TEXAS CONTINUING EDUCATION (CE) REAL ESTATE COURSES

This package includes 10 hours of electives courses required for the renewal of active licenses.
MCE courses included in this package:

• Attracting Online Consumers: Listings and Syndication (4 elective hours)
• Code of Ethics: Good For Your Clients and Your Business (3 elective hours)*
• Did You Serve? Identifying Homebuying Advantages for Veterans (3 elective hours)
• Law of Contracts (TREC #1200) - Contract law, contract forms, breaches, provisions and other required topics.

• * This course meets the REALTORS® Code of Ethics Training (formerly known as NAR QUADRENNIAL) Requirement. You will need to confirm with your local REALTOR association if they will accept it.

This full 18-hour package includes 10 hours of elective hours and 8 hours of mandatory hours required for the renewal of active licenses.
MCE courses included in this package:

• Texas Legal Update 1 (4 mandatory hours)
• Texas Legal Update 2 (4 mandatory hours)
• Attracting Online Consumers: Listings and Syndication (4 elective hours)
• Code of Ethics: Good For Your Clients and Your Business (3 elective hours)*
• Did You Serve? Identifying Homebuying Advantages for Veterans (3 elective hours)

• *This course meets the REALTORS® Code of Ethics Training (formerly known as NAR QUADRENNIAL) Requirement. You will need to confirm with your local REALTOR association if they will accept it.

This full 18-hour package includes 10 hours of elective hours and 8 hours of mandatory hours required for the renewal of active licenses.
MCE courses included in this package:

• Texas Legal Update 1 (4 mandatory hours)
• Texas Legal Update 2 (4 mandatory hours)
• Residential Property Management Essentials (4 elective hours)
• Real Estate Investors and Your Business (3 elective hours)
• Going Green: The Environmental Movement in Real Estate (3 elective hours)

It is critical for real estate license holders to be knowledgeable in the laws and ethics involved in client and customer relationships, contracts, and requirements—and the issues that can occur when there is a lack of understanding of these topics.

This course includes a comprehensive discussion about the various laws and regulations affecting the practice of real estate. Scenarios and case studies are woven into the material to illustrate the practical applications of these legal requirements, as well as show the ramifications when a license holder is not in compliance with them.
Course highlights include:

• Statutory changes to the Texas Real Estate License Act (TRELA).
• Highlights from TREC rules, including updates and new, recently adopted rules.
• Overview of legislative changes affecting property management.
• Review of questions related to residential tenancies and commercial tenancies.
• Legislative changes that require delivery of disclosures/notices.
• Comprehensive review of promulgated contract and addendum forms, including updates and amendments.
• Review of the unauthorized practice of law.
• Frequent interactive activities to highlight key points and ensure understanding of course material.
• Examples to seal in the new information and frame it in everyday context.

It is critical for real estate license holders to be knowledgeable in the laws and ethics involved in client and customer relationships, contracts, and requirements—and the issues that can occur when there is a lack of understanding of these topics.

This course includes a comprehensive discussion about the various laws and regulations affecting the practice of real estate. Scenarios and case studies are woven into the material to illustrate the practical applications of these legal requirements, as well as show the ramifications when a license holder is not in compliance with them.
Course highlights include:

• The ethics requirements for engaging in real estate brokerage in Texas, reviewing the relevant sections of the Texas Administrative Code.
• Discussion about fair housing law, including federal, state, and local levels.
• Overview of agency law, including frequently asked questions and scenarios.
• Insights on the Deceptive Trade Practices Consumer Protection Act (DTPA).
• Review of hot topics, including CSST lightning safety awareness, new CFPB changes impacting closings, homeowners’ associations.
• Highlights of various tax laws impacting real estate.
• Frequent interactive activities to highlight key points and ensure understanding of course material.
• Examples to seal in the new information and frame it in everyday context.

