Missouri Real Estate Continuing Education Courses

About

The undertaking of real estate transactions is a complex endeavor. Expertise is needed by buyers and sellers of real property in order to assure that profits are maximized while losses are minimized, both of these ends being realized in legal and ethical ways. To gain this expertise, it is common, if not necessary, for buyers and sellers to enter into relationships with those who have expertise in real property issues namely, you.A variety of relationships exist in real estate transactions and they are designed to serve the different means and degrees to which buyers and sellers are represented. These distinct relationship categories are borne of agency law.

Topics Covered

• The Concept of Agency
• Relationships in Agency
• Services Offered with and Without an Agency Relationship
• Agency and Multiple Listing Associations (MLS)
• Disciplinary Situations and Procedures
• Case Studies and Practices

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Explain how agency is created and the various agency relationships that exist.
• Understand the relationship between real estate brokers and their affiliated licensees regarding agency.
• Discern the differences between the real estate licensees’ five fiduciary duties to clients and their six general duties to customers.
• Recognize disclosure requirements of a licensee acting as a principal.
• Explain how “offer of cooperation and compensation” solves agency issues when multiple listing associations are involved.
• Describe how “vicarious liability” and “imputed knowledge” can be applied to agency relationships.
• List the five services a licensee may provide to a party without causing an agency relationship to be formed.
• Explain why “agreement to pay compensation” will not necessarily create an agency relationship.
• Understand the ethics involved in dealing with sellers and buyers.

About

All Americans have the right to attempt to purchase, rent, or finance housing for themselves in the location of their choosing, regardless of their gender, religion, handicap, color, race, national origin, or familial status. To help ensure that no one is deprived of this right, Congress passed the federal Fair Housing Act in 1968. This Act prohibits unethical discrimination by those who rent, sell, and finance residential real estate. This module discusses the federal Fair Housing Act, as well as other anti-discrimination laws that directly affect the real estate industry and the financing of real estate. Upon completion of this course, you will understand the legislation, its purpose, and its importance. You will also be familiar with the penalties for violating such statutes and have a better understanding of how you can avoid unethical discrimination in your everyday conduct.

Topics Covered

• Introduction to Fair Housing
• Discrimination
• Additional Legal Protections to Prevent Discrimination
• Enforcement of Fair Housing Laws
• Avoiding Discriminatory Practices
• Changing Culture in America and Missouri
• Real World Case Studies

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• Recognize the history of the Federal Fair Housing Act and State Fair Housing laws.
• Explain the purpose of the federal and state Fair Housing Laws and be able to identify the protected classes covered by both.
• Name the seven activities considered illegal as a result of the Fair Housing Laws.
• Identify the five exemptions from the federal Fair Housing Laws for property owners.
• Recognize discrimination in real estate practice.
• Identify acts considered discriminatory under the Fair Housing Act of 1968 as amended in 1972 and 1988.
• Restate the purpose of the federal Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) and know the classes it protects.
• Describe the purpose of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
• Demonstrate how the ADA affects real estate practice.
• Describe how fair housing complaints are handled.
• List the penalties for non-compliance with Fair Housing Laws.
• Sketch various ways a broker might incorporate business practices designed to prevent discriminatory practices.
• Explain the purpose of the HUD/NAR Partnership and why it is important.
• State the basic principle that should guide licensees in following HUD's Advertising Guidelines.
• Identify acceptable and unacceptable words and phrases for use in advertisements.
• Apply the practices that help a licensee show that he or she does not discriminate.

About

In this course we will first address the Law of Agency and the applicable Missouri Rules and Statutes regarding them. In the next lesson we will address the Standard of Care by defining it, explaining how it can be violated and how to effectively comply with it. We will then review the REALTOR^® Code of Ethics and how they apply to real estate professional practice. In the following lesson we will address the Fair Housing Laws at the both the State and Federal Levels and how a broker can best comply with them. In the final lesson we will address the following Federal Laws: RESPA, TILA, and TRID requirements under the Dodd Frank Act. We will also address the requirements of Affiliated Business Arrangements and Joint Venture companies in a broker's practice.

