2.4 Brokerage Office Regulations, Advertising Mandates & Telemarketing Compliance

🎯 Key Florida Real Estate Statutory Takeaways

• Every active broker must maintain an official office with an entrance sign stating the trade name, broker name, and 'Licensed Real Estate Broker'.
• Branch offices must be registered; branch registrations are non-transferable to different geographical locations.
• All advertising must contain the licensed name of the brokerage firm; omitting the brokerage name creates an illegal 'blind ad'.
• Florida telemarketing hours are 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM (stricter than federal 9:00 PM), with state fines up to $10,000 per violation.

Florida Statute § 475.22 requires every active broker to maintain an office consisting of at least one enclosed room in a building of stationary construction. The broker must display an official entrance sign on or about the main door containing: (1) the trade name (if any); (2) the name of the broker (or at least one active broker for an entity); and (3) the words 'Licensed Real Estate Broker' or 'Lic. Real Estate Broker'.

If a broker operates secondary locations, each branch office must be registered with the DBPR and the registration fee paid. Branch office registrations are not transferable. If a broker closes a branch office and opens another in a different location, a new branch registration must be filed.

Under F.A.C. 61J2-10.025, all advertising across all mediums (business cards, yard signs, flyers, internet websites, social media) must clearly disclose the registered name of the brokerage firm. An advertisement that fails to identify the licensed brokerage entity is an illegal 'blind ad'. In team advertising, the brokerage firm name must be at least as prominent as the team name, and team names cannot use words such as 'Agency', 'Associates', 'Brokerage', or 'Company'.

Telephone solicitation is strictly regulated under the Florida Telemarketing Act (F.S. § 501.059). Permissible cold-calling hours in Florida are 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM local time. Violating Florida's Do-Not-Call registry subjects the licensee to administrative fines of up to $10,000 per unlawful call, administered by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

⚠️ Common Pearson VUE / FREC Exam Traps

• Assuming team names replace brokerage names — team names cannot include words like 'Agency' or 'Brokerage' and must accompany the brokerage name.
• Believing sales associates can advertise solely under their own phone numbers — the brokerage identity must be clearly prominent.
• Calling FSBOs on the Florida Do-Not-Call list — Florida law provides no FSBO cold-calling exemption if the owner is registered.