This free Florida real estate exam study guide teaches the Florida sales associate license exam — both the Florida-specific license law and the national real estate principles tested on the same 100-question test.[1] The exam is regulated by the through the and delivered by Pearson VUE; you need a 75% (75 of 100) to pass.[3]
Unlike a generic national course, this guide leads with Florida license law and practice— the brokerage relationships, escrow timelines, transfer taxes, and disclosure rules that make the Florida exam different — then teaches the eight national content areas. It’s interactive, not a wall of text: every area has a built-in checkpoint quiz, hover-able glossary terms, worked math examples, and concept questions, so you learn by doing.
Read area by area, test yourself at each checkpoint, then round out your free prep with our practice questions and flashcards. The areas that reward the most study time are Florida license law (especially brokerage relationships and escrow) and contracts and agency.
Florida Real Estate Exam Snapshot
| Detail | Florida sales associate exam |
|---|---|
| Regulator | DBPR, through the Florida Real Estate Commission (FREC) |
| Governing law | Chapter 475, F.S., and Chapter 61J2, F.A.C. |
| Questions | 100 multiple-choice (4 options each) |
| Passing score | 75% — 75 of 100 correct |
| Time | 3.5 hours |
| Testing provider | Pearson VUE |
| Pre-license education | 63-hour FREC Course I (passed) before the exam |
| After licensing | 45-hour post-license before 1st renewal, then 14 hours CE every 2 years |
About 45 questions cover real estate principles and practices, about 45 cover Florida and federal license law, and roughly 10 are real estate math.[1] The weighting below reflects how this guide groups the tested content — Florida license law and practice is the single largest area, so study it first:
Exact weights vary by exam form, so treat these as a planning guide.[1] This guide teaches all nine content areas as nine study modules, each ending in a checkpoint quiz.
1 · Florida License Law & Practice (FREC)
The largest part of the Florida exam — about a third of the questions.This is the content you cannot learn from a national course: who regulates you, the education ladder, Florida’s unique brokerage relationships, the escrow timelines, and discipline.[1]
Florida has no “real estate board” standing alone. The chain runs from the umbrella agency down to the commission that actually writes the rules.
- DBPRDepartment of Business and Professional Regulation — the umbrella state agency that issues and regulates real estate licenses.
- Division of Real Estate (DRE)The division inside the DBPR that handles real estate licensing, records, and administrative support.
- FRECFlorida Real Estate Commission — 7 members appointed by the Governor; writes and enforces license law under Chapter 475, F.S., and Chapter 61J2, F.A.C.
FREC has 7 members: 4 licensed brokers, 1 broker or sales associate, and 2 consumer members who have never been licensed.
DBPR, FREC & Chapter 475
The is the umbrella agency that issues licenses; the operates within its Division of Real Estate and writes and enforces license law under FREC has seven members appointed by the Governor — four licensed brokers, one broker or sales associate, and two consumer members who have never held a license.[3]
Pre-License, Post-License & CE
Florida’s education ladder is heavily tested. You complete a 63-hour before the exam, then a 45-hour before your first renewal, then 14 hours of every two years.[1]
Florida’s education hours and the 45-then-14 renewal pattern are unique to the state and frequently tested.
- 63-hour FREC Course IComplete the approved sales-associate pre-license course and pass its end-of-course exam.
- State exam at Pearson VUE100 multiple-choice questions; score 75% (75 correct) to pass. 3.5 hours; offered for the DBPR by Pearson VUE.
- Initial license issuedRegister under one licensed broker (or owner-developer) to work for compensation. A license may be active or (voluntarily) inactive.
- 45-hour post-license (first renewal)Complete a 45-hour post-license course before the FIRST expiration, or the license becomes null and void.
- 14-hour CE every 2 years afterEach later 2-year renewal: 14 hours of CE, including 3 hours Core Law and 3 hours ethics/business practices.
Education ladder: 63 hours pre-license → 45 hourspost-license (first renewal) → 14 hours CE every two years.
