120-Hr. TN Broker Post-Licensing Package Plus Professional Development

This course covers real estate appraisal topics geared toward real estate licensees. No, you're not an appraiser, but the state requires licensees to have a thorough understanding of the appraisal process. Why? Several reasons. Among these:

• Most transactions are dependent on financing and financing requires an appraisal.
• An understanding of valuation methods used by appraisals will assist you in performing more realistic comparative market analyses.
• When properties don't appraise, sale fails can occur. An understanding of how an appraiser arrived at a value estimate will help you decide whether it's worth contesting the appraisal.

Topics include central purposes and functions of an appraisal, social and economic determinant of value, cost, market date and income approaches to value estimates, final correlations, and reporting. The course also includes case studies.

This course offers 30 hours of financial topics applicable to your real estate business. Learn about loan terms, types and issues; government loan programs; defaults and foreclosures; instruments used in real estate financing; and government influence on financing.

Course highlights:

• Federal legislation affecting real estate and mortgages
• The role HUD, FHA and VA in real estate financing
• Mortgages, deeds of trust, their common clauses and provisions, and applicable foreclosure rules
• The subprime market, predatory lending, and mortgage fraud
• Specialty loan products including piggyback, equity loans, and participation agreements, and creative financing including assumptions, modifications and seller financing
• Workshop-based activities for calculating principal, interest, taxes, and insurance

As an asset class, real estate is in a class by itself. Where can you put 10% down and receive profits on the appreciation of 100% of the asset--and even depreciate the appreciating asset? 

Whether you're serving real estate investors or would like to become one, you'll want to ensure you're up to speed on the risks and rewards of this exciting asset class.

This course covers the principles, pros, and cons of investing in the real estate market, how to do feasibility studies, tax laws affecting real estate investments, and financing options available to investor. The course also examines real estate investment by property types: residential, commercial, industrial, and other opportunities.

The real estate market reflects our nation's diverse population, and the successful real estate professional understands and adapts to each client's needs.

What's new in fair housing? What isn't? 

Course Highlights:

• The newest fair housing guidelines relating to criminal background screening, reasonable accommodation for assistance animals, and hoarding
• A look at the socioeconomic impact of discriminatory practices in housing
• An online test to check your own inherent bias 
• The court case that led to sexual orientation and gender identity being afforded federal fair housing protection 
• Resources that will help you identify and better serve the diverse populations within your market
• Statistics and demographics on homeownership from:
  • The National Association of REALTORS®
  • The U.S. Census Bureau
  • The National Fair Housing Alliance 
• Two proposed additions to the seven federally protected classes

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 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

Attacks on real estate professionals have made headlines at an alarmingly more frequent rate in recent years. After an incident where a licensee is harmed, everyone vows to do better, and the topic of safety is pushed to the front of training schedules. Then complacency sets in.

Criminals count on complacency.

This course reviews studies and statistics of safety issues in the real estate industry, and best practices for personal safety.       

Course highlights include:

• Crime statistics and studies that challenge preconceived notions
• Risk factors and vulnerabilities that unique to real estate professionals
• Case studies to illustrate how criminals target their victims
• How to develop a personal warning system and trust your instincts when something feels “off”
• Activities and scenarios to provide real-world context for course content

Whether for a buyer or seller, the comparative market analysis, properly done, can mean several thousands extra dollars in their pockets, and can determine whether a deal can be struck at all. But because it’s such a well-worn tool, it’s tempting for a licensee to get complacent with the CMA, and “phone it in.”

Don’t be that licensee!

This course covers the how-tos of a professionally researched  comparative market analysis.          

Course Highlights:

• The three-step approach to market analyses: the market, the property, the numbers
• Sources for subject property data and market data
• How to prioritize criteria when selecting comparables
• How to adjust and homogenize selected comparables 
• How to weight selected comparables when selecting a list price range
• How to use expired and active listings to inform pricing strategy
• Market readiness strategies for the seller and the property
• Listing strategies
• Negotiating strategies for any market (creating win-win transactions)

For many real estate professionals, property management is a natural extension of their expertise. Whether you’re thinking about taking on your first property or looking to grow your property management business, this is a niche business requiring specialized skills and knowledge.

Explore the role of the property manager, common tenant issues, and federal laws.

Course highlights include:

• Property management contracts
• Property types and evaluating factors
• Tips for building a successful working relationship with property owners
• Landlord and tenant obligations
• Tips for screening and retaining tenants
• Informal rental agreements and the risks involved
• How to deal with delinquent tenants
• Fair housing guidelines and exemptions

Note: This is an introduction and overview of property management.

More than 80% of real estate licensees leave the business within the first two years, and this is primarily due to a lack of understanding of what it takes to succeed. Of those who stay, very few earn a lucrative living at it.

Don't be that licensee.

Whether you're just launching your business or you think it's time to level up, this course will give you the tools to launch your career from a solid foundation, one that lets you know what you need to do today, this week, this month, this quarter, and this year to execute your well-considered business plan.

This course will show you how to take stock, create a vision, and gather the tools necessary to achieve that vision so you can create a professional, exemplary, referral-driven business that serves clients needs and exceeds client expectations.

Course highlights include:

• Helpful ideas for defining your real estate business, vision statement and mission statement
• A Business Plan Worksheet that will help you determine goals and execute your plan
• Details about identifying strengths and weaknesses, and setting realistic, attainable goals
• An editable, customizable Business Plan Template
• How to calculate the action steps needed to achieve success as you define it

The Sphere of Influence approach to building your real estate business is based on nurturing relationships within your circle of friends, family, past clients, neighbors and acquaintances. Not pounding the pavement, buying bus signs and billboards, or purchasing leads.

This course helps you turn your acquaintances into your biggest advocates through respectful, non-intrusive methods. 

Course highlights include:

• Tips to ensure you present a professional, enthusiastic image to your contacts
• How to plan and implement an SOI strategy
• How to build and maintain a contact database
• Tips for writing effective reconnection communiques

The Fundamentals of Commercial Real Estate covers the need-to-know information on a broad range of commercial topics.

If you're an experienced residential licensee, a few of the fundamentals of commercial real estate will be familiar to you—the importance of location, for example. In other regards, commercial differs sharply from residential real estate. Executives, investors, and business owners in commercial real estate focus squarely on the bottom line.

This course will provide a foundation for the more complex aspects of commercial real estate as you gain more experience in the industry.

Course highlights include:

• Key terms and concepts of commercial real estate
• How to identify and meet the needs of commercial real estate clients
• How commercial and residential sales differ
• Valuation methods for real estate and businesses
• Tips on gathering the demographic and location-related details that clients need to make well-informed decisions