If you currently have your real estate license, it’s important that you understand the actions that could put it at risk. Oftentimes, people get licensed and believe that the license is forever. However, you should know that your license can be revoked or suspended if you violate the law or commit an offense that the California Bureau of Real Estate deems is serious.
So, how do people lose their real estate licenses? Some of the most common offenses include:
- Misrepresenting a property to get someone to purchase it, embellishing the details of a sale, omitting information or otherwise falsifying information given to a seller or buyer
- Mortgage fraud, which is when a lender is tricked into lending more than they should as a result of overvaluing the property
- Criminal convictions, such as embezzlement or other white-collar crimes. Usually, crimes of moral turpitude result in immediate revocation, but others may not
- Incompetence, such as regularly violating regulations or forgetting to pay tax on a property being managed for a customer
These and other reasons can lead to you losing your real estate license.
What should you do if you think your real estate license is at risk?
If you believe that your real estate license is at risk because you’ve been accused of violating the law, it’s important for you to get more information about your legal options as soon as you can. While some of these offenses may be accidental, that doesn’t mean that the California Bureau of Real Estate is going to overlook them.
Prepare to defend yourself and your license
The CBRE may look for a pattern of abuses by starting its own investigation. If you find out that you’re being investigated or that your license is at risk, start taking a stand. If you start to protect yourself early in your case, you’re going to have a better chance at defending yourself. If you wait, you may find it harder to defend your license or may have your license revoked before you have time to find out more about your legal options and how you can protect your career.