Licensed brokers are rigourously tested to make sure they are trustworthy and that they obey the laws.

 There are basically 3 types of licenses in California.

California Finance Lender - This license usually applies to banks or large corporations. You cannot check if an individual has this license, you can only check if the company he works for has this license. Check for this license here.

D.R.E. Broker/Officer - Brokers are usually managers of real estate or mortgage offices. They are held to a higher standard of excellence than other agents. Brokers can do more types of transactions than salespeople, but they are also more liable if something goes wrong.

D.R.E. Salesperson - If you have this license you may represent buyers and sellers when in real estate transactions. You may also be employed in the mortage industry. Salepeople must work underneath a broker.

We highly reccomend you use only D.R.E. approved agent. Make sure your agent is trustworthy and current by verifying his current license status at D.R.E.