Florida Brokerage Relationships
This is the biggest Florida-specific topic. Under Section 475.278, F.S., a licensee may have only three relationships with a customer: , , or — and the transaction broker is presumed unless another is set in writing. Florida prohibits entirely.[2]
Florida prohibits both disclosed and nondisclosed dual agency — unlike many other states. That is the single biggest Florida-specific agency point on the exam.
- ✓ Loyalty (the customer’s interests first)
- ✓ Confidentiality (full)
- ✓ Obedience to lawful instructions
- ✓ Full disclosure
- ✓ Honesty & fair dealing
- ✓ Limited confidentiality
- ✓ Skill, care & diligence
- ✗ No fiduciary loyalty or obedience
Both relationships owe accounting, disclosure of known material facts, and honest dealing. Only the single agent owes the four fiduciary duties above.
Escrow & Trust-Account Rules
Florida sets exact deadlines for handling client money. A sales associate must deliver a deposit to the broker by the end of the next business day; the broker must place in escrow “immediately” — the end of the third business day. client funds with the broker’s own is a violation.[1]
Florida sets exact deadlines other states do not. These business-day counts are heavily tested.
- Sales associate receives a depositMust turn it over to the broker by the end of the NEXT business day (Rule 61J2-14.009). The associate may never hold it personally.
- Broker deposits the funds ‘immediately’‘Immediately’ = no later than the end of the 3rd business day after the broker receives it (Rule 61J2-14.008).
- A conflict creates a good-faith doubtConflicting demands on the deposit. The broker must notify FREC within 15 business days.
- Broker institutes a settlement procedureWithin 30 business days of the last demand or doubt, the broker chooses one of the 4 FREC procedures: EDO, arbitration, mediation, or litigation/interpleader.
Remember the rhythm: next business day (associate→broker), 3 business days (deposit), 15 (notify FREC), 30 (settle).
Discipline & the Recovery Fund
FREC may discipline a licensee with a fine of up to $5,000 per violation, plus suspension or revocation, after a finding of probable cause and an Administrative Complaint. The reimburses consumers for unpaid judgments — up to $50,000 per transaction and $150,000 per licensee— and the licensee’s license is automatically suspended until the Fund is repaid.[1]
| Rule | Florida figure |
|---|---|
| Pass the state exam | 75% (75 of 100 questions) |
| Pre-license course | 63 hours (FREC Course I) |
| Post-license (1st renewal) | 45 hours |
| Continuing education | 14 hours every 2 years (3 Core Law + 3 ethics) |
| Associate → broker (deposit) | End of the next business day |
| Broker into escrow ('immediately') | End of the 3rd business day |
| Notify FREC of escrow dispute | Within 15 business days |
| Institute settlement procedure | Within 30 business days |
| Recovery Fund — per transaction | $50,000 |
| Recovery Fund — per licensee | $150,000 |
| Maximum FREC fine | $5,000 per violation |
Checkpoint · Area 1 · Florida License Law & Practice
Question 1 of 10
Under Florida law, which state agency directly licenses and regulates real estate sales associates and brokers, acting through its Division of Real Estate?
2 · Property, Legal Descriptions & Land Use
A national content area on the Florida exam.What real property is, the estates and rights an owner can hold, the encumbrances that limit them, the government’s powers over land, and how land is legally described.[9]
Estates & the Bundle of Rights
is land, everything permanently attached (including ), and the bundle of rights of ownership. The largest estate is — absolute and inheritable. A life estate lasts only for someone’s lifetime; leasehold estates give a tenant the right to use property without owning it.
Encumbrances & Government Powers
An — a lien, , encroachment, or deed restriction — limits title. Even fee simple is limited by four government powers, remembered as PETE: (zoning), , taxation, and . Only eminent domain pays the owner.
| Encumbrance | What it is |
|---|---|
| Easement appurtenant | A use right that benefits an adjacent parcel and runs with the land |
| Easement in gross | A use right that benefits a person or company (e.g., a utility), not a parcel |
| Lien | A monetary claim securing a debt — can force a sale if unpaid |
| Encroachment | An improvement intruding onto a neighbor's land; found by survey |
| Deed restriction (CC&Rs) | Private limits on use, often stricter than zoning |
Legal Descriptions
Three methods describe land precisely: (distances and bearings from a point of beginning), the rectangular (government) survey system (townships, ranges, and — Florida uses the Tallahassee meridian and base line), and lot-and-block (a recorded plat). One is 640 acres; one is 43,560 square feet.
