I do hope the typo in the date was made by Downey Association of Realtors that sent out this announcement. If it's part of the Bill, it might never ever go into effect:
Governor Schwarzenegger signs AB 2429 into law; measure enhances licensing requirements in real estate industry
LOS ANGELES (Sept. 22) – California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed AB 2429 (Negrete McLeod), “Real Estate Salesperson Licensure,” into law. The measure was sponsored by the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®. AB 2429 will require salesperson applicants, after Sept. 31, 2007, to complete all three of the Department of Real Estate-mandated pre-license courses prior to taking the license examination.
“Currently, an applicant may take one class, pass the exam, and receive a conditional license, then take up to 18 months to complete the required coursework – all the while engaging in licensed real estate activity,” said C.A.R. President Vince Malta. “AB 2429 will increase the foundational knowledge of sales licensees entering the profession, and prevent ill-equipped licensees from engaging in licensed activity. According to the Department of Real Estate, 85 percent of new licensees came in under the conditional license option last year,” Malta said.
Leading the way...® in California real estate for more than 100 years, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (www.car.org) is one of the largest state trade organizations in the United States, with more than 195,000 members dedicated to the advancement of professionalism in real estate. C.A.R. is headquartered in Los Angeles.
I fully support getting rid of the Conditional licesnse. Too many under qualified agents get in the business and fail the public.
I think 3 classes is still not enough. I believe their should only be one license, the Broker license with all classes completed before taking the exam. That would ensure a very well rounded real estate professional who can serve the public right out of the starting gate.
I wrote a separate rant about this earlier. Have peek.