Who can be a stockholder in a real estate brokerage?

• A. Anyone
• B. A licensed Real Estate Broker only
• C. Only officers
• D. Only Florida residents

Answer: (A)

Stock ownership in a real estate brokerage is not restricted to licensed professionals. In Florida, a brokerage is a business entity that must be supervised by a licensed real estate broker, but the people who own its stock can be anyone—individuals, other businesses, residents or nonresidents, licensed or non-licensed. Owning stock doesn’t give someone the authority to perform real estate services; that authority comes from holding the appropriate real estate license and operating under the supervision of the broker in charge. So passive investors who hold stock can participate in the ownership, while licensed brokers handle the actual real estate activities.