The Differences Between a Broker's License & a Real Estate License in California
California's Department of Real Estate (DRE) issues licenses to qualified brokers and salespeople. More than 472,000 residents hold broker's or real estate salesperson's licenses in California as of 2010. Brokers may perform more administrative or supervisory tasks than salespeople, as two years of experience are required before a license is granted. Both brokers and salespeople are required to complete coursework and pass an examination and a background check.
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General Requirements
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Prospective real estate salespeople and brokers must be at least 18 years of age. Proof of legal presence is also required, which may be in the form of a birth certificate, U.S. passport or certificate of citizenship or naturalization. Individuals seeking a real estate license in California must also provide an honest disclosure of the candidate's personal background to the DRE regarding any criminal or fraudulent activities. Prospective brokers must meet these requirements and submit proof of at least two years of experience as a full-time licensed salesperson within the past five years.
Education
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Before obtaining a real estate salesperson's license, three college-level courses must be completed at an accredited school. Real Estate Principles and Real Estate Practice are the two courses required of every applicant and a third course may be chosen from a list of 12, including Legal Aspects of Real Estate and Escrows. Brokers are required to complete eight college-level courses covering subjects such as finance, accounting, appraisal and computer applications. Transcripts should be submitted to the DRE once coursework is completed.
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Examinations
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Once the required coursework is complete, salespeople and brokers are both required to pass an examination. For salespeople, the exam is just over three hours in length and includes multiple-choice questions covering property ownership, laws of agency and contracts. The broker's exam is five hours, which is divided into two sessions, and covers additional content in financing, market analysis and mandated disclosures. Salespeople are required to answer 70 percent of the questions accurately, while brokers must successfully answer 75 percent.
Applications
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An application may be completed and submitted to DRE once the examination requirement is satisfied. A fingerprint report from the California Department of Justice and FBI must be attached to the application following a live scan service. Proof of legal of presence is established using a State Public Benefits Statement, which is also submitted with the application. Brokers with a current salesperson's license may be not be required to resubmit residency and fingerprint reporting but must submit proof of experience and additional education. Applications must also include the appropriate fee, which is $305 for salespeople and $395 for brokers, as of 2010.
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