Under the new law, which takes effect Sept. 30, 2007, all applicants will be required to complete three college-level courses before taking the real estate license exam. The new law eliminates paths to licensure that don’t require college classes.

Vince Malta, president of the California Association of REALTORS®, says his organization supports the tougher requirement. An estimated 85 percent of new licensees are coming into the field with conditional licenses issued without college coursework.

"We don't want to limit the number of people coming into our business, but we look at it from a consumer-protection standpoint," Malta says.

The legislature rejected a proposal to toughen standards for real estate broker licenses that was backed by C.A.R. That law would have required brokers to have two years of experience before they are granted a license, regardless of whether or not they hold a college degree.

Malta says he isn’t giving up on the proposed legislation. His group may try to pass a new version of the bill or seek a regulatory ruling that requires broker degrees to be business-related. Currently, any type of degree is accepted.