Podcast
Real Estate Exam Prep
Hosted by Ran Chen, EA, CFP® · EN
Real Estate Exam Prep is a daily podcast designed to help future real estate agents pass their licensing exams with clarity and confidence.
Built and operated by OpenExamPrep, this podcast breaks down the real estate exam into focused, easy-to-digest episodes covering both the national portion and state-specific requirements. Each episode targets one key concept, common exam trap, or high-frequency test topic—making it ideal for studying during commutes, workouts, or short study sessions.
Created by Ran Chen, EA, CFP®, a financial professional and exam specialist who has personally passed multiple professional licensing exams, Real Estate Exam Prep was developed from firsthand experience with how difficult—and often poorly taught—exam material can be. The goal is simple: make exam preparation clearer, more accessible, and more effective using structured explanations and modern learning tools. Whether you’re just starting your real estate exam journey or reviewing before test day, this podcast is designed to guide you step by step—one concept at a time.
Free practice tools, AI-powered explanations, and additional exam prep resources are available at: https://open-exam-prep.com/
70episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Real Estate Exam [California] 48, Commercial, Industrial, and Income Properties
3d ago00:03:03Tap to summarizeThis podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - A triple net (NNN) lease requires the tenant to pay for property taxes, insurance, and maintenance (TIM). - A percentage lease, common in retail, includes a base rent plus a percentage of the tenant's gross sales. - The capitalization rate formula is Net Operating Income (NOI) divided by the property's value; mortgage payments are not included in NOI. - An estoppel certificate is a document signed by a tenant that confirms their current lease terms for a prospective buyer or lender. - Environmental due diligence, such as a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment, is crucial for identifying potential contamination and liability for commercial property buyers. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
Transcribe →Real Estate Exam [California] 47, Property Management and Landlord-Tenant Basics
4d ago00:03:40Tap to summarizeThis podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - That managing property for others in California requires a real estate broker's license and all activities must be supervised by that broker. - The strict rules for handling trust funds, including the 3-business-day deposit requirement and the prohibition of commingling. - Key California regulations for security deposits, such as the one-month rent cap and the 21-day return period. - The importance of complying with both federal and California's extensive fair housing laws, including the protection of additional classes like source of income. - A landlord's non-waivable duty to maintain a habitable premises and the tenant's remedies, like 'repair and deduct'. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
Transcribe →Real Estate Exam [California] 46, Advertising, Technology, and Recordkeeping
5d ago00:04:10Tap to summarizeThis podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - All California real estate advertising must clearly identify the employing broker and include the licensee's name and license number. - Team names must not be misleading and must always be accompanied by the name of the brokerage in a clear and conspicuous manner. - On websites and social media, required licensing information must be on the page or accessible via a single click (the "one click away" rule). - Brokers must retain transaction records for a minimum of three years, starting from the date of closing or the listing date if the deal does not close. - Electronic signatures are legally valid under the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA), and brokers are responsible for agent compliance with federal laws like the Do Not Call Registry. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
Transcribe →Real Estate Exam [California] 45, Fair Housing, FEHA, Unruh, and Rumford
6d ago00:03:51Tap to summarizeThis podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - California's fair housing laws (FEHA, Unruh, Rumford) provide significantly broader protections than the federal Fair Housing Act. - Key protected classes unique to California include source of income, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and marital status. - The Unruh Civil Rights Act applies to all business establishments, prohibiting discrimination in a wider context than just housing transactions. - The critical differences between illegal steering (guiding clients), blockbusting (panic selling), and redlining (lender discrimination by area). - The distinction between a landlord's duty to permit a tenant-paid 'reasonable modification' (a physical change) versus providing a landlord-paid 'reasonable accommodation' (a policy change) for a disability. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
Transcribe →Real Estate Exam [California] 44, Mello-Roos, HOA, and Special Disclosures
1w ago00:03:27Tap to summarizeThis podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - That sellers must disclose if a property is in a Mello-Roos district, which has special taxes for infrastructure. - The requirement for sellers to provide a comprehensive package of HOA documents, including financials and governing rules. - That all known material facts, even repaired past issues, must be revealed on the Transfer Disclosure Statement (TDS). - The federal mandate to provide a lead-based paint disclosure for homes built before 1978. - That California requires disclosures for smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and water heater bracing. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
Transcribe →Real Estate Exam [California] 43, Material Facts, Stigmatized Property, and Reports
1w ago00:04:02Tap to summarizeThis podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - A material fact is any information that could influence a buyer's decision to purchase a property or the price they are willing to pay. - In California, a death on the property must be disclosed if it occurred within the last three years, though the cause cannot be revealed if it was from AIDS. - Your duty regarding Megan's Law is to provide written notice of the public database, not to research registered sex offenders for your client. - You must conduct a diligent visual inspection, but you must never interpret technical reports like pest or home inspections; always advise clients to consult qualified experts. - When faced with a question outside your expertise, the professional standard is to verify the information with an expert, never to guess or offer an unqualified opinion. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
Transcribe →Real Estate Exam [California] 42, Natural Hazard Disclosure Statement
1w ago00:03:37Tap to summarizeThis podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The six state-mapped natural hazards that must be disclosed in a California real estate transaction. - The key characteristics of a Special Flood Hazard Area and a Dam Inundation Zone. - The distinction between a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone and a Wildland Fire Area. - The differences between an Earthquake Fault Zone and a Seismic Hazard Zone, including the concept of liquefaction. - The critical difference between the Natural Hazard Disclosure (NHD) and the Transfer Disclosure Statement (TDS) for the exam. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
Transcribe →Real Estate Exam [California] 41, Transfer Disclosure Statement and Visual Inspection
1w ago00:03:59Tap to summarizeThis podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The Transfer Disclosure Statement (TDS) is the seller's duty to disclose all KNOWN material facts for residential 1-4 unit properties. - An agent's duty to conduct a diligent visual inspection is separate and independent from the seller's disclosure duties. - Agents must disclose all material facts and 'red flags' they observe in reasonably accessible areas of the property. - Even if a seller is exempt from providing a TDS (e.g., in a foreclosure), the agent is NEVER exempt from their visual inspection duty. - The standard of care is what a reasonably prudent licensee would observe and disclose, not that of a home inspector. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
Transcribe →Real Estate Exam [California] 40, Advanced Fees and Prepaid Rental Listing Services
2w ago00:03:10Tap to summarizeThis podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - An advance fee agreement must be approved by the California DRE before a broker can collect any funds. - All advance fees must be deposited into a broker's trust account and remain the property of the principal until earned. - A Prepaid Rental Listing Service (PRLS) license is required to sell rental lists to tenants for an upfront fee and is valid for two years. - Real estate brokers can conduct PRLS activities without a separate license but must use a DRE-approved contract. - The core reason for strict regulation of advance fees is to protect consumers from potential fraud. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
Transcribe →Real Estate Exam [California] 39, Options, Lease Options, and Promissory Notes
2w ago00:03:17Tap to summarizeThis podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - An option is a unilateral contract binding only the seller, while a purchase agreement is a bilateral contract binding both parties. - A Right of First Refusal allows a holder to match a third-party offer, whereas an option grants the right to buy at a predetermined price. - The promissory note serves as evidence of the debt (the IOU), while the deed of trust secures the debt to the physical property. - In seller carryback financing, the property's seller also acts as the lender for the buyer. - Arranging loans with multiple investors or selling shares in notes can trigger securities laws, a major exam red flag requiring a different license. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
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