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Tony Lewis, Summit Real Estate Group Valencia & Aliso Viejo (Summit Real Estate Group)

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Rainmaker
1,502,858
Ryan Huggins - Thousand Oaks, CA
https://HugginsHomes.com - Thousand Oaks, CA
Residential Real Estate and Investment Properties

This would devalue the Broker's license, as there would be no distinction between licensees.  It would be akin to the drive that "everyone must have a bachelor's degree" which has greatly devalued the bachelor's degree to the point where now a Master's is becoming the minimum standard.

 

For what it's worth, the Broker's exam is in two parts.  I finished the first exam in under 30 minutes and was done before the examiners finished checking in the morning session.  It's the salesperson's exam all over again... which I finished two years prior in about 40 minutes.  The afternoon exam took me about 40 minutes.  I've seen baking recipies that were harder than the real estate exams... of course I also studied and took Duane Gomer's most excellent exam prep crash course.

Sep 18, 2021 11:22 PM
Rainmaker
1,310,972
John Juarez
The Medford Real Estate Team - Fremont, CA
ePRO, SRES, GRI, PMN

It is also fairly easy to become a broker. 

As I am sure you know, some states require that all agents be brokers.

The bar to be a licensed agent or broker is not so high that it eliminates all who unsuited. That is not possible.

Becoming a broker would allow me to hire agents. I have no interest in that. I would not be doing anything different than I am now doing. Would I be better at my job? Would I be smarter? Would I be more capable? I have been an agent for over 20 years. Getting a broker's license would not make me a better agent.

Sep 18, 2021 11:13 PM
Rainmaker
1,196,588
Doug Dawes
Keller Williams Evolution - 447 Boston Street, Suite #5, Topsfield, MA - Topsfield, MA
Your Personal Realtor®

When I got my MA license the only license was a Broker's license. Later on the State thought it better for a person to have experience as a sales agent prior to seeking a brokers' license. I agree

Sep 19, 2021 06:16 AM
Rainmaker
5,104,931
Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Realtor

I have always been a Broker. Both in NY and in NC. In NC we are an all-broker  state now, in any event. I don't understand your comment about it being too easy to become a Realtor. You don't "become" a Realtor... you pay your NAR dues and you get to call yourself a Realtor. 

Sep 19, 2021 05:22 AM
Rainmaker
547,327
Steven Nickens
Hawaii Life Real Estate Brokers - Wailea, HI
R(S)GRI ABR, Maui Real Estate Hawaii

Is that a mandate? Just kidding.

Sep 19, 2021 03:59 AM
Rainmaker
1,197,022
Peter Mohylsky, Beach Expert
PMI. Destin - Miramar Beach, FL
Call me at 850-517-7098

I am not sure if being a broker would solve any problems.  I am in favor of raising the bar for all realtors.  Ethical issues, lack of knowledge, etc, continue to surprise me.  I hate being a chicken little with the sky falling.  We are going thru interesting times but who am I to be the one who becomes judge and jury.  

Sep 19, 2021 06:57 AM
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Alan May
Jameson Sotheby's International Realty - Evanston, IL
Home is where the hearth is.

It seems, Tony Lewis, that you're not really asking if every agent should be required to be a Broker, rather "should the barrier to becoming a Realtor be harder?"

I agree that it's become too easy to get a real estate license.   And waaaay too easy to find that new agent on the street, representing hapless buyers and sellers. 

Yes, something should change, but I don't think that requiring everyone to become a "Broker" is the answer.

Sep 19, 2021 06:08 AM
Rainmaker
1,513,143
Raymond E. Camp
Ontario, NY

By all the laws and mandates being thrown about by the government, haven't they become the new Broker!

Sep 19, 2021 05:59 AM
Rainmaker
5,215,648
Wayne Martin
Wayne M Martin - Chicago, IL
Real Estate Broker - Retired

Many states now differentiate managing brokers and brokers. A real game of semantics since it replaces salesman and broker. The continuing education requirements are different, but once was is now called something different and remains basically the same. Gotta love state legislators who know not what they do.

Sep 19, 2021 04:55 AM
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Chris Ann Cleland
Long and Foster Real Estate - Gainesville, VA
Associate Broker, Bristow, VA

I agree with Ryan Huggins - Thousand Oaks, CA .  This would just devalue the broker's license.  I had to wait five years to be qualified to sit for the broker license exam and prove I was a full time agent for 5 years.  My broker had to sign off on the latter.  Making it the entry level position is ridiculous.  

