A concern among Realtors® who change firms is the amount of time it takes for their licenses to become active with their new brokerages. Last week, we told you about why some license transfers were taking a little longer than others. Christine Martine, Executive Director at DPOR, said that in the vast majority of cases delays are caused by forms that are not correctly filled out – licensee error, in other words. Here are some things to watch out for:
- Use the most current form, which can always be found on the Real Estate Board’s website in the Forms and Applications section. As of now, the most current Active/Transfer application is dated 2/27/2013.
- Remember to enclose the $60 fee; DPOR accepts Discover, MasterCard, and Visa, but not American Express. And of course, be sure you have sufficient funds in your checking account or sufficient available credit.
- Make sure your current license isn’t expired. You’ll need to renew it before transferring.
- Be sure you have the correct license number for the new firm, especially if the new company has different types of businesses with similar license numbers (e.g., full service and referral firms).
- Verify that the firm you are transferring to and its principal broker are in good standing. You can find this information through License Lookup on DPOR’s website.
- The new principal or supervising broker must sign, and you must send the original application – the board does not accept faxes.
- Attaching your current license will help speed up the process as well.
Please note that DPOR is still in the process of updating their site, working out bugs, and identifying additional ways to make this process smoother, including considering expanded electronic options. We’ll keep you updated as these improvements come about.