Checkpoint · Area 2 · Property, Legal Descriptions & Land Use
Question 1 of 10
A buyer purchasing a unit in a residential development receives recorded covenants, conditions, and restrictions that limit exterior modifications and prohibit short-term rentals. These privately imposed limitations on use are best described as which of the following?
3 · Ownership, Title Transfer & Recording
A national content area with Florida twists.How people co-own property (including Florida’s homestead and tenancy-by-the-entirety rules), how a transfers title, and how recording protects an owner.[9]
Forms of Co-Ownership & Homestead
The key difference among co-ownership forms is the right of survivorship. has it (and needs the four unities); does not.
is a Florida survivorship form for married couples with creditor protection. Florida’s constitutional protection shields a primary residence from most creditors and limits how it may be devised.
| Form | Survivorship? | Who can hold it |
|---|---|---|
| Severalty | N/A — sole owner | One person or entity |
| Tenancy in common | No — passes by will | Any number of co-owners |
| Joint tenancy | Yes — to survivors | Co-owners with the four unities |
| Tenancy by the entirety | Yes — to spouse | A married couple only (Florida creditor protection) |
Deeds & Transfer of Title
A deed conveys title from the grantor to the grantee. The gives the most protection; a gives none and is used to clear a cloud on title. Title passes on delivery and acceptance, not recording, and the grantee never signs the deed.
Recording & Title Assurance
Florida is a notice recording state: recording a deed gives constructive notice and protects a later good-faith purchaser without notice of a prior unrecorded interest. protects the buyer and lender against defects that existed before the policy — undiscovered liens, forgery, or recording errors.
Checkpoint · Area 3 · Ownership, Title Transfer & Recording
Question 1 of 10
A claimant occupies a neighbor's unused back lot openly and continuously, but for the first several years she does so under a recorded but defective deed she honestly believed gave her ownership, and in some states she also pays the property taxes. Compared with a trespasser who has no document at all, what advantage does occupying under such a written instrument and paying taxes typically provide in an adverse possession claim?
4 · Property Value & Appraisal
A national content area.What creates value, the three approaches an appraiser uses, and how a licensee’s CMA differs from a formal appraisal.[9]
Value Principles
is the most probable price under fair conditions — an opinion, distinct from the actual price paid. The basis of value is : the legal, possible, feasible, and most profitable use of a site.
| Principle | What it means |
|---|---|
| Substitution | A buyer pays no more than the cost of an equally desirable substitute |
| Highest and best use | Value reflects the most profitable legal, possible, feasible use |
| Conformity | Value is maximized when a property fits its surroundings |
| Progression / regression | A modest home gains value near larger ones; a fine home loses value near lesser ones |
| Supply and demand | Value rises when demand exceeds supply, and falls when supply exceeds demand |
The Three Approaches to Value
An appraiser estimates value three ways — sales comparison (best for homes), cost (best for new or special-use property), and income (best for rentals) — then reconciles them, weighing the indications rather than averaging.
CMA vs. Appraisal
A licensee prepares a from recent comparable sales to help price a listing. A formal is an impartial, USPAP-compliant opinion by a licensed appraiser — what a lender relies on.
Checkpoint · Area 4 · Property Value & Appraisal
Question 1 of 10
Investors in a market begin accepting lower capitalization rates on apartment buildings than they did a year earlier, even though net operating incomes are unchanged. What is the most likely effect on the values of those buildings?
5 · Contracts & Agency
A heavily weighted national area — paired with Florida’s brokerage rules from Area 1. What makes a contract valid, the Florida forms licensees use, and the listing types.[1]
Contract Law & FAR/BAR Forms
A valid needs mutual agreement, consideration, legal purpose, and competent parties — and, for real estate, writing under the . Florida licensees typically use the . A missing essential element makes a contract void; a defect like a minor’s signature makes it voidable.
