15-Hr. AL Broker CE Package

While licensees are the lifeblood of any brokerage, they also pose the greatest risk. Inexperienced licensees may lack education and training in key areas, leading them to make innocent mistakes, unintentionally provide misinformation, or fail to make appropriate disclosures. Experienced licensees can sometimes act beyond the scope of their license or expertise. In trying to be helpful, they can put the qualifying broker's license at risk. And unfortunately, some licensees intentionally misrepresent and commit acts of fraud. Appropriate supervision is an Alabama qualifying broker's best risk management strategy, and it's also a requirement of the role. This course will cover the broker's role in supervising licensees and employees, including creating and communicating policies and procedures for approved activities.

This three-hour course reduces risk to consumers by ensuring that Alabama licensees and employees are properly trained and supervised by a qualifying broker.

Course highlights include:

• An overview of the supervisory responsibilities of an Alabama qualifying broker, including licensee and staff training, record keeping duties, and financing requirements.
• A discussion of the proper use of various forms of marketing and advertising.
• An examination of the proper handling of earnest money.
• A review of property management licensing requirements and trust fund management.
• A look at the requirements for licensee-owned properties
• Interactive activities and scenarios to seal in the new information and frame it in everyday context

How many times will you be required to review agency disclosure rules? As many times as it takes until it’s no longer one of the top reasons for consumer complaints against licensees (which it is). Alabama license law provides a firm foundation for a successful real estate practice, so this course focuses on key tenets of that law, including the Real Estate Consumers Agency and Disclosure Act (RECAD). In addition to reviewing RECAD, this course provides a breakdown of issues that consistently trip up licensees and/or confuse consumers, including advertising rules, caveat emptor, trust fund handling, and record retention.

This three-hour course provides you with a review of areas of risk from the moment of initial interaction with a consumer, and how those risks can be mitigated through proper disclosure, adherence to fiduciary duties, and a focus on utmost professionalism.

Course highlights include:

• Real Estate Consumers Agency and Disclosure Act (RECAD) disclosures
• Real Estate Brokerage Services Disclosure form
• Required duties when working with buyers, sellers, and the general public
• Proper advertising requirements
• Misrepresentation and caveat emptor
• “As is” properties
• Permitted activities of unlicensed persons when presenting properties
• Trust fund handling and record retention requirements
• Closing cost estimates
• Personal interest disclosure
• Presentation of offers and counter-offers
• Qualifying broker responsibilities and risk management practices

Fraud has become a major issue in the industry. Lawbreakers use real estate as a vehicle to steal the life savings of unsuspecting homeowners and defraud lenders out of millions of dollars for their own gain. Federal, state, and local governments have taken steps to combat real estate fraud, but it remains a major problem—one you need to have a solid understanding of to ensure you're able to shield your clients and yourself from being defrauded or unknowingly committing fraud.

Keeping It Honest: Understanding Real Estate and Mortgage Fraud has been updated to discuss the latest fraudulent schemes and explain recent government initiatives aimed at stopping fraud and protecting consumers.

Course Highlights:

• Fraud and its impact on the real estate industry
• The newest and most prevalent types of fraudulent schemes
• Red flag behaviors that suggest someone is engaging in fraud
• How to report fraudulent or suspected fraudulent activities to the proper authorities
• Key government initiatives aimed at stopping fraud and protecting consumers
• Activities and scenarios to provide real-world context for course content

The internet is full of promotional opportunities. Whether it’s a post on Facebook or a tweet linking to your new listing, a status update on LinkedIn, a virtual home tour on YouTube, or photo collage on Pinterest, you can easily promote your professionalism, highlight your expertise, increase your connections, and showcase your listings. Or you can fall flat on your face.

This course shows how to use the unique advertising and marketing opportunities available online to better serve your clients and customers, and further promote your own brand.

Course highlights include:

• How consumers—and agents and agencies—are using social media and how this is impacting the real estate industry
• How to use various social media platforms—including Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Pinterest—to promote your business and better serve your clients and customers
• How various social media platforms differ and how to select the ones that are best for you and your needs
• Tips for creating an online marketing strategy
• Legal and ethical issues surrounding online marketing
• Copyright law, trademarks, and public domain content
• Tips for avoiding common social media missteps.
• Activities and scenarios to provide real-world context for course content

The inspection period is a big hurdle to jump over on the way to closing. The inspector’s job is to call out defects. The buyer agent’s job is to negotiate repairs. The seller agent’s job is to mitigate damage. It can sometimes be hard to hold a deal together.

Protecting your buyer as a buyer’s agent means understanding the importance of the home inspection contingency and its deadlines, and identifying the need for specialized inspections.

Protecting your seller as the listing agent means helping the seller understand disclosure obligations, prepare for the inspection, and respond to a buyer’s reasonable repair requests.

Course highlights:

• The importance of the inspection contingency
• The licensee’s role in the inspection process
• Licensee and seller disclosure obligations
• Red flags related to common structural, plumbing, and electrical issues
• Specialized inspection types addressing radon, asbestos, sewer lines, septic tanks, mold, lead, and wells
• Interactive activities and scenarios