Every year I look forward to attending the California Community Colleges Real Estate Education Center’s Conference for real estate educators. In addition to meeting many accomplished real estate instructors, this conference features speakers who share their insight on important upcoming changes in real estate education.
This year’s conference in Los Angeles took place Friday, October 23, at the LAX Hilton. My primary focus was on the presentations made by Sandra Knau, Acting DRE (Department of Real Estate) Manager of Education & Exam Programs. She shared information regarding upcoming changes for administration of the California real estate licensing exams (both salesperson and broker), along with information on educational impact of the SAFE Mortgage Licensing Act in the coming year.
Ms. Knau talked in detail about the DRE’s program to administer the state exam on computer. The first computerized real estate exam in California was administered in August, 2009 at the Oakland exam site. The program will be expanded to the other sites throughout the state one location at a time. The next site to switch to computerized testing will be Fresno, hopefully by December, 2009. Sacramento and Los Angeles should make the switch to computers during the first half of 2010. The San Diego exam site should receive computerized testing during the second half of 2010 or early 2011.
The computerized exam offers many benefits to both the exam applicant and the Department of Real Estate. A great benefit to the exam applicant who takes the exam on computer is immediate receipt of the results. Upon completion of the exam the applicant is given an envelope containing the good news (if they attended my exam prep class) or the bad news. Additionally, if the applicant has already submitted the necessary paperwork for the actual real estate license, the applicant is given the equivalent of a temporary license with the results and can go to work in real estate immediately.
In my next blog I will share what I learned at the conference about the SAFE Mortgage Licensing Act which will drastically change the educational requirements for lenders in California. Stay tuned.
And, if you’re interested in getting your real estate license, or advancing your real estate career, take a look at the following links on the Real Estate Centre website, or call my office at 310-410-9718.
To find out how you can start a career in real estate, check out the Real Estate Centre’s Jump Start Program program. This program includes the courses required for a real estate salesperson license, along with our one day exam prep class.
If you’re a licensed real estate sales agent, and want to make use of the current slow conditions to get a broker’s license, the Real Estate Centre offers a variety of courses to help you achieve the goal. Find everything you need at the following link: Broker’s License Courses.
Need to take your salesperson or broker exam, and just don’t seem to get around to it? Enroll in our Exam Prep Class. Over 90% of our students pass their real estate licensing exams, on the first try.
Whether you’re new to real estate, or you’re a sales agent ready to become a broker, the Real Estate Centre has a program for you. Take a look at our course offerings. Or, give us a call at 310-410-9718 and let us customize a program to meet your needs.