Topics Covered

Lesson 1:

- Agency Basics
- Ways to Create & Terminate Agency Relationships
- Missouri Statutes Related to Representation
- Missouri Agency Rules Related to Representation
- Missouri Brokerage relationship disclosures

Lesson 2:

- Reasons for the litigious environment
- Cases that have reversed "Caveat Emptor"
- The Standard of Care
- Missouri Title Transfer 
- Missouri Real Estate Disclosure Law
- Real Estate Advertising Statutes

Lesson 3:

- The Beginning of the REALTOR® Code of Ethics
- 17 Articles of the REALTOR® Code of Ethics applies to everyday real estate professional practice
- Review of COE

Lesson 4:

- History of Civil Rights Legislation
- Protected Classes in the USA & Missouri
- Fair Housing Violations
- Do's and Don'ts for Mortgage Lenders and HOA's
- Filing Complaints

Lesson 5:

- RESPA/Section 8 Provisions
- RESPA/Section 9 Provisions
- The Truth-in-Lending Act (TILA) - Regulation Z
- Affiliated Business Arrangements & Joint Venture Company
- The TILA/RESPA Integrated Disclosure (TRID) Requirements

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

- Explain and implement critical Missouri Rules & Statutes into your real estate agency representation procedures and practice.
- Explain and meet the Standard of Care in professional practice and execute proper procedures in making material disclosures.
- Explain and implement the mandates of the REALTOR® Code of Ethics.
- Explain and implement proper practices to ensure compliance with both State and Federal Fair Housing Laws.
- Explain the RESPA/TILA & TRID Disclosure Requirements and oversee their proper implementation in transactions.

About

The course approval number for this course will be available upon request

Property management is a special category of real estate work. The term "property management" generally refers to the group of services that an owner hires a professional property manager or management firm to perform. The quality of management directly affects the profitability of the property being managed. A skilled property manager thus protects the owner's capital investment in real estate and makes sure that the property generates profit. In many cases, property managers must be licensed real estate brokers.

This course includes the following lessons:

• Introduction to Property Management
• Management Plans and Management Agreements
• A Property Manager's Typical Duties
• Interacting with Tenants
• Leases
• Real Estate Practice

We will cover a property manager's basic functions, including administrative duties, leasing practices, and the manager's legal relationships with the owner and the tenants of the property. The course also discusses the way to construct a management agreement so that the manager and the owner clearly understand one another's roles. Licensees will benefit from understanding the various types of property management, as well as the duties that successful property managers must carry out.

The concluding lesson presents real-world dilemmas and concrete applications of the information presented in the rest of the course. As the student completes this module, he or she should try to develop a broad picture of property management and how it fits into the larger practice of real estate; the last lesson will help with this project by presenting comprehensive content questions, practice problems, and case studies.

Topics Covered

This course covers the following topics:

- History and Purpose of Professional Property Management
- Real Estate Economics and Property Management
- Properties that Benefit from Professional Management
- The Manager-Owner Relationship
- Creating a Management Plan
- Writing Management Agreements and Reports
- Marketing a Property
- Maintaining a Property and Its Finances
- Employing Management and Maintenance Staff
- Managing Environmental Hazards
- Risk Management
- Screening Tenants
- Managing Tenant Relationships
- Security Deposits and Rent Collection
- How and Why Property Managers Evict Tenants
- Residential Property and Fair Housing Laws
- Types of Tenancies and Leases
- Proration
- Assignments and Subleases
- Breach of a Lease Contract
- Terminating a Lease
- Insight into Property Management: Questions and Answers

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• Learn about the duties when interacting with tenants
• Learn the basic functions including administrative duties, leasing practices and the managers legal relationships with the owner and the tenants of the property.
• Construct a management agreement so that the manager and the owner clearly understand one another's roles.
• Understand the various types of property management, as well as the duties that successful property managers must carry out.

About

This course explores the duties and responsibilities of an ethical broker, beginning with the characteristics of a good broker and avoiding conflicts of interest. The student will learn about gifts and kickbacks, the provisions of RESPA, handling escrow, earnest money, and when error and omissions insurance is needed. This course provides valuable information to aid the ethical broker in creating a policy manual, avoiding lender fraud, and following legal advertising practices. The course ends with an overview of the history of the MLS and the importance of agency disclosure.

