Broker math is learnable and worth real points. Master five problem types, commission splits, proration, Florida documentary stamp and intangible taxes, capitalization, and the gross rent multiplier, and you can bank them almost every time. Each is worked step by step below with real numbers. The Florida broker exam is 100 questions (45 national, 55 state), 3.5 hours, and you need 75% to pass.
Many candidates dread the math, but that fear is misplaced. Unlike judgment questions on escrow or supervision, math problems have one objectively correct answer and the formulas never change. A basic calculator is permitted at the Pearson VUE testing center, so the work is knowing which formula to use, not the arithmetic. Learn a handful of patterns, drill them until automatic, and those points are reliably yours. This site includes 344 practice questions across 12 content areas, with a dedicated Advanced Real Estate Math area, and a full topic map in our Florida broker study guide.
Your most useful tool is the T-bar. Almost every percentage problem follows Part = Total × Rate. Draw a T, put the Part on top with the Total and Rate below, and cover the value you want: solving for the Part, multiply the bottom two; solving for the Total or Rate, divide the Part by whichever you know. That one idea unlocks commission, interest, and many tax problems at once.
Commission splits, worked
Problem: A property sells for $285,000 at a 6% total commission. The listing and selling brokerages split it 50/50. Within the listing brokerage, the broker keeps 40% and the associate keeps 60%. How much does each earn?
- Total commission: Part = Total × Rate = $285,000 × 0.06 = $17,100.
- Listing brokerage's half: $17,100 × 0.50 = $8,550 (the selling brokerage gets the other $8,550).
- Broker's share (40%): $8,550 × 0.40 = $3,420.
- Associate's share (60%): $8,550 × 0.60 = $5,130.
Check your work: $3,420 + $5,130 = $8,550, which matches the brokerage's half. The pieces of a split always add back to the whole, so that sum is your built-in proof.
Proration, worked
Proration splits a shared expense based on who owned the property each day. Florida problems typically use a 365-day year and treat taxes as paid in arrears. Find the daily amount, count the seller's days, then multiply.
Problem: Annual taxes are $4,380, paid in arrears. Closing is April 30, with the seller responsible for the closing day. Using a 365-day year, what is the seller's debit?
- Daily tax: $4,380 ÷ 365 = $12 per day.
- Seller's days owned: January 1 through April 30 = 31 + 28 + 31 + 30 = 120 days.
- Seller's debit: $12 × 120 = $1,440.
Because the taxes are unpaid and owed for the seller's time, the seller is debited $1,440 and the buyer is credited the same. The buyer pays the full bill later but is reimbursed up front for the seller's share.
Watch the calendar. Whether the closing day counts to the seller or the buyer changes your day count, and a 360-day "banker's year" gives a different daily figure than a 365-day year. Always read which method the question specifies before you divide.
Florida documentary stamp and intangible taxes, worked
These are pure Florida content, so expect them on the state portion. Three rates to know, and the deed stamp has a rounding twist:
- Deed doc stamps: $0.70 per $100 of the sale price, rounded up to the next full $100.
- Note doc stamps: $0.35 per $100 of the mortgage amount.
- Intangible tax: $0.002 (two mills) on the mortgage amount.
Problem: A buyer pays $285,000 and finances it with a new $228,000 mortgage. Compute all three.
- Deed doc stamps: $285,000 ÷ $100 = 2,850 units (already whole, no rounding). 2,850 × $0.70 = $1,995.00.
- Note doc stamps: $228,000 ÷ $100 = 2,280 units. 2,280 × $0.35 = $798.00.
- Intangible tax: $228,000 × 0.002 = $456.00.
The key: deed stamps use the full price, while note stamps and intangible tax both use the loan. Sort price from loan first and these become routine. Had the price been $285,050, you would round up to 2,851 units before multiplying.
Capitalization and the gross rent multiplier, worked
Income-property valuation is heavier on the broker exam than the sales associate exam. The cap formula is the IRV triangle, Income = Rate × Value, which rearranges to Value = NOI ÷ cap rate and works just like the T-bar.
Problem: A building's net operating income (NOI) is $90,000 a year and investors expect a 7.5% cap rate. What is it worth?
- Value: $90,000 ÷ 0.075 = $1,200,000.
The gross rent multiplier is a faster rule of thumb: GRM = sale price ÷ monthly rent. It ignores expenses, so it is only an estimate, but the exam loves it.
Problem: A rental sold for $240,000 and rents for $2,000 a month. Its GRM is $240,000 ÷ $2,000 = 120. Flip it to estimate value: a comparable renting for $2,200 a month is worth roughly 120 × $2,200 = $264,000.
Repetition is everything. Drill the Advanced Real Estate Math area, then test yourself under full exam conditions with our timed broker practice test. For the bigger picture, review the Florida broker state exam overview and map your full prep with the Florida broker study guide.
Lock in your easiest exam points
Math is the most predictable section on the whole broker exam. Drill these problem types until the steps are automatic, and watch your score climb.