Listings & Procuring Cause
A employs a broker to find a buyer. The agent whose work is the earns the commission. Remember that in Florida a sales associate may be paid only by the broker they are registered under.
| Listing type | Who earns the commission |
|---|---|
| Exclusive right-to-sell | The listing broker — no matter who finds the buyer |
| Exclusive agency | The broker, unless the owner sells it themselves |
| Open listing | Only the broker who actually finds the buyer |
| Net listing | Broker keeps the amount above the seller's set price — discouraged/illegal in many states |
Checkpoint · Area 5 · Contracts & Agency
Question 1 of 10
A buyer makes a $10,000 earnest money deposit, then defaults on the contract without any valid contingency excusing performance. Absent a liquidated damages provision, what is the most likely outcome regarding the deposit under typical contract principles?
6 · Real Estate Practice
A national area with Florida fair-housing detail. Fair housing, handling client money, and the leasing and management work a licensee does day to day.[6]
Fair Housing (Federal & Florida)
The federal (1968) bans discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, familial status, and disability— seven protected classes — and Florida’s Fair Housing Act (Chapter 760, F.S.) mirrors them.[6] Complaints in Florida are filed with the Florida Commission on Human Relations or HUD.
| Practice | What it is |
|---|---|
| Steering | Guiding buyers toward or away from areas by protected class |
| Blockbusting | Inducing panic selling by claiming a protected class is moving in |
| Redlining | A lender refusing to lend or insure in an area by its makeup |
Trust Funds & Professional Conduct
A broker must keep client funds — like — in a separate trust account. (mixing them with the broker’s own funds) is a violation; conversion (spending them) is worse and triggers automatic license suspension in Florida. Commission rates are always negotiable.
Leases & Property Management
A lease conveys the right to use property for a term in exchange for rent (landlord = lessor, tenant = lessee). Know the types: a gross lease (landlord pays expenses), a net lease (tenant pays some expenses), and a percentage lease (retail rent tied to sales).
Checkpoint · Area 6 · Real Estate Practice
Question 1 of 10
A landlord refuses to rent to an applicant solely because the applicant relies on a wheelchair and the landlord assumes the tenant would be too much trouble. Which protected class does this refusal most directly implicate under federal law?
7 · Disclosures & Environmental Issues
A national area where Florida adds several mandatory disclosures. What a seller and agent must reveal, the Florida-specific disclosure rules, and the environmental hazards the exam expects you to recognize.[5]
Johnson v. Davis & Material Facts
Under (1985), a Florida residential seller and the seller’s licensee must disclose all known facts that materially affect the value of the property and are not readily observable to the buyer. This duty applies even in a transaction-broker relationship, because disclosure of known is owed to everyone.
Florida Radon, CCCL & HOA Disclosures
Florida requires several statutory disclosures the national portion does not: the (s. 404.056(5), F.S.) in every sale or rental; a Coastal Construction Control Line (CCCL) disclosure for property seaward of the line; and an HOA disclosure summaryfor parcels in a mandatory homeowners’ association.[5]
| Disclosure | When it's required |
|---|---|
| Radon gas disclosure | Every sale or rental contract (s. 404.056(5), F.S.) |
| Johnson v. Davis material facts | Known facts that materially affect value and aren't readily observable |
| CCCL disclosure | Property partly or fully seaward of the Coastal Construction Control Line |
| HOA disclosure summary | A parcel in a community with a mandatory homeowners' association |
| Lead-based paint (federal) | Housing built before 1978 — disclosure + EPA pamphlet + 10-day window |
Federal Environmental Hazards
The most heavily tested federal rule is the lead-based paint disclosure: for housing built before 1978, the seller or landlord must disclose known lead paint, give the EPA pamphlet, and (for sales) allow a 10-day inspection window. Recognize radon, asbestos, mold, and leaking underground storage tanks.[8]
Checkpoint · Area 7 · Disclosures & Environmental Issues
Question 1 of 10
A buyer is purchasing a former auto-repair property and orders an environmental assessment because of a suspected underground storage tank. What is the buyer's primary reason for this added due diligence?
