If you’re licensed in another state and Georgia’s on your mind…
Crossing state lines…
Georgia borders five states. Many of Georgia’s major cities like Columbus, Savannah, and Augusta literally sit adjacent to a neighboring state. So, it’s not uncommon for licensee to work back and forth between two states.
Located less than 40 miles from Florida, we here in the Golden Isles experience this as well with many licensees working in Florida as well as Georgia.
Of course, there are also licensees who have moved here from elsewhere in the country who wish to continue to work in real estate.
With that said, if you’re on this page, it probably means you are already licensed in another state looking to get your license here in Georgia..
Georgia recognizes licenses issued by other states. Below is an excerpt of Georgia’s requirement for reciprocity from the Georgia Real Estate Commission’s InfoBase:
An individual seeking to be licensed in Georgia by reciprocity must obtain a certification of license history, not more than one year old, from his or her state of residence or from the state from which the person is seeking reciprocity. The individual must then submit the certification or certifications to the Georgia Real Estate Commission as part of the application process.
– GREC Infobase, Chapter 3
Head’s up, Florida licensees!
Florida does not reciprocate fully with Georgia. Therefore, Georgia does not reciprocate fully with Florida. Because of this odd relationship between GA/FL beyond the infamous college football rivalry, Florida applicants must meet additional requirements, mirroring what Florida requires of GA applicants.
According to the GREC Inforbase:
a) An individual licensed in Florida must take and pass the state portion of the qualifying examination for the Georgia license that he or she seeks. The applicant must submit with the application for examination (and also with the application for a license) an original certification of license history from the licensing body of his or her state of residence issued not more than one year prior to the application to the Georgia Real Estate Commission.
a) An individual licensed in Florida must take and pass the state portion of the qualifying examination for the Georgia license that he or she seeks. The applicant must submit with the application for examination (and also with the application for a license) an original certification of license history from the licensing body of his or her state of residence issued not more than one year prior to the application to the Georgia Real Estate Commission.
– GREC InfoBase Chapter 3
State Portion of GA License Exam
The following is an excerpt from the Candidate Handbook from PSI/AMP (the official testing center for Georgia) in regards to reciprocity in Georgia along with breakdown of the Supplemental Exam categories:
“The Georgia Salesperson Supplement Examination is required for Florida residents who are licensed in a state other than Georgia, who wish to obtain a Georgia license. The exam deals with topics relating particularly to Georgia law and the specific real estate practices followed in Georgia. There are
52 multiple-choice questions requiring knowledge of Georgia laws on the Salesperson Examination.
An outline of the topics covered and specific content areas are listed for the Supplement Examination.
– excerpt from PSI/AMP Candidate Handbook
Word of Caution
Remember, every state has its own unique laws, rules, customs and practices so it’s just a good idea to educate yourself on the way things are done in the state to which you are getting licensed and always remember where you are working! Things like agency practices, leasehold regulations and landlord/tenant laws, financing and closing procedures, etc. are very different from state to state!
Blazing ahead and conducting business as you have done in another state will get you into trouble!
Georgia is VERY different in the way we handle AGENCY. We strongly recommend you familiarize yourself with BRRETA (Brokerage Relationships in Real Estate Transactions Act §O.C.G.A. 10-6,) the GA statute governing Brokerage Relationships in Real Estate.
Another example of differences is Finance! Georgia is an attorney closing state where only an attorney may conduct a real estate closing. Additionally, we are also the ONLY state in the country that uses Security Deeds to securitize loans at closing making us a Title Theory/Non-Judicial foreclosure state.
Unlike Florida where you are a judicial foreclosure state, lenders in Georgia do not have to sue the defaulting borrower in court and may directly force the sale of property on the courthouse steps.
Options for Reciprocal Candidates
Option 1: Audit a Prelicense Course
Many of our reciprocity candidates find it helpful to just audit a live instruction Prelicense class for review purposes in order to gain better insight into the specific topics listed above which are scattered throughout the course.
Many have found it beneficial to join our Full Weekend Cram Session which is a comprehensive review of prelicense concepts – including all the Georgia specific stuff you need to know. Past attendees have said the cram session benefitted them greatly and attribute their success at the state exam to their attendance!
As part of our independent student online course offering (associated with the Prelicensing program) we have online practice exams available including national exam, national + state, and just the state portion.
There isn’t really any particular book specific tailored for reciprocity candidates but this book is the best we have found. While we believe this book delves deeper ‘into the weeds’ than is actually necessary for the 52 question GA Supplemental Exam, it is the closest we have found to suit the needs of reciprocity candidates from Florida.
For more information or to discuss which option may be the best, please contact us at (912) 223-2133!
