your specific situation.

If you have a license in another state and you a U.S. veteran, active military, or spouse of someone who is a veteran or active military, here’s what you do:

We love the military in Florida. You will be able to apply for a license through reciprocity. This means you need to fill out the appropriate application, get a background check, and you will be issued a Florida real estate license. You might even qualify for a fee waiver.

If you have a license in another state, but are currently living in Florida, here’s what you need to know:

If you are currently living in Florida and plan to be here for the next four months, you are considered a Florida resident. It doesn’t matter if you have changed your driver’s license, voter identification, library card, or anything else. For the purposes of getting a real estate license, you are considered a Florida resident.

You will have to complete the same process that every other person has to complete to get their real estate license. You will not have to take the national test because Florida doesn’t have a national test. You will have to take the same 100-question state exam that everyone takes. It covers state and federal laws, principles and practices, and math.

If you have had your other real estate license for at least two years, you can use that experience to qualify for a broker’s license rather than a sales license. Decide before you apply whether you want to apply for broker and sales associate, so that you take the correct class and apply for the correct license.

If you have a license in Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nebraska, Rhode Island, or West Virginia, and currently reside in one of those states, here’s what you do:

You qualify for licensure through something we call mutual recognition. You will need to apply for a license through mutual recognition, and pass a 40-question Florida law test.

If you are living in another state that is not mentioned above and you are do not fit the military/veteran reciprocity, here’s the information for you:

You will have to start from scratch – you have to take the class and take the state exam. You will not have to take the national test because Florida does not use the national test. You will have to take the same class and state exam that everyone takes. It covers state and national laws, principles and practices, and math.

If you’ve had your license in the other state for at least two year, you can use that experience to apply for a broker license instead of the sales associate license. You will need to decide before you apply and take the class because you want to apply for the correct license and take the correct real estate class.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at Demetree School of Real Estate.

Please note that neither Karen Climer nor anyone in the Climer family has any affiliation with Climer School of Real Estate. Ron and Kathy Climer sold that school in 2014.

By Karen Climer|2023-02-24T06:07:51-05:00January 2nd, 2021|