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/
52episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Real Estate Exam [California] 27, Loan Types and Financing Sources
2d ago00:05:40Tap 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: - The key differences between conventional loans and government-backed FHA, VA, and USDA loans. - The specific eligibility requirements and benefits of the California-specific CalHFA loan program. - How adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) work, including the roles of the index, margin, and rate caps. - The characteristics of specialized loans such as reverse mortgages, interest-only loans, and seller financing, including California's disclosure requirements. - The function of the secondary mortgage market and the roles of institutional lenders, private lenders, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac.
Transcribe →Real Estate Exam [California] 26, Notes, Trust Deeds, and Mortgages
3d ago00:03:06Tap 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: - Why California overwhelmingly uses deeds of trust instead of mortgages and the three parties involved: trustor, beneficiary, and trustee. - The distinct functions of a promissory note as the evidence of debt and a deed of trust as the security instrument. - How the 'power of sale' clause enables non-judicial foreclosure, a key advantage for lenders in California. - The critical difference between an acceleration clause (triggered by default) and an alienation clause (triggered by sale or transfer). - The role of a reconveyance deed in clearing the title after a loan is paid off and the risks of deficiency judgments.
Transcribe →Real Estate Exam [California] 25, Real Estate Math for the California Exam
4d ago00:04:26Tap 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: - How to correctly calculate and assign debits and credits for property tax prorations. - The multi-step process for determining an agent's commission after broker splits. - How to calculate Loan-to-Value (LTV) ratios and down payments. - The method for calculating California's specific property and documentary transfer taxes. - Key formulas for capitalization rate and Gross Rent Multiplier (GRM) for income properties. 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] 24, Income Approach and Financial Analysis
5d ago00:03:16Tap 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 critical difference between Gross Rent Multiplier (monthly income) and Gross Income Multiplier (annual income). - The step-by-step formula to accurately calculate Net Operating Income (NOI). - Common exam traps, such as which expenses to exclude from NOI calculations like debt service and capital expenditures. - How to use the capitalization rate (cap rate) to determine a property's value. - The IRV mnemonic (Income = Rate x Value) as a mental shortcut for exam-day calculations. 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] 23, Cost Approach and Depreciation
6d ago00:04:06Tap 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 core formula for the cost approach: (Replacement/Reproduction Cost - Accrued Depreciation + Land Value = Property Value). - The critical difference between replacement cost (same utility, modern materials) and reproduction cost (exact replica). - The three types of depreciation tested on the exam: physical deterioration, functional obsolescence, and external obsolescence. - How to distinguish between curable (economically feasible to fix) and incurable depreciation, and why external obsolescence is always incurable. - When the cost approach is the most appropriate valuation method: for new construction and special-purpose properties like schools or churches. 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] 22, Sales Comparison Approach and CMA
1w ago00:03:18Tap 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 Sales Comparison Approach is based on the principle of substitution, where value is determined by what a similar property recently sold for. - The golden rule of adjustments: Always adjust the comparable property's price, never the subject property's price. - The mnemonic for adjustments: CIA (Comparable Inferior, Add) and CBS (Comparable Better, Subtract). - The difference between a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) prepared by a licensee for pricing, and a formal appraisal conducted by a licensed appraiser for lending purposes. - The concept of bracketing, where an appraiser selects comps that are both superior and inferior to the subject property to establish a credible value range. 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] 21, Principles of Value
1w ago00:04:13Tap 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 Principle of Substitution dictates that a property's value is set by the cost of an equally desirable alternative. - The Principle of Contribution states that an improvement's value is what it adds to the market value, not its cost. - The Principles of Progression and Regression explain how a property's value is influenced by surrounding properties. - Highest and Best Use is the most profitable, legal, and physically possible use of a property. - How supply and demand, change, and competition constantly affect real estate values. 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] 20, Duties to Third Parties and Material Facts
1w ago00:03:04Tap 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 non-fiduciary duties of honesty and fair dealing owed to all parties in a transaction. - How to distinguish between illegal misrepresentation and permissible "puffing" on the exam. - The legal requirement for a diligent visual inspection and disclosure of known material facts in California. - Why concealing a defect creates liability, even if you don't have a client relationship with the buyer. - Common exam traps involving seller instructions to hide defects and the agent's overriding disclosure duties. 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] 19, Commission, Fees, and Compensation
1w 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: - That all real estate commissions in California are fully negotiable and never fixed by law. - How compensation must flow through the employing broker to the salesperson. - The definition of procuring cause and how it determines who earns the commission. - The rules for illegal kickbacks, secret profits, and strictly regulated advance fees. - Why written agreements, including listing and buyer-broker agreements, are essential for enforcing compensation.
Transcribe →Real Estate Exam [California] 18, Agent Acting as Principal or With Other Interest
2w ago00:03:21Tap 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 requires written disclosure when a licensee is acting as a principal or has a personal interest in a property transaction. - The disclosure must be provided to all parties as early as possible in the transaction, not just mentioned in the contract fine print. - This duty extends to situations where the agent represents immediate family members or business entities in which they have an ownership interest. - Receiving compensation from more than one party, such as a commission from a seller and a fee from a lender, requires full written disclosure to all parties. - A verbal disclosure is insufficient for the exam; material conflicts of interest must always be disclosed in writing to be compliant. 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 →