8 · Financing & Settlement
A national area plus Florida’s transfer taxes. The instruments that secure a loan, the main loan types, the federal lending laws, and what Florida charges at closing.[7]
Notes, Mortgages & Clauses
A pledges the property as collateral; the is the borrower’s promise to repay. Watch the key clauses: acceleration (demand full balance on default), due-on-sale (payoff at sale), prepayment penalty, and defeasance (release the lien when paid).
Loan Types & Lending Laws
Three loan types anchor the exam — conventional (PMI when is over 80%), FHA (insured), and VA (guaranteed, often 0% down). Two federal laws govern disclosure: requires settlement-cost disclosures and bans kickbacks, and requires disclosing the cost of credit, including the APR.[7]
Closing & Florida Transfer Taxes
At closing, an escrow holder disburses funds when all conditions are met. Florida levies transfer taxes other states do not — the documentary stamp tax on the deed and note, and a nonrecurring on the mortgage.[4]
Florida levies documentary stamp taxes and a nonrecurring intangible tax that other states do not — and the exam expects the exact rates and who customarily pays.
Rule of thumb: the seller pays the deed stamps; the buyer pays the note stamp and the intangible tax on the mortgage.
Checkpoint · Area 8 · Financing & Settlement
Question 1 of 10
On an adjustable-rate mortgage, the lender adds a fixed percentage to a published economic indicator to set the new interest rate at each adjustment. The fixed percentage that the lender adds, representing its cost of doing business and profit, is known as which of the following?
9 · Real Estate Math
About 10 questions — and the most learnable points on the test.A handful of formulas cover almost every calculation: area, commission, seller net, LTV, taxes, proration, and Florida’s transfer taxes.[9]
Area & Land Measurement
Area of a rectangle is length × width. To convert square feet to acres, divide by 43,560. A is 640 acres.
Commission, Net & Proration
Commission = sale price × rate. To find the price for a target seller net, divide the net by (1 − rate). splits taxes, rent, and interest by the days each party owns the property — and in Florida, property taxes are paid in arrears, so accrued taxes are a seller debit and a buyer credit.
Florida Stamps, Mills & Taxes
A is $0.001 of tax per dollar of assessed value, so 18 mills is a tax of 1.8%. Florida’s transfer taxes are computed per $100: the deed stamp is $0.70 per $100 and the note stamp is $0.35 per $100, rounding the consideration up to the next $100.
| To find | Formula |
|---|---|
| Commission | Sale price × commission rate |
| Price for a target net | Net ÷ (1 − commission rate) |
| Loan-to-value (LTV) | Loan amount ÷ value (or price) |
| Value (income approach) | Net operating income ÷ capitalization rate |
| Deed doc stamp tax | (Price ÷ 100, rounded up) × $0.70 |
| Note doc stamp tax | (Loan ÷ 100, rounded up) × $0.35 |
| Mortgage intangible tax | Loan × 0.002 (2 mills) |
Checkpoint · Area 9 · Real Estate Math
Question 1 of 10
An apartment building generates $96,000 in annual net operating income and an investor wishes to earn a capitalization rate of 7.5%. Using the IRV relationship, what is the most the investor should pay for the building?
How to Use This Study Guide
A study guide is a map, not the whole territory — pair it with our free practice questions and flashcards. Because the Florida exam puts about a third of its questions on Florida license law, lead with Area 1 (brokerage relationships and escrow), then the heavily weighted contracts and agency, and lock in the Florida transfer-tax math last.
- 1
Read a content area here
Work through one area at a time, starting with Florida license law.
- 2
Take the checkpoint
The quick check at the end of each area exposes what didn't stick.
- 3
Drill the gaps
Send your weak area straight into the free practice questions and flashcards.
- 4
Take full, timed practice
Sit a full-length practice test to build stamina, then review every miss.
Florida Real Estate Concept Questions
The Florida-specific rules and core real estate principles the exam actually tests — at least one per content area. Tap any card for a short, exam-ready answer backed by an official source (Florida Statutes Chapter 475 / FREC, HUD, CFPB, EPA, IRS, or USGS), then test yourself on them as flashcards.
