How do I know if someone is a real agent or just a foreclosure scammer?
A licensed Florida real estate broker is regulated by the state, can be verified through a public license lookup, and is required to carry professional accountability. Foreclosure rescue companies and consultants typically operate outside the licensing system entirely.
Titles like “foreclosure consultant,” “foreclosure rescue specialist,” or “homeowner advocate” sound official and reassuring, but none of them are licensed designations in Florida. That gap between how a title sounds and what it actually means is exactly what makes this distinction worth knowing.
What a license actually guarantees
Florida’s Department of Business and Professional Regulation maintains a public license search anyone can use, free of charge, to confirm whether a real estate broker or agent is currently licensed and in good standing. That license requires passing state exams, ongoing continuing education, and adherence to a professional code of conduct enforceable by the state, with real consequences, including license suspension or revocation, for violations.
What an unlicensed title doesn’t guarantee
A foreclosure consultant or rescue company operating under a self-created title has no equivalent public record to check, because there’s no license requirement behind it. That doesn’t automatically mean the person is acting in bad faith, but it does mean there’s no regulatory body holding them accountable, no public way to verify their standing, and no licensing exam confirming they actually understand the legal and financial process they’re claiming to help with.
How to actually check
Before trusting anyone with information about your mortgage or your home, search Florida’s DBPR license lookup directly. It takes only a few minutes and immediately tells you whether you’re dealing with a regulated, accountable professional or someone operating with no state oversight at all.
If something about an offer or letter doesn’t feel right, call or text Michele Lee Scherger at 561-309-2950 for a free, no-obligation second opinion before you sign or pay anything.