Sep 19, 2021 07:51 PM
Rainmaker
820,578
Eileen Burns 954.483.3912
Trans State Commercial Realty Inc. - Fort Lauderdale, FL
FLorida Real Estate Connector

I applied for a broker's license six months after I received my Salesperson license.  I believe it is an educational experience that gives you more insight to running your business.  Whether you choose to be the broker of record or a broker associate is besides the point.  You take on more responsibility that many part-times are oblivious to.

I am all for raising the bar on entry level. 

I am not a fan of mandates.  Look how many agents have alphabets after their name without being a broker.  There will always be agents who excel in our industry😎

I agree with Ryan Huggins - Thousand Oaks, CA comments as well.  In my instance, working in a small office, if something were to happen to the broker of record, I can seamlessly continue to close the transactions on the books here in the State of Florida and disburse commissions earned without any red tape. 

Sep 19, 2021 09:41 AM
Rainmaker
5,772,575
Ron and Alexandra Seigel
Napa Consultants - Carpinteria, CA
Luxury Real Estate Branding, Marketing & Strategy

I agree with Ryan Huggins - Thousand Oaks, CA and also on Duane Gomer. A

Sep 19, 2021 07:19 AM
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Anna "Banana" Kruchten
HomeSmart Real Estate - Phoenix, AZ
602-380-4886

No I don't think it's necessary.  I got my brokers license pretty early on knowing I'd be opening my own company fairly soon.  Had I not, there really was no need for me.  The education, honestly is a joke - and I was a member of the Education Committee trying to make it harder.  Not happening in this state.

Sep 19, 2021 03:24 PM
Rainmaker
900,008
Olga Simoncelli
Veritas Prime, LLC dba Veritas Prime Real Estate - New Fairfield, CT
CONSULTANT, Real Estate Services & Risk Management

If I understand you correctly, you are voting for greater, deeper education/training requirements for agents, which I would favor. I don't think everyone needs to be a broker. BTW, to become a "realtor" you need to join the NAR; it's a trade name. I wish we weren't blackmailed into having to join!

Sep 19, 2021 02:04 PM
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Wanda Kubat-Nerdin - Wanda Can!
Red Rock Real Estate (435) 632-9374 - St. George, UT
St. George Utah Area Residential Sales Agent

No, it should not be a requirement. It is fairly easy to also leave the industry because not everyone is meant to be an agent. They are weeded out quite regularly.

Sep 19, 2021 01:19 PM
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Kathleen Daniels, Probate & Trust Specialist
KD Realty - 408.972.1822 - San Jose, CA
Probate Real Estate Services

I do not see a need for that. In so many cases it would not make a difference unless one decided not to affiliate with a broker/age and work solo as I have done. 

Sep 19, 2021 09:45 AM
Rainmaker
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Andrew Mooers | 207.532.6573
MOOERS REALTY - Houlton, ME
Northern Maine Real Estate-Aroostook County Broker

Not so cranked on making sweeping new layers of regulations for the entire country. In my state, you have agents, brokers, designated brokers and all rock and rolls very well. 

Sep 19, 2021 08:37 AM
Rainmaker
921,504
Annette Lawrence , Palm Harbor, FL 727-420-4041
ReMax Realtec Group - Palm Harbor, FL
Making FLORIDA Real Estate EZ

It is inevitable. Just like ZEV, we are all going to 'volunteer.'
The good news is, the 'raising the bar' chant will continue becuase this will not change those things that distress so many. The song will continue.
The good news is, as a BROKER, not associate broker, the agent can follow the opportunities that the public has demonstrated they want. 
The good news is, as a BROKER, the encumberances imposed by brokers, franchises and even associations could be reduced if not removed.
The good news is, the BROKER requirement may reduce the pool from 1.2 million to the more appropriate 800 thousand that is needed.
The good news is these new and fresh minded brokers will pursue the oportuniteis buyers and sellers reveal and implement systems to reduce the count from 800K to 500K and NAR will get in line behand BlockBuster.
It should be noted the real driver behind this is the business models (employee) of Red Fin and Coldwell Banker. The real estate agent independant contractor days may be numbered.

Sep 19, 2021 07:29 AM
Rainer
195,422
Karen Climer
Demetree School of Real Estate - Orlando, FL
Teaching people to pass the real estate exam

I don't think it's necessary to make it more difficult to get any real estate license.  We need some level of licensure to protect the public, but licensure has nothing to do with professionalism.  There is no law, nor should there be, that says you have to act professionally at all times.  Let the free market regulate that.