Florida Real Estate Glossary
Quick definitions for the terms you’ll see most across the Florida real estate exam:
- Acre
- A unit of land area equal to 43,560 square feet.
- Appraisal
- An impartial, supported opinion of value prepared by a licensed appraiser as of a specific date, following USPAP.
- Capitalization rate
- The rate of return on an income property: net operating income ÷ value. A higher cap rate implies more risk and lower value.
- Chapter 475, F.S.
- The chapter of the Florida Statutes governing real estate brokers, sales associates, schools, and appraisers — the source of Florida license law.
- Commingling
- Improperly mixing a client's trust funds with the broker's own or business funds — a Florida license-law violation.
- Comparative market analysis (CMA)
- A licensee's estimate of value from recent comparable sales, used to help price a listing — not a formal appraisal.
- Continuing education (CE)
- The 14 hours, including 3 hours of Core Law and 3 hours of ethics/business practices, a Florida licensee must complete each two-year renewal after the post-license period.
- Contract
- A legally enforceable agreement between competent parties to do or refrain from doing a lawful act.
- DBPR
- The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation — the umbrella state agency that issues and regulates real estate licenses through its Division of Real Estate.
- Deed
- The written instrument that conveys title to real property from the grantor (seller) to the grantee (buyer).
- Documentary stamp tax
- Florida's excise tax on documents: 100 on a deed (seller pays) and 100 on a promissory note (buyer pays).
- Dual agency
- Representing both buyer and seller as fiduciaries in one transaction — prohibited in Florida, both disclosed and nondisclosed.
- Earnest money
- A buyer's good-faith deposit showing serious intent; held in a Florida trust account and usually applied to the price at closing.
- Easement
- A nonpossessory right to use another's land for a specific purpose, such as a driveway or utility line.
- Eminent domain
- Government's power to take private property for public use through condemnation, paying the owner just compensation.
- Encumbrance
- Any claim, lien, charge, or right that limits an owner's title — liens, easements, encroachments, and deed restrictions.
- Escheat
- The reversion of property to the state when an owner dies with no will and no legal heirs.
- Escrow
- Funds (such as earnest money) entrusted to a Florida broker and held in a separate trust account apart from the broker's own money.
- Escrow Disbursement Order (EDO)
- A FREC order, one of four Florida settlement procedures, directing how a disputed escrow deposit should be released; generally available only for residential sales.
- Fair Housing Act
- The 1968 federal law (mirrored by Florida's Chapter 760, F.S.) prohibiting housing discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, familial status, and disability.
- FAR/BAR contract
- The FloridaRealtors/FloridaBar Residential Contract for Sale and Purchase, the standard Florida purchase agreement licensees use.
- Fee simple
- The most complete form of ownership — absolute, of unlimited duration, and freely transferable by deed or will. Also called fee simple absolute.
- Fiduciary duties
- The full duties a single agent owes the principal — loyalty, confidentiality, obedience, and full disclosure (beyond the duties every licensee owes).
- Fixture
- An item of personal property attached to real property so as to become part of it and transfer with the land; the MARIA tests decide whether an item is a fixture.
- FREC
- The Florida Real Estate Commission — seven gubernatorial appointees within the DBPR who write and enforce real estate license law under Chapter 475, F.S., and Chapter 61J2, F.A.C.
- FREC Course I
- The 63-hour approved pre-license course a Florida sales-associate applicant must complete (and pass) before sitting for the state exam.
- General warranty deed
- The deed giving the most protection; the grantor warrants clear title against all defects, even those arising before the grantor's ownership.
- Good-faith doubt
- A Florida broker's reasonable uncertainty about who is entitled to escrowed funds, which triggers notice to FREC within 15 business days and a settlement procedure within 30.
- Highest and best use
- The legally permissible, physically possible, financially feasible, and most profitable use of a site — the basis of value.
- Homestead
- Florida's constitutional protection of a primary residence from forced sale by most creditors, plus property-tax and devise limits.