Topics Covered

• Broker Activities and Characteristics
• Conflicts of Interest and Kickbacks
• Recognizing Unethical Practices
• Avoiding Illegal and Unethical Practices
• Lender Fraud and Unethical Advertising
• Review of Agency Relationships

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Perform the activities of a broker responsible for a real estate company
• Define the role of a broker in a sales transaction and the brokerage
• Demonstrate the characteristics and traits of a good broker
• List the duties of licensees and brokers
• Recognize areas of liability and possible conflict of interest for brokers and/or agents
• Practice ethical leadership
• List potential areas which could involve conflict of interest in a brokerage business
• Identify illegal and unethical practices in the buying, selling, exchanging, and leasing of real property by brokers and/or salespersons
• Demonstrate how to avoid illegal kickbacks
• Recognize areas of liability when brokers and/or agents are principals in the transaction
• Practice ethical leadership
• List potential conflict of interest areas that could involve a licensee
• Identify the requirements of license law when a licensee is a principal in the transaction
• Follow the rules regarding escrow funds received
• Evaluate Errors and Omissions insurance coverage
• Identify illegal and unethical practices in the buying, selling, exchanging, and leasing of real property by a licensee
• Identify what issues regarding ethical practices should be included in a policy manual
• Describe how to construct a policy manual and why one is needed
• Follow the requirements of license law when a licensee is a principal in the transaction
• Follow license law and the rules & regulations regarding the receipt of escrow funds
• Demonstrate ways to identify and avoid lender fraud
• Discuss ways to advertise ethically
• Identify and avoid illegal advertising practices
• Describe why the usage of various types of listing agreements has changed over the years
• Relate the role the multiple listing service had in defining which party brokers and salespersons represented in a real estate transaction
• Discuss the reason why a FTC report published in 1983 led to many changes in real estate agency representation and disclosure requirements for real estate professionals
• List and explain the elements of real estate agency representation through research

About

Identifying environmental hazards and how they affect the real estate industry is the basic goal of this course, including environmental factors that may require a disclosure statement. Other topics covered are air quality, radon, asbestos, urea formaldehyde foam insulation, mold, ground water, smart growth, and green housing. Students will learn about the major health effects and remedies of these substances, as well as ways of preventing or eliminating biological pollutants.

Topics Covered

This course covers the following topics:
Environmental Hazards: Indoor Pollutants and Formaldehyde 
Asbestos and Lead
Mold
Radon, Ground Water, and Underground Storage Tanks
Hazardous Waste and Brownfields
Wetlands
Smart Growth: Part I
Smart Growth: Part II
Green Housing: Part I
Green Housing: Part II

 

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- List common environmental hazards that require disclosure in a listing agreement; Summarize ways real estate licensees can minimize liability and still fulfill their duties to clients; Discuss sources of pollution that affect indoor air quality; Explain why urea-formaldehyde foam insulation (UFFI) may be a problem to certain people; Identify the major health hazards of formaldehyde
- Identify the major health effects of exposure to lead and asbestos; Recognize the types of materials that contain asbestos; List sources of lead poisoning; Illustrate what must be disclosed to buyers/sellers when lead contamination is suspected
- Explain what mold is, the conditions under which it grows, the steps to its prevention, and how to get rid of it; Analyze the health effects of mold exposure; Diagram the steps licensees can take to reduce toxic mold liability; Plan for what real estate professionals can do when microbial contamination is suspected on a property; Summarize the provisions of the proposed Federal Toxic Mold Bill H.R. 5040, otherwise known as the Melina Bill
- Identify the major health effects of exposure to radon; Name the various ways to test for radon and know what questions to ask when radon pollution is suspected in a home; Recognize sources of groundwater contamination; List clues real estate licensees can look for when inspecting properties for possible underground storage tanks; Follow the testing methods for leaking underground storage tanks
- Recognize signs of a hazardous waste dump site; Discuss brownfields and why their cleanup and redevelopment is important; Cite the legislation which governs brownfields and explain the intent of the legislation; Identify who is liable for the cleanup costs of a brownfield, who is responsible for the revitalization, and who is exempt from the restoration laws
- Illustrate the functions of wetlands and the importance of wetland remediation; Classify the unique characteristics of different wetland types, specifically marshes, swamps and bogs; Evaluate the various landowner assistance programs available to wetland owners; Relate the position held by NAR in regards to wetland legislation; Identify the entities who regulate the management and use of wetlands
- Discuss courses of action a buyer could take when an environmental hazard is found on a property; Describe and explain the responsibilities a licensee has to a client when conducting a real estate transaction, such as disclosure of noted potential environmental hazards; Delineate the kinds of projects for which loans are offered by the Clean Water State Revolving Fund program; Elaborate on what smart growth is and why it is important; Recite the key points of the relationship between smart growth and both environmental protection and business
- Analyze the costs of sprawl and the results of poorly managed growth; Enumerate the key features of smart growth that simultaneously protect environmental assets, build community livability, and encourage economic development; Evaluate the real estate professional's role in promoting smart growth and becoming an advocate for increased quality of life
- Elaborate on buyer demand for healthy homes, how to sell them and cost comparisons of green homes versus traditional ones; List the four main causes of poor indoor air quality; Summarize the potential dangers of modern materials used in construction
- Relate the components of energy efficient houses and list some of the green features in newly built homes; Recognize that real estate professionals should be able to help clients make the best decision about buying a home which will cost less in terms of energy use; Distinguish how building green healthy homes can increase the buying power for a homebuyer and increase selling power, as well, by making older homes more appealing; Measure energy ratings and energy efficient mortgages

