At least two reasons to keep it 'til you die:

 1.   It is very expensive and very time-consuming to become a Real Estate Broker in Florida.   

    Once you reach that plateau, it's a piece of cake to maintain it (14 hours of CE every two years, it can be taken online at a cost of $25, the renewal fee to the State is $41).   

   If you fail to renew, and let a sufficient amount of time go by (a couple of years), you are null and void and have to start from scratch.   Once the license is gone, it's gone.

2.    You cannot get a referral fee if you are not licensed.  I got a referral check recently that was north of $5K.   Why would anyone risk giving that up?

YES!
...for my retirement referral business and residual income plan.🤑

Alright, let's dive into this whole "license after retirement" conundrum, shall we? It's a question that probably crosses the mind of every licensed professional as they eyeball that finish line.  Are you gonna hang onto that fancy piece of paper like it's a winning lottery ticket, or are you just gonna let it gracefully fade into the sunset?

Honestly, the thought of ditching the license when I finally kick back and enjoy my golden years is... well, let's just say it's tempting. No more continuing education credits looming over my head like a financial audit. No more dealing with the powers that be and their ever-changing rules. Pure, unadulterated freedom!

But then, you gotta think about the flip side, right? Why would someone keep a license they're not actively using? Is it just for the sheer, unadulterated prestige? Like, "Yeah, I'm retired, but I could totally still do that thing if I wanted to." It's a bit like keeping your high school letterman jacket, isn't it? A nice reminder of past glories, even if it doesn't quite fit anymore.

Then there's the opportunity angle. Maybe you envision yourself as a sort of freelance guru, occasionally dropping in to offer your sage advice and expertise. Or, as you cleverly pointed out, maybe you're just keeping it around so you can make a few referrals and snag a piece of the action. Hey, a little passive income never hurt anyone, right? It's like having a tiny, legally sanctioned side hustle without actually having to do the work. Genius!

Is it just habit? You've been licensed for so long, it's practically part of your identity. Letting it go feels a bit like losing a limb, doesn't it? And let's not forget the potential for boasting rights. "Oh, you're retired? That's nice. I'm retired and still licensed, thank you very much." It's the subtle flex of the seasoned professional.

Now, for those who've already taken the plunge and let their licenses lapse, any regrets? Any moments where you thought, "Man, I could totally be making a few bucks right now if I hadn't let that go"? Is there a sense of loss, like saying goodbye to an old friend? A bit of "Auld Lang Syne" for your professional past? It's a valid question. Did you miss out on that sweet referral fee because you weren't licensed to collect it? Ouch.

Ultimately, the decision is a personal one. There's no right or wrong answer, just different paths to retirement bliss. Whether you hold onto that license like a precious artifact or let it go with a cheerful wave, the important thing is that you're enjoying your well-deserved time off. But hey, keeping it around for those referral opportunities? That's just good business sense, my friend. You gotta look out for number one, even in retirement!

I would not pay to have a license unless it was worthwhile. If I could make enough through referral fees to offset any costs including paying my Broker, I might keep my license active. Otherwise, when it expires, it is done.

I think I will most likely keep it. With the license, you could still refer clients out and collect referral fees.  To add to this, in California after the age of 70, if you have 30 years of continuous licensed status, the continuing education requirement goes away.

Not there yet. 🥳

We keep our license active, we get to keep MLS and our IDX access, so maybe at that point I'm about 90% retired.  Maintain our website, blog as I want, but hand off all leads to someone else and take the referral fee.  And if that doesn't prove to generate adequate revenue, then we pull the plug on the whole operation and go 100% retired.

I'm keeping mine active for referrals. It takes very little effort to keep the license active (12 credits per year and sometimes a small fee to renew, sometimes no fee). Now the question is whether to keep the website going - that's a bigger cost. If calls are coming from a website for business and can be referred out, then it makes sense to keep that going also. If no calls are coming from the website but they are coming from those we know/SOI, then perhaps that's not as important.

When I retired I kept my licenses, Illinois and Florida, active for about 8 years and finally let them lapse. For me, when it was over, it was over. For many the opposite is true.  

I will always keep my license active because with my luck, the minute I let it lapse I would be inundated with referrals and calls from former customers needing to buy or sell. I think for a lot of agents and brokers, their license is their identity and once they hit 40 years of being licensed they attain realtor emeritus status.

Referrals.

When I decided I had had enough I bailed out completely Richard Alan Naggar .

I will keep my license so I can earn referrals. I fully expect that long-standing clients will still come to me for assistance even when I'm no longer working full time. The cost of keeping a license is not that high at the end of the day. As for prestige? What prestige? Real estate agents rank among the least trusted professions. I wouldn't be out boasting about that. 

Richard Alan Naggar 

That is a future plan, not right now:)

I'm a broker and if I keep my company and broker's license I can always get paid referrals.  That's my plan.  I mean staying actively licensed will cost me just $50 annually.

I have not given that much thought, Richard Alan Naggar 

Referrals.

I probably will have an active license when I die.  It's my wife's decision.  This was for her and I help her when she needs it and got licensed so I could offer more legal help then the things I could do unlicensed.  It's not my primary job.

Keep your license!  Remember, Realtors never die...they just become listless!

I hung up my license last December and have no regrets.  Zero! 

As a Broker, I don't have to worry about hanging it anywhere as a referral only agent.  Like Fred Griffin Florida Real Estate said, it is a pain to get the license reinstated once you've let it go.

As a Broker, I don't have to be a part of an MLS if I retire nor do I need to be part of the NAR/CAR cabal, so there's a big savings there... though once I hit a certain age I'll be able to not have to pay for my state or local dues any more due to service to the association.

CEs are I think around $125 every few years (I think) and its a cake walk.  Plus after a certain age, you fill out a form and you no longer need to do CEs.

Since I do not know my own expiration date, it is unknown if my license expiration date exceeds my own, since I am renewing this month for another three years, who knows?

I think the potential for referrals alone is well worth the annual license renewal fee. Affiliate with a referral division of a brokerage and just keep an ear open for referrals. I think that is a pretty good opportunity to pick up a little extra pocket money, for a phone call.

Retired agents can still be "referral agents" so might as well keep it. Jeff

If still active, you can give and receive referrals legally. I have a separate referral brokerage for this and 15 agents are hanging their licenses there.

Hi Richie Alan! Great question!

I do plan to keep my brokers license when I retire to use for referrals. i typically have about $25K+ in referrals each year that I pass along so, it should be even better when local referrals are handed out! 

As for the cost - it's a drop in the bucket compared to what we earn. I'm good paying those fees.

As for maintaining my brokers' license - I LOVE education and will want to continue that as long as I have my senses about me. Keeping my mind active is important to me - now and forevermore!

I will keep my license and use it for making referrals

I think being retired means the end of work days for me and ending all ties to the profession for anything except general interest.