Can I Keep My Florida Real Estate License If I Move Out of State?
Yes, moving out of Florida does not automatically mean you have to give up your Florida real estate license. Many licensees relocate for work, family, retirement, or lifestyle reasons and still want to preserve the value of the license they earned.
The key is understanding what changes when you become a nonresident and what does not.
Florida has rules for nonresident licensees
Florida Statute 475.180 addresses nonresident licenses. Among other things, it provides that a resident licensee who becomes a nonresident must notify the Florida Real Estate Commission of the change in residency within 60 days and comply with nonresident requirements.
You can review the current statute at Florida Statute 475.180.
Moving does not eliminate renewal requirements
Your license still has an expiration date. Continuing-education and renewal requirements still matter. Florida Statute 475.182 governs active-license renewal and continuing education.
If you want to keep the license useful, update DBPR when required and stay ahead of your renewal deadline rather than waiting until after a move to sort it out.
Can I remain active with a Florida brokerage while living elsewhere?
A Florida sales associate can remain affiliated with a Florida employing broker while living outside Florida, provided the licensee and brokerage comply with applicable Florida requirements. The brokerage relationship is especially practical for a referral-only associate because the work is not built around physically showing Florida property every day.
Basement Realty’s model is virtual and referral-only. That means a Florida licensee who relocates can continue to use existing relationships to generate referrals without maintaining a traditional full-service Florida sales practice.
What if my friend in Florida wants to buy or sell?
You can submit the opportunity as a referral through your Florida employing brokerage. The receiving agent handles the representation and transaction. If the transaction closes and the receiving brokerage pays the agreed referral fee, the referring brokerage receives the fee and compensates you under your brokerage agreement.
What if the client is buying in another state?
Referral opportunities are not limited to the county where you used to work. The receiving professional must be properly licensed for the transaction they are handling, and the referral must be structured through the brokerages in compliance with applicable law.
This is one of the reasons a referral model can remain useful after relocation: your network can move in many directions even when you are no longer physically based in Florida.
What Basement Realty costs
Basement Realty membership is $99 per year. Referral associates keep 90% of collected referral compensation, subject to a $200 minimum brokerage portion per closed referral.
Basement Realty does not require referral associates to join an MLS or REALTOR® association.
Before you move, do these four things
- Confirm the address and residency information DBPR has on file.
- Check your license expiration date and continuing-education status.
- Decide whether you want the license active for referral business or inactive for storage only.
- If you want referral income, choose a Florida brokerage whose model works for a nonresident referral associate.
If you are relocating and want to keep your Florida license active for referrals, read How Basement Realty Works or apply online.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Nonresident requirements can depend on individual circumstances; confirm current requirements with the Florida DBPR.