In fiscal year (FY) 2019-20, DRE’s licensing program was severely hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic. DRE’s five exam centers (Sacramento, Oakland, Fresno, La Palma, and San Diego) were closed from mid-March through May. The closures directly led to a reduction in number of exams administered, and licensed issued. A reduction in license renewals can likely be attributed to the pandemic as well.
Licensing and Examinations
The first chart demonstrates the number of exams administered during FY 2019-20, compared with the prior two fiscal years. The number of salesperson exams administered dropped 31% from FY 2018-19, while the number of broker exams administered dropped 24%.
The next chart demonstrates a 26% drop in issuance of new salesperson licenses in FY 2019-20, compared to FY 2018-19, and a decrease in issuance of new broker licenses of 15%.
Licensing Population
For FY 2019-20, license renewals for both salespersons and brokers remained steady. Seventy-nine percent of salespersons, and 92% of brokers renewed their licenses during the fiscal year.
At the end of FY 2019-20, DRE’s licensing population stood at 421,624, which included 291,759 salespersons and 129,865 brokers. This was a decrease of just 1% from the prior fiscal year.
For DRE-related updates on COVID-19, impacts to licensees and license applicants, and links to guidance and resources, please visit DRE’s COVID-19 page at https://www.dre.ca.gov/About/covid19_info.html.
