A licensed real estate sales associate and broker desire to open a new real estate brokerage firm as general partners. They may:

The situation of a licensed real estate sales associate and broker wanting to open a new brokerage firm as general partners is governed by regulations within the real estate industry. Typically, real estate brokers are allowed to engage in business as a partnership, but a sales associate cannot independently operate a brokerage; they must work under the supervision of a broker.

In this case, the sales associate does not have the authority to act as a general partner in a brokerage firm without the broker holding the appropriate brokerage license, which is usually required by law. This means that the sales associate lacks the necessary qualifications to participate in that capacity, as they cannot legally execute the functions that a broker would typically perform in a brokerage setting.

Thus, the correct answer reflects that the sales associate and broker cannot open a new real estate brokerage firm as general partners due to the regulations that govern licensure and operational authority within the profession.