Passing the Florida real estate state exam is an important milestone, but it does not obligate you to join the first brokerage you meet. Take time to compare the training, support, expenses, expectations, and business model that will help you build the career you want.
Career-planning guidance: use the interview checklist to compare offers against your goals. License-status and renewal requirements are explained separately below.
Already choosing an office? Find MLS, ethics, and compliance training.
Questions to ask each brokerage
Use the same core questions in every interview so the answers are easier to compare:
- What happens during my first 30, 60, and 90 days?
- Who answers urgent contract or compliance questions, including evenings and weekends?
- How often is live training offered, and is attendance required?
- Are leads provided? If so, how are they assigned and what fees apply?
- Which technology and marketing tools are included?
- What are all recurring and transaction-based costs?
- May I build my own brand, website, database, and marketing materials?
- What production or office expectations must I meet?
- Can I speak with one or two newer agents about their experience?
- How does the brokerage handle a transfer or departure?
Compare each offer in writing
| Area | Record for each brokerage |
|---|---|
| Training and support | First 30/60/90-day plan, mentor, contract help, and live-training expectations. |
| Costs and compensation | Split or cap, recurring fees, transaction fees, lead fees, upfront expenses, and payment timing. |
| Tools and leads | Included technology, marketing resources, lead sources, assignment rules, and extra costs. |
| Expectations and departure | Production, office attendance, brand/database ownership, and treatment of listings, pending transactions, and fees if you leave. |
You do not have to activate your license immediately
A newly issued Florida sales associate license may remain inactive until you register under a Florida real estate broker. You cannot perform real estate services that require a license until your license is current and active under a broker.
A license may remain voluntarily inactive across renewal cycles if you renew it on time, pay the required fees, and complete the required education. This is different from allowing a license to become involuntarily inactive by missing a renewal requirement; involuntarily inactive status has time limits and can eventually cause the license to become null and void.
Your education schedule continues even if you are not actively practicing:
- Sales associates generally must complete the required 45-hour post-licensing course before the first renewal deadline.
- After the first renewal, licensees generally complete the required 14 hours of continuing education for each renewal cycle.
Do not wait until the renewal deadline to start. Confirm your individual status and deadline in your DBPR account.
Official authority: section 475.183, Florida Statutes, addresses inactive status; section 475.42(1)(a)–(b) requires a current active license and the registered employment relationship for licensed practice.
Consider completing post-licensing before choosing
You may join a brokerage as soon as your sales associate license is issued; post-licensing is not a prerequisite for activating the license. Even so, completing the 45-hour post-licensing course first can give you a much stronger basis for choosing the right broker.
Pre-licensing necessarily concentrates on the laws, rules, definitions, and concepts required to qualify for a license and prepare for the state exam. Post-licensing moves into real-world topics such as business planning, time management, prospecting, pricing property, listing presentations, presenting offers, and working with clients.
That work helps you define your target market, prospecting plan, budget, support needs, and first-year goals. You can then evaluate each brokerage by how well its training, mentorship, technology, lead opportunities, culture, fees, and commission structure support your personal business plan.
See Why Complete Post-Licensing Before Choosing a Florida Real Estate Broker? for a practical explanation of how the course can sharpen your business plan and brokerage questions.
Decide what support you need most
Before interviewing brokerages, decide which resources would make the biggest difference during your first year. For example:
- structured onboarding and a written training plan;
- an accessible broker or mentor for contract and compliance questions;
- lead-generation training and prospecting systems;
- transaction coordination or administrative support;
- office, remote, or hybrid work options;
- technology, customer-relationship-management, and marketing tools;
- opportunities in residential, commercial, property management, new construction, or another specialty; and
- a collaborative culture and clear performance expectations.
A recognizable brand can be helpful, but the office, leadership, training, and day-to-day support you will actually receive matter more than the logo alone.
Compare the complete financial arrangement
Commission split is only one part of the offer. Ask for a complete explanation of:
- commission splits and any graduated or capped structure;
- desk, technology, transaction, franchise, marketing, insurance, or training fees;
- whether leads are provided and how referral or lead fees work;
- which expenses you pay before your first closing;
- when and how commissions are paid;
- independent-contractor and tax responsibilities; and
- what happens to listings, leads, transactions, and fees if you leave.