 

Would you support a law that made it more difficult to KEEP your license?  Perhaps taking the state exam every renewal cycle, or doubling the continuing education?  That would be more likely to raise the bar on the profession than creating barriers to entry.  But old-timers never recommend that.  Old timers usually say, "I made it passed the moat.  Now let's build a deeper and wider moat."

Sep 19, 2021 06:09 AM
Rainmaker
2,781,013
Richie Alan Naggar
people first...then business Ran Right Realty - Riverside, CA
agent & author

One should pursue what is presented to them and then put it to good use for all to benefit. Referred to as "calling", answer the call! Being a Broker summoned me. When I was an agent, not so much. As far as licensing qualifications etc. the testing doesn't address the industry, its challenges or successes. In the end, regardless of practice or career, the secret to life when revealed is all you need to know and i.e. Love God Love man

Sep 19, 2021 05:49 AM
Rainmaker
5,868,372
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

In Colorado, all licensed real estate professionals are brokers now, but have different levels - associate, independent and employing.

Sep 19, 2021 05:40 AM
Rainmaker
634,431
Jason E. Gordon
CMG Mortgage, San Diego, CA - San Diego, CA
Sr Loan Officer, CMA, CMPS, CDLP, CDRE, RCSD, CDPE

I like the idea of creating higher barriers to entry for Realtors (and Loan Officers). Not sure if requiring a Brokers license is the answer though. My thoughts are to require significantly more CEU's than we have for initial licensing and subsequent renewals. These CEU's should be directly related to the "street smarts" of our industry to allow Realtors to enhance their knowledge and ability to assist the consumers we collectively serve.

Sep 20, 2021 08:34 AM
Rainmaker
643,875
Greg Large
ERA Real Solutions - Grove City, OH
A Tradition of Trust

licensing requirements are different in different states. my state requires a certain number of transactions before sitting for the Broker exam, which makes sense to me that some experience in the business should be required before becoming a broker. requiring all "agents" to be "brokers" would do nothing to add additional protection to the consumer, which is the point of licensing in the first place. in my opinion, the only benefit would be to the state collecting additional fees for licensing.

Sep 20, 2021 08:24 AM
Rainmaker
901,187
Carla Freund
Keller Williams Preferred Realty - Raleigh, NC
NC Real Estate Transition & Relocation 919-602-848

You have to become a broker in NC. The biggest difference is you take more classes and your broker is even more responsible for you until you go from being a provisional broker to a full broker. You're not a broker who runs an office until you become a "Broker in charge". I don't have a problem with it. I do think new agents should be mentored more closely than they are and not release until the broker signs off on a set of standards. In other words, it shouldn't just be about time and classes.

Sep 20, 2021 07:01 AM
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Bob Crane
Woodland Management Service / Woodland Real Estate, KW Diversified - Stevens Point, WI
Forestland Experts! 715-204-9671

I suspect that it would have little effect other than giving many people the false opinion that they are now qualified to run a brokerage.

Sep 19, 2021 08:06 PM
Rainer
378,367
Don Baker
Lane Realty - Eatonton, GA
Lake Sinclair Specialist

I think state licensing regulations should be left to the states

Sep 19, 2021 12:11 PM
Rainmaker
911,228
Jeff Pearl
RE/MAX Distinctive / LIC in VA - Lovettsville, VA
Full Service Full Time Realtor

It might be fairly simple to become licensed, but keeping your license and staying in business isn't that easy. A large % of agents drop out within 1 year of getting licensed. So, I'd leave the system like it is. Many new agents need a broker to help get them started and answer quetions.

Sep 19, 2021 12:01 PM
Rainmaker
1,844,171
Lyn Sims
Schaumburg, IL
Real Estate Broker Retired

It became mandatory in IL but I had already had mine. Think it is a good idea.

Sep 19, 2021 08:32 AM
Rainmaker
7,835,260
Roy Kelley
Retired - Gaithersburg, MD

 I have always held a broker license. 

Sep 19, 2021 06:48 AM
Rainmaker
2,182,502
Michael J. Perry
KW Elite - Lancaster, PA
Lancaster, PA Relo Specialist

Most Associations have gone to an all REALTOR memberships . I have not seen anyone ( for years) have REALTOR Associate ( as a Salesperson) on their Card .

Sep 21, 2021 07:01 AM
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Debe Maxwell, CRS
Savvy + Company (704) 491-3310 - Charlotte, NC
The RIGHT CHARLOTTE REALTOR!

I don't have a dog in this fight, Tony! In NC, we are all mandated to become brokers within the first 18 months of having acquired our sale/agent license. 

Sep 20, 2021 09:53 AM