New Online Courses Ease Florida Mortgage Broker Education, Certification

Although two related industries are enduring a bit of a market slowdown, the classes to license Florida mortgage brokers and real estate agents / brokers continue to draw new students.

From the convenience of their own homes, candidates to become mortgage brokers and real estate agents in the Sunshine State can learn in new and ever-changing ways, the Tallahassee Democrat reports.

Technology has opened new doors for nearly every industry, and continuing education (CE) courses are now being offered online by the Florida Association of Mortgage Brokers (FAMB).

The course to obtain a mortgage broker’s license in Florida is only offered live in a 24-hour class by FAMB’s trained instructors who have decades of experience in the business. Upon completing the class, students take a state exam to obtain certification.

• Once certified, mortgage brokers must complete 14 hours of CE every two years to maintain their licenses, but now they can take classes online.
• The FAMB is the nation’s largest and oldest mortgage brokers’ association, representing nearly 50,000 Florida mortgage professionals since 1960.
• A membership in the National Association of Mortgage Brokers (NAMB), the industry’s largest trade association is included for all FAMB members.

“The FAMB Foundation handles our education classes, which are free to members who only need to purchase a $12 class book. We have classes constantly,” Executive Director Karen Wordell-Smith said.

At the FAMB convention in July, more than 2,070 CE certifications were issued. Online CE offerings include FHA underwriting and processing, the ABC’s of FHA lending, understanding and reviewing appraisals, mortgage business, the fundamentals of the Florida mortgage loan process, shedding the light on credit scoring, fraud detection and many more.

Classes usually have 20-50 students, when offered in a physical rather than virtual classroom. In the past year alone, the association trained 2,700 mortgage brokers in classrooms.

“We feel our classes are the best because they are taught by people who work in the industry. While the market has slowed a bit nationwide, the Florida home mortgage market still remains strong. We’ve refinanced the world in the past five years,” Wordell-Smith said.

Unlike mortgage brokers, real estate agents and brokers may take the basic licensing courses online, but later must pass a state exam before becoming certified.