Real-estate professionals could collectively save about $2.7 million a year through a reduction in license fees that went into effect this month, the governor’s office announced Wednesday.
The Florida Real Estate Commission approved the reductions June 24 based on a recommendation from the Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
The state department was following a directive from Gov. Rick Scott to reduce costs and fees. There are more than 200,000 real estate licensees in Florida, according to the department.
Among the reductions, the initial and biennial renewal fees for sales associates dropped from $80 to $64, while the fees for brokers went from $90 to $72 for initial and biennial renewals.
People just entering the real estate profession this month have already received the lowered fees, Tajiana Ancora-Brown, a spokeswoman for the department, said.
She added that the first “large group” of licensees to benefit will be the approximately 78,000 professionals that have to renew their licenses before Sept. 30.
Also getting lower fees are real-estate licensees for corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies and limited liability partnerships and real estate instructors and schools.