What You Need to Know About California Broker License Courses

If you are an aspiring real estate broker in California you need to know how to go about earning your California broker license. This is a significant step when you are looking to build a successful and rewarding career in the field. To qualify for a California broker license, you must meet specific educational requirements, and pass a state exam. In this piece, we will shed light on key things you need to know about California broker license courses.

Prerequisites for California broker license

Before we delve into California real estate broker license courses, it would be best to understand the requirements to earn a California broker license. Here are some of the prerequisites:

•   Be at least 18 years old
•   Be an honest and truthful person
•   Have an active California real estate salesperson license
•   Have successfully completed eight 45-hour real estate education courses (Three of the eight courses may have been completed as part of the requirements for the salesperson’s licensing process).
•   Pass a state-administered real estate broker exam

California pre-licensing education for real estate salesperson

To get your California real estate salesperson license, you need to enroll for and complete a 145-hour accredited course offered by an approved institution like RealEstateU. The California Department of Real Estate (DRE) requires applicants for salesperson license to complete the following courses:

•   Real Estate Practice (45 hours): covers practical aspects of real estate and an agent’s everyday activities like agency duties, fair housing, ethics, leasing, listing agreements, and others
•   Real Estate Principles (45 hours): entails the fundamental concepts necessary for one to succeed in a career in real estate. It includes topics like estates, deeds, liens, real estate finance, appraisal, etc.
•   Legal Aspects of Real Estate (45 hours): covers the legal principles and regulations that form the basis of real estate transactions in California. It includes contract law, landlord-tenant relationships, and others.

At the end of the 135-hour salesperson pre-licensing course, you have to schedule and pass an exam to be able to apply for your license.

A look at California real estate broker license courses

For a California real estate salesperson to qualify to become a broker, they need to do five further courses. Below are the California broker license courses:

•       Real Estate Appraisal (45 hours): covers such topics as how an independent appraiser arrives at a property’s value, the appraisal methods and processes, etc.
•       Escrow (45 hours): takes broker license candidates through the escrow process
•       Real Estate Economics (45 hours): looks at national, state, and local economic principles vis-à-vis real estate in rural and urban areas.
•       Real Estate Finance (45 hours): looks at the financing options for property buyers, including the available loan markets, how a buyer becomes eligible for a mortgage or different loan programs
•       Real Estate Office Administration (45 hours): offers a crucial overview of business management, and sheds light on the best practices to adopt in brokerage administration, recruitment of agents, hiring employees, marketing, etc.

Conclusion

Completing the California broker license courses is a mandatory requirement for anyone aspiring to earn a broker license in the state. You can fast-track your licensure by choosing a reputable and reliable real estate course dedicating enough time to your studies, using various resources, and seeking support where necessary.