Property Management requirements in California

Must California property managers have a real estate broker's license?

YES. A broker's license is required for any person or company that, for compensation, leases or rents or offers to lease or rent, or places for rent, or solicits listing of places for rent, or solicits for prospective tenants, or negotiates the sale, purchase or exchanges of leases on real property, or on a business opportunity, or collects rents from real property, or improvements thereon, or from business opportunities. Businesses and Professions Code, Chapter 3, Article 1, Sec. 10131(b). A salesperson working under a broker may engage in such activities.

Must California community association managers have a real estate broker's license?

NO.

California Real Estate Broker Requirements

To obtain a real estate broker license, you must first qualify for and pass a written examination. Those who pass the examination are provided a license application which must be submitted to and approved by the DRE. For complete statutory requirements and qualification patterns, see the California Department of Real Estate website.

Age: To apply for a license, you must be 18 years of age or older.

Residence: License applicants must provide Proof of Legal Presence in the U.S.

Honesty: License applicants must be honest and truthful. Conviction of a crime may result in the denial of a license. Failure to disclose any criminal violation or disciplinary action in an applicant's entire history may also result in the denial of a license.

Experience: A minimum of two years full-time licensed salesperson experience within the last five years or the equivalent is required.

Education: Applicants for a real estate broker license examination must have successfully completed the following eight statutorily required college-level courses:

• Real Estate Practice
  
  
• Legal Aspects of Real Estate
  
  
• Real Estate Finance
  
  
• Real Estate Appraisal
  
  
• Real Estate Economics or Accounting
  
  
• And three* courses from the following group:
  
  
  • Real Estate Principles
    
    
  • Business Law
    
    
  • Property Management
    
    
  • Escrows
    
    
  • Real Estate Office Administration
    
    
  • Mortgage Loan Brokering and Lending
    
    
  • Advanced Legal Aspects of Real Estate
    
    
  • Advanced Real Estate Finance
    
    
  • Advanced Real Estate Appraisal
    
    
  • Computer Applications in Real Estate
    
    
  • Common Interest Developments
  
  
• * If both Real Estate Economics and Accounting are taken, only two courses from the above group are required.

Continuing education offerings do not satisfy the college-level course requirements for this examination.

Broker qualification courses must be completed at an institution of higher learning accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges or by a comparable regional accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education, or by a private real estate school which has had its courses approved by the California Real Estate Commissioner.