Request the agreement in writing and read it before signing. If a provision is unclear, ask the brokerage to explain it and consider independent legal or tax advice when appropriate.
Do I need to join a REALTOR® association?
A Florida real estate license and REALTOR® membership are different. The state licenses real estate professionals. REALTOR® identifies membership in the National Association of REALTORS®; passing the licensing exam does not automatically make you a member. See NAR’s explanation of state licensing and its membership-mark guidance.
Association membership is not itself the state real estate license. Ask a prospective brokerage which association memberships, MLS access, subscriptions, or other services its business model requires, what they cost, and who pays. Confirm the specific association’s and MLS’s current eligibility rules instead of assuming every office has the same requirements.
Where do I take MLS training, ethics, and compliance courses?
Start with the MLS and local REALTOR® association your brokerage uses. Ask your broker for the exact course names, provider, enrollment link, and deadlines. “MLS training,” “ethics,” and “license renewal” can refer to separate requirements.
| Requirement | Where to start |
|---|---|
| MLS software, listing entry, orientation, and MLS compliance | Your MLS's education portal. Confirm any broker authorization needed for listing-entry access. |
| REALTOR® Code of Ethics and fair-housing training | Your local association and NAR's approved training options. Have your association confirm completion credit. |
| Florida post-licensing and continuing education | Your state license requirements and an approved education provider. MLS or association attendance alone does not prove DBPR credit. |
If your brokerage uses Stellar MLS
Open Stellar MLS University's education page, use its University Login, and choose courses in the Catalog. Stellar's current new-subscriber requirements include Starting Out Stellar, MLS Basic, and MLS Compliance within 60 days. Its rules also require a Compliance Refresh every two years. Check your account for your individual due dates.
Adding or editing listings requires additional training and applicable broker authorization. See Stellar's orientation and training rule. If your brokerage uses a different MLS, follow that provider's requirements instead.
Does an ethics class also count for my Florida license?
Do not assume one course satisfies every requirement. REALTOR® Code of Ethics and fair-housing training are membership requirements. Florida post-licensing and continuing education are state licensing requirements. A course may qualify for more than one purpose only when it has the applicable approval and is properly recorded.
Use NAR's training and status resources and ask your association which courses it accepts. NAR's current recurring ethics/fair-housing cycle runs from 2025 through 2027; new-member onboarding may have earlier deadlines. Separately verify your Florida education and renewal deadline in DBPR.
Before registering: confirm the course satisfies the named requirement, ask whether completion is reported automatically, and keep your certificate. For MLS enrollment, access, or missing training credit, contact the MLS or association administering it. For a TSRE course question, submit a support request with the course name and the requirement you are trying to satisfy.
Training sources checked October 20, 2026.
Can a new agent receive a salary?
Getting licensed does not guarantee a salary or a salary-plus-commission role. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that brokers and agents earn most of their income from commissions and that income can be irregular, especially for beginners.
When considering a position advertised with base pay, ask whether it is a guaranteed salary, hourly pay, a temporary guarantee, or a draw that must be repaid from future commissions. Ask about employee versus independent-contractor status, benefits, hours, required production, fees, and what happens if no sale closes. Request the compensation terms in writing. Compare the complete arrangement with your budget and goals.
Meet more than one brokerage
Interview at least two or three brokerages when possible. Comparing real offers usually makes your priorities much clearer.
TSRE's Florida Real Estate Career Fair is an evergreen way to meet hiring brokerages, ask questions, and compare opportunities in one place. Event dates and participating companies change, so use the page to register for the next available event.
Activate your license after you choose
The brokerage will explain its onboarding documents and register the employment relationship with DBPR. Confirm that your license shows the correct active status and brokerage before performing licensed real estate services.
You can verify your record through the DBPR license search.
Need more personalized support?
Submit a request through the TSRE Support Center, or call or text (813) 333-2676.
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