Florida Agent Guides

Plain-English guides for Florida real estate licensees, by Bryan Berns of Firelight Realty.

• How to Activate an Inactive Florida Real Estate License, Step by Step
  How to move a Florida real estate license from Current, Inactive or Involuntary Inactive back to active status: education required, choosing a broker, and how long it takes.
• Current Inactive vs. Involuntary Inactive: What Your Florida License Status Means
  What each Florida real estate license status means, from Current Active to Null and Void, and what you must do to move from each one back to active.
• What It Really Costs to Keep a Florida Real Estate License Active in 2027
  A line-by-line look at the yearly cost of an active Florida real estate license in 2027: Realtor dues, MLS fees, brokerage fees, renewal and continuing education.
• Can You Earn a Referral Fee With an Inactive Florida License?
  No. You need an active license placed with a broker to receive a referral fee. Here is why, and how to set things up so you can get paid.
• Should You Pay Your 2027 Realtor Dues? A Guide for Part-Time Florida Agents
  A decision guide for part-time Florida agents weighing 2027 Realtor and MLS renewals against what their license actually earns, with the numbers and the alternatives.
• Do You Need MLS Access to Work as a Florida Real Estate Agent?
  MLS access is optional at many brokerages. Here is what you can and cannot do without a regional MLS, and practical ways to serve buyers and sellers anyway.
• How to Park Your Real Estate License in Florida: Your Options
  Three ways to "park" a Florida real estate license, going inactive, joining a referral brokerage, or a low-fee brokerage, and what each costs and allows.
• Florida Referral and License-Parking Brokerages: How to Compare Them (2026)
  A practical checklist for comparing Florida referral, license-parking and low-fee brokerages on cost, splits, client restrictions, MLS, E&O and payment.
• How Real Estate Referral Fees Work in Florida
  How Florida real estate referral fees work: who can receive them, typical percentages, the referral agreement, broker-to-broker payment, and out-of-state referrals.
• Referral-Only Agent vs. Full Agent in Florida: What You Can and Can't Do
  "Referral-only" is a brokerage restriction, not a Florida license type. Here is what referral-only agents and full agents can do, and why you may not have to choose.
• How to Switch Brokerages in Florida Without Losing Pending Deals
  A step-by-step guide to changing Florida brokers: reading your agreement, protecting pending commissions and referrals, timing the move, and filing with DBPR.
• Working With Your Own Buyers and Sellers Without Regional MLS in Florida
  A practical playbook for Florida agents who represent their own buyers and sellers without regional MLS membership: tools, workflows, and when to refer instead.
• Earning a Commission on Your Own Home Purchase as a Florida Agent
  How Florida licensees can earn a buyer's commission on their own home or investment purchase, including new construction, disclosure, lender rules and broker splits.
• Should Real Estate Investors Get a Florida License?
  The pros and cons of a Florida real estate license for investors: commissions on your own deals, referral income, costs, time to license, and disclosure duties.
• Your First Year as a Florida Agent Without $1,500 in Fees
  A practical first-year plan for new Florida real estate licensees who want to start part time, keep costs low, finish post-licensing, and earn from day one.
• Florida Real Estate Post-Licensing and Continuing Education Explained
  What to complete after you get licensed: the 45-hour post-licensing course, 14 hours of continuing education every renewal, reactivation courses, and the deadlines.
• Florida Real Estate License Renewal: March 31 and September 30 Deadlines
  How Florida real estate license renewal works: the March 31 and September 30 deadlines, what to complete, fees, what happens if you miss it, and a renewal checklist.
• Part-Time Real Estate in Florida: Earning With a Day Job
  How to work real estate part time in Florida alongside a full-time job: choosing a broker, managing time, what deals to take, and keeping costs low.
• Keeping Your Florida Real Estate License After You Move Out of State
  You can keep a Florida real estate license after moving away. Here is what to check with DBPR when you move, and how to keep earning Florida referral fees.
• Retiring From Real Estate: Keep, Park or Let Your Florida License Lapse?
  Three options for Florida agents stepping back from real estate: keep the license active at low cost, go inactive, or let it lapse, with costs and consequences of each.
• How Licensed Agents Get More Referrals From Friends and Family
  Practical, low-pressure ways for Florida licensees to turn their personal network into referral income, with message templates and a simple yearly routine.
• Flat-Fee vs. Split vs. Cap Brokerages in Florida: Which Fits You?
  How flat-fee, commission split, cap and 100% brokerages work in Florida, with worked examples showing which model costs least at different production levels.
• Non-Realtor Brokerages in Florida: Keep Your License Active With No Monthly Fees
  What a non-Realtor brokerage is, how it differs from Realtor membership, what you give up, and how to keep a Florida license active with no monthly fees.