Referral-Only Agents in Florida: Can They Prepare CMAs?

A Referral-Only Real Estate Agent can keep a Florida license active without running full transactions. The hard part is knowing where referral work ends and licensed pricing work begins.

That line matters because a CMA sounds simple. In practice, it can touch valuation, client advice, and brokerage duties. For referral-only agents in Florida, that mix deserves a careful look.

This is general information, not legal advice. If your role is referral only, check your broker and Florida counsel before you step beyond introductions.

What Florida referral-only status actually allows

For referral-only agents in Florida, the business model is narrow. You send clients to another licensee and keep your side of the relationship light. You do not list homes, write offers, or manage a transaction file.

That model works well for agents who want to stay licensed without active production. It also fits broker setups built around referrals, like referral specialist Craig Shelby's profile, where the focus stays on introductions and handoffs.

The legal point is simple. Florida Statutes section 475.25(1)(a) limits what a referral-only licensee can do. Once you start advising on price, condition, or market positioning for a specific property, you may be crossing into active real estate service.

A quick way to see the difference is this.

The table is simple, but the takeaway is important. If your work helps set a listing price, it probably looks less like a referral and more like real estate service.

Why a CMA is more than casual market talk

A CMA is not an appraisal, but it is still a pricing opinion tied to a real property. That matters because Florida keeps a clear line between general market talk and work that supports a transaction.

For an official Florida reference point on valuation-related forms, the Florida Administrative Rules page for appraisal forms is useful when the conversation starts to move toward appraisal territory. It is not a CMA rule by itself, but it shows how the state separates formal valuation work from everyday conversation.

A CMA usually involves selected comparables, adjustments, and a value range for a specific home. That is different from saying the neighborhood is busy or that inventory is low. The first is property-specific advice. The second is general market talk.

Florida's treatment of broker price opinions also points in the same direction. When valuation work sits near a transaction, broker control and supervision matter. That is why a referral-only agent should not treat a CMA like a harmless side task.

The safest mindset is simple. A CMA may be normal business for a full-service agent, but normal industry practice is not the same as a legal allowance for a referral-only licensee.

What a cautious workflow looks like

If you want to stay in the referral lane, keep the handoff clean. When a client asks for a quick value estimate, refer the question to the full-service agent who will handle the listing.

A safe reply can sound as plain as this: "I can connect you with an agent who can prepare that for you." That sentence keeps your role clear and keeps you out of the pricing process.

1. Refer the client to a full-time agent first.
2. Let that agent prepare the CMA or pricing opinion.
3. Stay out of the comp selection, the write-up, and the presentation unless your broker says, in writing, that your role is allowed.

That workflow keeps the boundary visible. It also protects you if someone later asks who made the pricing call. A referral-only relationship should look like a handoff, not a shared listing side.

If your brokerage is built for referrals, use the system that came with it. Clear tracking, clear notes, and clear roles matter more than a casual promise to "help out a little."

When a broker review is the right next step

Some situations deserve a pause. If a client sends photos, an address, and asks for a price range, that is not a casual chat anymore. It is a request for pricing help on a specific property.

Ask for broker guidance when any of these show up:

• The client wants a price range for a specific home.
• The request comes with listing plans or a timeline to sell.
• You are expected to send a written analysis.
• Someone wants you to present the numbers to the seller.

The safest habit is simple. Keep records, keep your role narrow, and get written direction before you do anything outside referrals. That matters even more in Florida, where license rules and broker supervision can change the result fast.

A broker cannot turn a referral-only setup into a full-service practice by casual permission. If the role is limited, the work should stay limited too.

DBPR and FREC matter, but your broker is the first line of defense. If the request feels like pricing advice, the cleaner move is to step back and refer the client.

Conclusion

Referral-only agents in Florida should treat CMAs as off-limits unless a broker and counsel have clearly said otherwise. A CMA is tied to property-specific pricing, and that is far closer to active real estate work than a basic introduction.

If you want to keep your license active and your risk low, stay with referrals, document the handoff, and let the full-service agent handle the numbers. In a market where one conversation can blur the line, clear boundaries are your best protection.