Are climbing out of the bottom of the barrel?
- Jan 07, 2012 ArchiveWow we are finally into 2012!! 2011 was a difficult year for most businesses and especially those businesses in the real estate industry. But as we look into the window of opportunity that 2012 will bring, I see positive openings developing.
Home sales have picked up in the lower price range over the last year and I expect that to continue. As those homes sell, and the owners then move up to purchase more expensive homes, that market will also improve.
The number of licensees in Florida applying for a license is really a sign that the real estate business might be a good business to get into. The school business follows behind the market, because it is a direct relationship what the consumer thinks of real estate in general.
The number of students taking the Florida pre-license state exam in November 2010 was 814 with 1,023 taking it in 2011, an increase of 25%. In December of 2010, the number of students taking the state exam is 765. The number students in December 2011 was 877, an increase of 14.6% over 2010.
Now these are small changes, nothing like it was in 2005, with an average of 4,500 students taking the state exam each month. But, in my opinion, we will never see these numbers again, at least in my life time. But progress is progress and the real estate business is a great field to be in. Students that get into the field today will be glad they did, for there will be lots of opportunity coming in the real estate brokerage business and the real estate appraisal fields in the future.
Frank Cooke
President
Cooke Real Estate School