More and more people wish to be REALTORS in Florida -

The ranks of Realtors vying for listings will continue to swell: 32,954 first-time applicants took the state exam to be a real estate agent in 2016, by far the most within a decade.

More and more people wish to be REALTORS in Florida

Including repeat test-takers, the sheer numbers of individuals who passed the real estate licensing exam last year – 27,926 – brought Florida’s total of currently licensed agents to nearly 250,000, and more are on the way.

The Bob Hogue School of Real Estate based in Tampa says they have already registered 48 students for a class that maxes out at 50 starting this month. Another class, in St. Petersburg, is expected to have around 45.

Yet Hogue himself is starting to discover indicators that interest is leveling off.

“I think there are some unsettled feelings across the nation about where things are going,” Hogue says. “People who typically come into real estate want to see a good strong market ahead, and when there is uncertainty in the economy, there is uncertainty in what real estate will be.”

At the peak of Florida’s real estate boom in 2005, almost 45,000 people passed the state’s exam and got a sales associate license. That number plummeted to 8,598 36 months later as soon as the market collapsed, but it’s been on an upward trajectory ever since.

Currently, the residential real estate business in a hot market like Tampa Bay can be very lucrative – 10 agents in Pinellas County each sold more than $50 million worth of homes this past year. For some individuals, particularly newcomers, however, it can be a struggle to get established.

“It’s like sharks out there,” says Ashley Williams, a 20-year-old new licensee in Clearwater. But Williams persisted and eventually went door-to-door to get leads. She says she knocked on about 1,000 doors, met three rude people and sold three houses in the $125,000 range.

“But I got a lot of response and (the prospect) of future business,” she adds. “Just look at the good in every opportunity.”

We pride ourselves on doing what’s right for our clients. in 2015 our son Nicholas joined the team after getting his real estate license. We are Real Estate Family here to help you and your family in the Tampa Bay and Surrounding areas. We are always just a click here or call to 813-300-7116 away.

Take a look at a few of the most recent homes that came on the market here in the Tampa Area.

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9123 Otter Pass, Tampa, FL

9123 Otter Pass
Tampa, FL

$179,000
- Lot Size
  
  4,792 sqft
- Home Size
  
  1,040 sqft
- Beds
  
  2 Beds
- Baths
  
  2 Baths
- Year Built
  
  1984
- Days on Market
  
  1
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