Are you wondering what classes to take to earn your Mandatory Continuing Education (MCE ) so that you may keep your license current? Have you waited until the last minute to get those last few hours completed? If so, why not take this required time to learn something new and become an even better REALTOR®.
Today’s consumer has a plethora of options when it comes to working with a REALTOR® or even beginning a real estate transaction. This fact can make it extremely difficult to set yourself apart from other real estate agents, but earning a designation or becoming an expert in an industry niche may be all that it takes. The Houston Association of REALTORS® strives to provide members with the most innovative, forward-thinking real estate education in the country. Whether you need a refresher course on the basics, want to become an expert negotiator or even learn how to market yourself on all of the social media platforms, you can find it all at HAR.
Visit the HAR Education Course Finder and enhance your career today.
The GRI designation is the most widely recognized of the National Real Estate Designations. This program consists of three courses, each taught by experts in their respective fields. The module offers: Finance, Marketing and Brokerage.
GRI 2: Marketing
Location: HAR Central
Dates: Thursday and Friday, August 2-3 and Monday and Tuesday, August 6-7
GRI 3: Brokerage
Location: HAR Montgomery
Dates: Thursday and Friday, Sept. 13-14 and Monday and Tuesday, Sept. 17-18
Investment for each GRI Segment: $295 for HAR Members and $325 for Non-Members
* Each GRI is approved for 9 hours of MCE or 30 hours of SAE
Earn Your Social Media Pro Designation with the All New SMP Boot Camp!
This two-day program will take you through all of the most popular and widely used social networking platforms while explaining how to use them in your business. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, blogging, smart phones, tablets, video and advanced use of these tools will be covered throughout the session. A voluntary follow-up Webinar is included in this program.
Tuesday, August 28 and Wednesday, August 29 at HAR Fort Bend
Each day will run 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. and is approved for 12 hours of MCE. The cost for this program is $149.
Become a Texas Affordable Housing Specialist
The Texas Affordable Housing Specialist certification equips Texas REALTORS® with the knowledge to help increase sustainable home ownership. It aims to educate you about state programs available to assist buyers and to provide information to help at-risk homeowners manage their current situation. The more you know about affordable housing programs, the better you can assist your clients in making home ownership a reality.
Participation in both the TAHS elective day and the four-hour United Texas course is required to earn the designation.
United Texas: Texas Affordable Housing Specialist
Thursday, August 9
HAR Bay Area
8 a.m. – 12 p.m. or 1 – 5 p.m.
TAHS Elective Day
Friday, August 10
HAR Bay Area
Certified Residential Specialist Courses Coming This Summer!
CRS Elective: Turn it on Automatic – Serving the Repeat & Referral Client
Repeat and referral customers account for the majority of transactions, and relationships influence agent selection. Maintaining top-of-mind awareness is THE determining factor that results in you getting the call when your contacts or their friends are buying or selling. This session will help you develop a system for leveraging your creative efforts through direct mail and social networking.
Date: Wednesday, August 22
Time: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Location: HAR Central / HAR Montgomery by video conference
Investment: $39
*Approved for 3hrs of MCE credit
CRS #200: Business Planning & Marketing for the Residential Specialist
A strong foundation is the key to building a successful real estate career. This business planning and marketing course helps students learn the fundamentals of business planning. After taking this course, students will be able to identify the benefits of a business plan, develop income goals using the budgeting process and create a marketing plan to meet their goals and objectives. Course content: Business Plan Development, Budgeting and Cost Analysis, Prospecting Techniques and Personal Promotion Techniques
Date: Thursday and Friday, Sept. 13 – 14
Time: 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Location: HAR Central
Investment: $275
*Approved for 15hrs of MCE credit
Certified Short Sale Negotiator
This one-day course is focused on the short sale process and the different techniques required to successfully negotiate a short sale.
The negotiating skills acquired include:
- How to ensure your seller receives the expert advice necessary to determine that a short sale is the proper course of action
- How to understand the short sale process from pre-qualifying the seller to closing the transaction with the banks and buyer
- How to plan for the following negotiations in the short sale:
- Listing agent with seller
- Listing agent with buyer’s agent/buyer
- Buyer’s agent with listing agent/seller
- Listing agent with seller’s lienholders (e.g. banks, mortgage insurance, etc.)
- How to properly utilize and complete all forms required in the short sale
Tuesday, September 18
HAR Central
9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Approved for 6 hours of MCE, TREC # 06-00-063-23009. The cost for this program is $149
Resort and Second Home Specialist
The course is designed to teach the essentials of buying, selling or managing resort properties and second homes for recreation, investment and development by international clients and customers in the United States. Course material is organized as follows:
Learn how to:
- Use community resources and tourism bureaus to your advantage;
- Be prepared to act when laws, directly affecting your business are scheduled to change;
- Make the best use of your marketing dollars;
- How to handle the media—rather than it handling you;
- Recognize the rights and wrongs of second-home ownership and investment.
Thursday, August 23
HAR Central
8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Approved for 8 hours of MCE, TREC # 08-00-123-23611. The cost for this program is $129
Leasing 101 – Understanding the Basics of Leasing
Today’s market has shown a significant increase in the number of leases. Take advantage of this opportunity by learning the basics of leases and gaining insight into all the new rules and obligations for you and your clients.
- Tuesday, August 21 at HAR Central
- Wednesday, September 19 at HAR Fort Bend
- Thursday, September 20 at HAR Central
9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Approved for 6 hours of MCE, TREC # 06-00-033-22891. The cost for this program is $39
Short Sales and Foreclosures Resource Certification
Short Sales and Foreclosures – The New “Traditional” Transaction
Knowing how to help sellers maneuver the complexities of short sales as well as help buyers pursue short sale and foreclosure opportunities are not merely good skills to have in today’s market – they are critical. And while short sales and foreclosures are not for the faint of heart, agents with the proper tools and training can use these specialty areas to guild their business for the long term.
Designed for real estate professionals at all experience levels, the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) Short Sales & Foreclosure Resource certification, or SFR for short, gives you a framework for understanding how to:
- Direct distressed sellers to finance, tax, and legal professionals
- Qualify sellers for short sales
- Develop a short-sale package
- Negotiate with lenders
- Tap into buyer demand
- Safeguard your commission
- Limit risk
- Protect buyers
As many agents can attest, your ability to close short sales and foreclosures depends in part on your confidence in seeing these transactions through. Begin building your confidence today with SFR!
August 31, 2012
HAR Bay Area
8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Approved for 8 hours of MCE, TREC # 08-00-091-8676.The cost for this program is $119
*Contact the HAR Professional Department for additional requirements needed to earn the SFR Certification.
Earn 15 hours of MCE at any HAR Location or 24/7 Online
HAR has partnered with several schools to provide you with complete 15-hour MCE packages (Legal/Ethics included) at each of the HAR locations or online. Please visit the Professional Development website to select the time and location convenient to you.
The online university will allow you the option of completing your 15 hours of MCE at your convenience. See the site for special monthly discount opportunities.
Attention Brokers and Office Managers:
The mandatory Broker Responsibility Course is now being offered at all HAR locations!
The cost for this 6 hour program is only $50 and will satisfy the
TREC broker responsibility course requirement.
Sign up TODAY! www.har.com/edu
Questions? Contact the HAR Professional Department at (713) 629-1900 ext. 370