- Intangible tax
- Florida's nonrecurring tax of 2 mills (1) on the amount of a new mortgage, paid by the buyer/borrower.
- Johnson v. Davis
- The 1985 Florida Supreme Court case requiring a residential seller and licensee to disclose all known facts that materially affect value and are not readily observable.
- Joint tenancy
- Co-ownership with the right of survivorship; requires the four unities of time, title, interest, and possession.
- Latent defect
- A hidden physical defect not discoverable by ordinary inspection; a known latent defect must be disclosed in Florida.
- Listing agreement
- A contract employing a broker to find a buyer for the owner's property in exchange for compensation.
- Loan-to-value ratio (LTV)
- The loan amount divided by the property's value or price; a higher LTV means a smaller down payment and more lender risk.
- Market value
- The most probable price a property should bring in a competitive, open market under fair-sale conditions; an opinion of value.
- Material fact
- A fact that would affect a reasonable buyer's decision to buy or the price they would pay; under Johnson v. Davis it must be disclosed.
- Metes and bounds
- A legal description using distances (metes) and compass directions (bounds) traced back to a point of beginning.
- Mill rate
- A property-tax rate expressed in thousandths: 1 mill equals 1,000 of assessed value.
- Mortgage
- A loan secured by real property; the borrower (mortgagor) pledges the property as collateral to the lender (mortgagee).
- No brokerage relationship
- A Florida relationship in which the licensee represents neither party; only honesty, fair dealing, disclosure of known material facts, and accounting are owed.
- Police power
- Government's authority to regulate land for public health, safety, and welfare — the basis for zoning and building codes, with no payment to the owner.
- Post-license education
- The 45-hour course a newly licensed Florida sales associate must complete before the first license expiration, or the license becomes null and void.
- Procuring cause
- The agent whose actions set in motion an unbroken chain of events leading to the sale, earning the commission.
- Promissory note
- The borrower's written promise to repay a debt; the evidence of the debt that the mortgage secures.
- Proration
- Dividing prepaid or accrued expenses such as taxes, rent, and interest fairly between buyer and seller as of the closing date.
- Quitclaim deed
- A deed conveying only whatever interest the grantor has, with no warranties; often used to clear a cloud on title.
- Radon gas disclosure
- A statutory Florida disclosure (s. 404.056(5), F.S.) warning buyers and tenants of the potential presence of radon, given in every sale or rental contract.
- Real Estate Recovery Fund
- A Florida fund that reimburses consumers up to 150,000 per licensee) for unpaid judgments arising from a licensee's wrongful act.
- Real property
- Land plus everything permanently attached to it (improvements and fixtures) and the bundle of legal rights of ownership.
- RESPA
- The Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act — a federal law requiring loan-cost disclosures and prohibiting kickbacks at closing.
- Section (survey)
- One square mile of land — 640 acres — and one thirty-sixth of a 6-mile-square township in the rectangular survey system.
- Single agent
- A Florida brokerage relationship of full representation; the agent owes the added duties of loyalty, confidentiality, obedience, and full disclosure to one party.
- Single agent notice
- The written disclosure a Florida single agent must give the customer before or at the time of entering into a listing or showing property.
- Specific performance
- A court remedy compelling a defaulting party to carry out the contract because real estate is unique.
- Statute of frauds
- The law requiring contracts for the sale of real estate (and most leases over a year) to be in writing to be enforceable.
- Steering
- Illegally guiding buyers toward or away from neighborhoods based on a protected class — a fair-housing violation.
- Tenancy by the entirety
- A Florida survivorship form of co-ownership reserved for married couples, with creditor-protection features.
- Tenancy in common
- Co-ownership in which each owner holds an undivided, willable share; there is no right of survivorship.
- TILA
- The Truth in Lending Act — a federal law requiring lenders to disclose the cost of credit, including the annual percentage rate (APR).
- Title insurance
- A policy protecting the insured against loss from title defects that existed before the policy date, such as liens or recording errors.
- Transaction broker
- A Florida brokerage relationship providing limited representation without fiduciary loyalty; it is the presumed relationship in Florida unless another is established in writing.
