Implicit bias—the unconscious attitudes and stereotypes that impact our actions and decisions—can be a controversial and confusing subject. However, as a 2019 Newsday Long Island real estate exposé revealed, implicit bias can have a significant impact on real estate professionals’ interactions with consumers. With this in mind, the New York Department of Licensing Services mandated this two-hour course to make licensees aware of what implicit bias is, explain how to recognize it in themselves, and understand the illegal and immoral impact it has on the public.

This course explores the roots of implicit bias in government-sanctioned practices such as redlining and blockbusting, then shows licensees how to recognize their own implicit biases, as well as disparate impact and treatment.

Course highlights include:

• Redlining’s history in the U.S.
• Suburban development and racial disparities
• The Fair Housing Act
• The protected classes
• Recognizing implicit bias
• The Long Island Newsday report
• Disparate treatment and disparate impact

Ethnic and racial diversity is increasing faster than experts previously predicted, based on U.S. Census Bureau data. As of the 2020 Census, nearly 40% of Americans identify with a non-white race or ethnic group. With increasing diversity comes an increasing need for real estate professionals—who work with members of the public every day—to develop and practice cultural competence, and to know how to demonstrate the utmost professionalism with consumers of varied backgrounds.

This two-hour course emphasizes the importance of fair housing and embracing cultural diversity, as well as national and state demographics, before exploring tips and best practices for being culturally sensitive and showcasing professionalism at all times.

Course highlights include:

• Serving diverse population needs
• Federal and state homeownership demographics and diversity
• Cultural sensitivity
• Recognizing your own bias
• Working with and celebrating diversity
• Building rapport with diverse clients
• Active listening and effective communication
• Diversity resources

Developing and maintaining a detailed understanding of fair housing and agency issues can help you better serve your clients, customers, and brokerage. Discriminatory practices are illegal. As a knowledgeable real estate professional, you’re required to provide equal services to clients and customers regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, or disability. And those are just the federally protected classes. The state of New York recognizes numerous others. Can you name them? Do you know when to present the New York State Housing and Anti-Discrimination Disclosure Form? Have you ever noticed an advertisement that violated fair housing laws? Have you ever witnessed a discriminatory situation?

Knowing the protected classes in your area, as well as the intricacies of federal and state fair housing laws, allows you to spot violations, uphold the law, and protect your clients’ interests.

Course highlights include:

• An overview of protected classes recognized by the federal Fair Housing Act and the New York State Human Rights Law
• A review of New York’s Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA)
• A look at the New York State Housing and Anti-Discrimination Disclosure Form and the New York Fair Housing Notice
• Instructions for filing a fair housing complaint at the federal or state level
• An examination of redlining, blockbusting, and steering
• Tips for ensuring advertisements adhere to fair housing guidelines
• A review of fiduciary duties, the differences between clients and customers, and the role of cooperating agents
• Activities and scenarios to reinforce key concepts

There’s a reason real estate agents often rank among the least trusted professionals in the U.S. But what can you do to improve the public’s perception? And what should you do when you run into an ethical dilemma or into a licensee who’s not behaving ethically? As a real estate professional, you can help raise the bar and improve the reputation of the industry. You can lead by example.

Aligned to the requirements of the current NAR cycle, this course will empower you to recognize and respond to ethical dilemmas, inspiring consumer confidence. For answers, we’ll look to several articles of the National Association of REALTORS® Code of Ethics, and draw from real-life ethical scenarios. In four short hours, you’ll be better prepared to exemplify the professionalism and cooperation that’s the true foundation of the real estate industry.

Course highlights include:

• Meets both regular ethics renewal requirements and new licensee ethics course requirements
• The importance of ethical behavior in NAR members and non-members alike, fostering a spirit of cooperation
• History and evolution of the Code, the preamble, and the Code’s influence on state licensing laws
• Structure of the Code
• Review and application of articles 1, 2, 3, 9, 12, 15, and 16 of the NAR Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice
• Case studies of real-life ethical challenges
• Mediation and arbitration, with arbitration as the monetary dispute resolution process between REALTORS®
• Application of Article 17 of the NAR Code of Ethics to the complaints and hearing process
• Grievance committee vs. professional standards committee
• The ethical dilemmas presented by newer technologies
• Best practices for demonstrating ethical behavior every day

*This course was designed by us to meet the REALTOR® Code of Ethics Training Requirement. Please confirm that your local association, who administers the Code of Ethics training, will accept this course.