 

About

As the market becomes more competitive, only a business comprised of well-rounded licensees who provide comprehensive advice will continue to stand out. This course instructs real estate licensees on the basics of home inspection. An understanding of this information will allow the student to serve clients and customers better.

This course presents an overview of the home inspection business and explains how it fits into the real estate industry as a whole. In addition, the course covers the regulatory bodies and professional organizations associated with home inspection. At the conclusion of this course, the student will understand the methods used to inspect homes, will know what to look for when examining properties, both inside and out, and will understand the various types of inspection reports and the differences between them.

Topics Covered

• The Role of Home Inspection
• In the Field
• The Inspection Process
• Common Misconceptions about Home Inspection
• Professional Standards
• Home Inspection Legislations

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

• Summarize the development of home inspection in the inspection business.
• Identify an inspector's role at closing in residential sales transactions.
• List the tools needed and the conduct expected in the field.
• Distinguish various field report styles and the benefits and drawbacks to each.
• Understand an inspector's professional liability.
• Recognize the steps in the examination process.
• Identify common misconceptions about home inspection.
• Recall the value of membership to a reputable, non-profit home inspection organization.
• Describe the extent of home inspection legislation.
• List the different ways states regulate the home inspection industry.

About

Methamphetamine use has become a fast growing problem with meth labs springing up all across America. Not only is this substance highly addictive, inexpensive to produce and easy to use, but the chemicals used in processing this drug are volatile with very toxic by-products. This course is designed to heighten the knowledge and awareness of the imminent dangers, not only to the public, but to the environment and its effects on consumers, clients, real property ownership, and the real estate practitioner. Students will learn about the history of meth, its composition, how to recognize a meth lab, the cost and time involved in remediation of a meth lab, and where to obtain additional, updated information so they may stay apprised of new laws, policies and the latest methods for meth lab detection.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Learn about the associated health risks; Identify how to recognize a meth lab; Recall the history of methamphetamines
- Explain what meth is and the differences between meth and cocaine; Recognize the signs of meth use; Interpret slang and terminology used on the street and by law enforcement; Describe how meth is used; Identify possible meth labs
- Identify meth lab contaminants; Describe common meth lab chemicals and their effects; Discuss ephedrine and anhydrous ammonia
- List dangers meth labs pose to property and persons; Describe “First Response” procedures; Formulate a plan for dealing with a potential problem in or around one's property; Follow the resources provided within the course to further research the topic and keep abreast of changes in law, policies, and detection

About

Welcome to Ethics & Professional Practice!

A new member who has completed the New Member Code of Ethics Orientation shall not be required to complete additional ethics training until the next three-year cycle.

• Click to view the NAR COVID-19 Resources.

Topics Covered

Lesson 1: The Princess Story

Lesson 2: Definitions

Lesson 3: The Code of Ethics

Lesson 4: Antitrust

Lesson 5: Enforcement

Lesson 6: Case Studies

Lesson 7: Arbitration

Lesson 8: Scenario Exercises

Lesson 9: Pathways to Professionalism

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Discuss the ethical and moral obligations of acting as a real estate broker
• Explain the difference between the law and ethics
• Identify commonly used real estate terms
• Summarize the obligations that Articles 1- 17 of the Code of Ethics create
• Recognize the various state and federal acts that have been created to prohibit agreements among competitors to fix prices, rig bids, or to engage in any anti-competitive activities
• Recognize the responsibilities of both the Grievance Committee and Professional Standards Committee as part of the professional standards enforcement system
• Define the sanctions used for enforcing the Code of Ethics
• Discuss the outcome of the various scenarios provided in the course which illustrate possible ethics violations
• Explain the purpose of an arbitration hearing and the factors are taken into consideration by Arbitration Hearing Panels
• Summarize the meaning of procuring cause and it’s relevance in broker to broker disputes
• Identify correct answers to all case study exercises
• Recognize the duties and challenges imposed by The Code of Ethics and Pathways to Professionalism