A solid ethical foundation is an essential part of any good business practice. That’s why the National Association of REALTORS® asks its members to follow its Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice. Updated regularly, this Code was first adopted in 1913 and consists of 17 Articles along with supporting Standards of Practice.

The Code of Ethics: Good For Your Clients and Your Business course reviews each Article, highlighting pertinent changes, and offers important takeaway points you can apply to your day-to-day business dealings to ensure you’re always ethical in your business practices.

Ethics principles are a standard component of continuing education. In addition, this course fulfills the ethics training mandated by the National Association of REALTORS® for its members.
Course highlights include:

• A review of recent revisions and additions to the Code of Ethics
• Tips for applying the Code’s principles and guidelines to your practice
• A discussion on the benefits of mediation
• Activities and examples to illustrate the practical application of the new information and frame it in everyday context

• *This course meets the REALTORS® Code of Ethics Training (formerly known as NAR QUADRENNIAL) Requirement. You will need to confirm with your local REALTOR association if they will accept it.

Client advocacy filters into every aspect of your real estate business, starting with the method you use to pursue new clients through your follow-up call after you have executed a transaction. This course takes the concept of advocacy and applies it to everyday actions in commercial real estate.

Numerous examples populate the course, including strategies to employ when pursuing new business, opportunities to educate your clients, and effective discussion points to help your clients see when an expert is needed. Good service means being an effective advocate, and this course will help polish those advocating skills.
Course highlights include:

• Real life examples of complicated transactions and the key actions that made them successful
• Evaluation of how specialization expands your core competencies resulting in a more stable and successful business strategy
• A deep look at your client interactions with specific advice on how to improve the results

• Ed Riggins, Senior Vice President with Cresa Atlanta, assisted in the development of Client Advocacy in Commercial Real Estate, serving as the course's subject matter expert.
• Ed is a Life Member of the Atlanta Commercial Board of REALTORS®

Commercial real estate investors have two goals: generate cash flow and produce higher returns. However, unlike other investment types, investing in commercial property is not simply a matter of buying at one price and selling for more. Commercial real estate must be considered in terms of the risks and rewards of the type of commercial property, income during the investment period, the investor’s own situation, and how value and return are impacted by the economic, market, tax, and legal conditions (particularly zoning) for the market niche.

This course presents an overview of the factors impacting value and investment potential of commercial properties, gives licensees a solid understanding of the financial aspects of commercial real estate investment, and better prepares them to provide professional guidance to their commercial real estate clients when evaluating investment properties for purchase or sale.
Course highlights include:

• The six main categories of commercial properties, and their specific challenges and opportunities for investors.
• A definition of transit-oriented communities, and why they are a growing type of mixed-use development.
• How zoning, building codes, title issues and the Americans with Disabilities Act impact commercial .property development and investment potential.
• How licensees can use financial analysis and individual investor profiles to assist clients in analyzing commercial properties for purchase and sale.

Real estate licensees who represent commercial clients, whether as buyers or sellers of commercial properties, must understand the process of valuing commercial properties. To best serve their commercial real estate clients, they need a solid understanding of how commercial properties are valued, how appraisers work, and how that important final number is determined.

Many of the tools and methodologies used by commercial appraisers can also be used by licensees to help their clients determine value when buying, selling or comparing commercial real estate. While a valuation prepared by a real estate licensee will never take the place of a formal appraisal, it is important for licensees to understand the definitions of value used by appraisers, the methodologies used, the three approaches to value, and how value of commercial properties is determined. It is also important for licensees to be able to read and extract information from a professional appraisal report.
Course highlights include:

• Definitions of commonly used commercial appraisal terms
• An in-depth look at the process of data collection, analysis and three approaches to value (cost, income and sales comparison) for commercial property valuation
• Faculty expert, Bill James, a 40-year veteran of commercial appraisal, takes students step-by-step through a real-life appraisal report, which includes the process of data collection, approaches to value, analysis and value determination
• More than two dozen handouts used in a real-life commercial appraisal, with a detailed explanation of each