New York’s Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act was a game-changer for the state’s landlord-tenant laws. The act introduced sweeping reforms, producing a wide range of details to unpack. What were the main takeaways that impact how you work with landlord and tenant clients?

This one-hour course provides an overview of the act’s many updates that impact the real estate profession, helping you understand what the changes were and their applicability in everyday practice. Additionally, you’ll review how to stay within the scope of your real estate expertise. This is especially relevant with this act’s updates, because landlords and tenants may ask for advice that qualifies as legal counsel concerning how to interpret and comply with the new laws.

With practical knowledge concerning these legal updates, you’ll be better equipped to provide clients and consumers a higher level of professional servicing, helping them navigate their real estate transactions, and knowing when to advise them to seek legal, tax, and financial expertise.

Course highlights include:

• Purpose of the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act
• Proponents and opponents of the landlord-tenant law reform
• Background information on the state’s two rent regulation programs
• A step-by-step breakdown of the various parts that comprise the act
• Highlights of eliminated sections of the former landlord-tenant laws, impacting luxury deregulation and other provisions
• Overview of additions to the landlord-tenant laws, including changes to preferential rent and other new guidelines
• Amendments to the landlord-tenant laws, such as how owner-use recovery may be utilized, and changes to the improvement provisions
• Activities and scenarios to reinforce key concepts

Real estate professionals wear many hats: expert communicator, attentive listener, trustworthy confidant, obedient servant, loyal advocate, and knowledgeable educator, to name just a few. To juggle these roles effectively—and within the lines of the law—licensees must remain informed. Real estate professionals are in a position to provide an invaluable level of consumer protection as they support consumers through their real estate transactions.

This course explores licensees' role as advocate and educator, and how they can protect consumers and their business from the threats of antitrust and fair housing violations and predatory lending. We'll start by looking at what federal protections are in place to combat these unfair practices. We'll also provide the steps you can proactively take to protect the consumers you work with day in and day out and the business you've worked so hard to create.

Course highlights include:

• Federal antitrust laws and violations
• Avoiding antitrust violations and protecting consumers from them
• Antitrust complaint process and penalties
• Federal fair housing laws and violations
• Redlining, blockbusting, and steering
• Buyer love letters
• Fair housing complaint process and penalties
• Predatory lending
• Truth in Lending Act
• Home Ownership and Equity Protection Act
• Protecting consumers from predatory lending
• Reporting predatory lending

Whether you're representing a seller who's listing a high-efficiency home or working with a buyer to find one, it's important to be able to recognize a home's green features and the value they bring to the property. This means understanding the benefit of big-ticket green items such as solar panels, wind turbines, geothermal heating and cooling systems, solar water heaters, or even energy-efficient windows, as well as knowing the value in quick-and-easy updates like low-flow faucets, LED lighting, and smart thermostats. It also means knowing the difference between HERS and HES and SEER and LEED. Of course, greening up a home isn't cheap. Letting your clients know about available federal and state programs and incentives is another way you can ensure your clients are getting the best service around.

Course highlights include:

• An overview of the green home movement
• Green terminology, certifications, and ratings
• A review of energy-efficient upgrades, including solar panels, wind turbines, geothermal heating and cooling systems, solar water heaters, and more
• Tips for assisting green homebuyers and sellers
• A review of the FHA's Energy Efficient Mortgage and the 203(k) Rehabilitation Mortgage programs
• Qualifications for the DOE's Weatherization Assistance Program
• Interactive activities and scenarios to seal in the new information and frame it in everyday context

The internet is rich with 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, there are plenty of ways to promote your professionalism, highlight your expertise, increase your connections, and showcase your listings.  

This course looks at how you can 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—use social media and the impact on 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