What Types of CE Courses Are Available in California?
Learning is a lifelong endeavor that you can take advantage of at any time. You’ll find all sorts of professional development and real estate classes online that can sharpen your skills and broaden your horizons in the industry. But if you’re looking to renew your California real estate license, you’re probably most concerned about satisfying the mandatory CE requirements set forth by the Department of Real Estate. Here’s a taste of what types of courses you’ll be looking at when completing the required education for your renewal.
Agency
Real estate professionals are required to know all about agency laws (after all, you are a real estate agent). These laws and regulations guide the relationships that you have with clients, customers, other salespersons, and brokers. At Your Pace Online’s 3-hour California Agency Continuing Education Course delves into the common law of agency, the formation of agency relationships, and the parties to agency agreements. You’ll also get a refresher on the types of authority and agency, as well as the responsibilities of the involved parties and agency termination.
Who is required to take a 3-hour agency course: This is a required course for salespersons AND brokers renewing for the first time. For second a subsequent renewals, this can be taken, along with the other 3-hour courses, in lieu of the 8-hour survey course.
Ethics
Real estate professionals are encouraged to practice and do business using the highest level of ethics. Knowing ethical standards, understanding their importance, and being able to utilize them in your day-to-day responsibilities as a salesperson or broker is imperative. With the 3-hour California Ethics Continuing Education Course, you’ll review the principles of ethics in real estate and the common pitfalls for professionals in the industry. You’ll also take a look at some particular situations that will equip you to better navigate ethical gray areas.
Who is required to take a 3-hour ethics course: This is a required course for salespersons AND brokers renewing for the first time. For second a subsequent renewals, this can be taken, along with the other 3-hour courses, in lieu of the 8-hour survey course.
Trust Fund Handling
A large part of your job as a real estate salesperson or broker is to handle funds entrusted to you by others. You can’t just go around depositing checks willy-nilly— there are rules and regulations that guide real estate agents in how to handle the money in a professional manner. At Your Pace Online’s 3-hour California Trust Fund Continuing Education Course will go over the laws and best practices for dealing with funds that aren’t yours, maintaining proper records, and financial reporting. The course also discusses California mortgage loan brokerage.
Who is required to take a 3-hour trust fund handling course: This is a required course for salespersons AND brokers renewing for the first time. For second a subsequent renewals, this can be taken, along with the other 3-hour courses, in lieu of the 8-hour survey course.
Fair Housing
As a real estate salesperson or broker, you’re in the business of helping others. This means treating everyone fairly, regardless of factors like race, familial status, age, or sex. It’s so important, in fact, that the federal government, as well as the State of California, have both passed laws that prohibit discrimination in housing. Discrimination comes in many forms, though, and isn’t always easy to see, which is why it’s important to brush up on the subject every once in a while with the 3-hour California Fair Housing Continuing Education Course. You will review the laws that support fair housing efforts, as well as anti-discrimination policies with rental properties and the process for filing fair housing complaints.
Who is required to take a 3-hour fair housing course: This is a required course for salespersons AND brokers renewing for the first time. For second a subsequent renewals, this can be taken, along with the other 3-hour courses, in lieu of the 8-hour survey course.
Risk Management
Between the large sums of money, legal contracts, and agency relationships in real estate, there’s lots of room for costly mistakes and mishaps. However, there are ways to minimize and mitigate these risks. With the California Risk Management Continuing Education Course, you learn how to identify and manage certain risks when doing business, saving you and your real estate office down the road.
Who is required to take a 3-hour risk management course: This is a required course for salespersons AND brokers renewing for the first time. For second a subsequent renewals, this can be taken, along with the other 3-hour courses, in lieu of the 8-hour survey course.
Management and Supervision
Real estate is often seen as a career where you get to be your own boss. While in some regards this is true, management and supervision courses are still useful and important, especially for those in leadership positions like brokers. The 3-hour California Management & Supervision Continuing Education Course covers general issues and challenges that come with managing others, as well as important policies that keep real estate offices running smoothly and efficiently.
Who is required to take a 3-hour management and supervision course: Only brokers renewing for the first time must take this course. For second a subsequent renewals for both salespersons and brokers, this can be taken, along with the other 3-hour courses, in lieu of the 8-hour survey course.
Consumer Protection Courses
The 18-hour California Consumer Protection requirement in California is designed to cover a wide array of topics like regulation of land use, real estate financing, taxation of real property, the transfer of titles, and property management. It may seem like a lengthy course, but all of the lessons will go a long way in helping you help your clients and protect them against unfair treatment.
Who is required to take a consumer protection course: All renewals require at least 18 hours of consumer protection courses.
Consumer Service
Like the consumer protection course, consumer service courses cover a number of different topics, all of which are aimed at honing your skills as a real estate agent that serves consumers. At Your Pace Online offers two options: the 9-hour California Consumer Service CE Course and the 12-hour Consumer Service CE Course. You’ll explore topics like the Truth in Lending Act, the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, mortgage fraud, and predatory lending. The courses also dive into listing and sales agreements, leases, and the foreclosure process. As the saying goes, knowledge is power, and with consumer service courses, you’ll have a wealth of it!
Who is required to take a consumer service course(s): Consumer service courses aren’t required, however, all renewal applicants can take this course to satisfy the remaining hours after the initial requirements are met.
Need to complete your California real estate continuing education?
Ready to get started on your required California real estate CE? At Your Pace Online is here to help. Browse our course selection or chat with a friendly staff member if you have any questions or concerns regarding your continuing education.