Free Florida Real Estate Exam Study Materials & Resources
Everything you need to prepare for the Florida real estate exam is free here — no paywall, no sign-up. This guide is the foundation; pair it with the rest of our free Florida study materials for active recall, timed practice, and last-minute review:
- Florida Real Estate Practice Test — exam-style questions across Florida license law and all national content areas, with explanations.
- Florida Real Estate Flashcards — active-recall decks for FREC rules, brokerage relationships, transfer taxes, and math formulas.
Florida Real Estate Exam Study Guide FAQ
The Florida sales associate state exam has 100 multiple-choice questions, and you must answer at least 75 correctly — a score of 75% — to pass. You have 3.5 hours. Roughly 45 questions cover real estate principles and practices, about 45 cover Florida and federal license law, and around 10 are real estate math.
The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) issues and regulates licenses through the Florida Real Estate Commission (FREC), which sits in the DBPR's Division of Real Estate. FREC writes the rules under Chapter 475, Florida Statutes, and Chapter 61J2 of the Florida Administrative Code, while Pearson VUE delivers the exam.
Florida requires a 63-hour FREC Course I pre-license course before the state exam. After you pass and get licensed, you must complete a 45-hour post-license course before your first license expiration, then 14 hours of continuing education — including 3 hours of Core Law and 3 hours of ethics — every two-year renewal cycle after that.
A single agent owes full fiduciary duties — loyalty, confidentiality, obedience, and full disclosure — to one party. A transaction broker provides only limited representation without fiduciary loyalty. Under Section 475.278, F.S., the transaction broker relationship is presumed in Florida unless a single agent or no-brokerage relationship is established in writing.
No. Florida prohibits both disclosed and nondisclosed dual agency. A Florida licensee may have only a single agent, transaction broker, or no brokerage relationship with a customer. This is a major difference from many other states, which permit dual agency with written consent, so expect the Florida exam to test it.
A sales associate who receives a deposit must give it to the broker by the end of the next business day. The broker must place entrusted funds in escrow 'immediately' — defined as no later than the end of the third business day. If a good-faith doubt arises over conflicting demands, the broker notifies FREC within 15 business days and chooses a settlement procedure within 30 business days.
Florida charges documentary stamp tax of $0.70 per $100 of price on the deed (the seller customarily pays) and $0.35 per $100 of the loan on the promissory note (the buyer customarily pays), plus a nonrecurring intangible tax of 2 mills ($0.002 per $1) on a new mortgage. Miami-Dade County uses a $0.60 deed rate plus a surtax.
Start with Florida license law and practice — it is the largest part of the exam and the part you cannot learn from a national course. Work through each module, take the checkpoint quiz, then drill weak areas with our free practice questions and flashcards. Give extra time to brokerage relationships, escrow rules, and Florida transfer taxes.
Yes — the full guide, the checkpoints, the glossary, the practice questions, and the flashcards are 100% free, with no account required.
References
- 1.Florida Legislature. “Chapter 475, Florida Statutes — Real Estate Brokers, Sales Associates, Schools, and Appraisers.” flsenate.gov. ↑
- 2.Florida Legislature. “Section 475.278, F.S. — Authorized brokerage relationships.” flsenate.gov. ↑
- 3.Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. “Division of Real Estate (Florida Real Estate Commission).” myfloridalicense.com. ↑
- 4.Florida Legislature. “Chapter 201, F.S. — Excise Tax on Documents.” flsenate.gov. ↑
- 5.Florida Legislature. “Section 404.056, F.S. — Environmental radiation standards (radon disclosure).” flsenate.gov. ↑
- 6.U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. “Fair Housing Act Overview.” HUD. ↑
- 7.Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. “Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (Regulation X).” CFPB. ↑
- 8.U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. “A Citizen's Guide to Radon.” EPA. ↑
- 9.Internal Revenue Service. “Sales and Other Dispositions of Assets (Publication 544).” IRS. ↑
Sources for the concept answers
Every answer in the Florida real estate concept questions above is drawn from an authoritative primary source:
- U.S. Geological Survey. “How is the Public Land Survey System organized?.” USGS.
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