30-Hr. NJ Referral Agent Core CE Package

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 to ethical dilemmas, we’ll look to several articles of the National Association of REALTORS® Code of Ethics, and draw from real-life ethical scenarios. In three 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
• 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.

Housing discrimination remains a problem, even among real estate licensees who should know better. This was recently demonstrated through a Newsday expose on a three-year study using fair housing testers on Long Island. And just last year, New Jersey investigators issued 100 violations against housing providers (licensees and landlords) who barred prospective tenants from their choice of housing simply because they were using vouchers. 

To combat discrimination, the National Association of REALTORS® has strengthened its fair housing standards and recently came out against hate speech—even on members’ social media sites.

In this course, we’ll revisit the Newsday expose and new NAR guidelines. But first, we’ll review the federal Fair Housing Act and protected classes. The course also gives you the opportuity to determinew whether your own "implicit bias" may be preventing you from providing equal service to all. 

Course highlights include:

• Federal Fair Housing Act: overview and list of federally protected classes
• New Jersey Fair Housing Act and affordable housing programs
• A look at the Newsday Long Island fair housing tester expose
• New Jersey State Law Against Discrimination
• Implicit bias and how to recognize it
• New guidelines from the NAR on nondiscriminatory practice and the prohibition against hate speech, even on private social media sites
• A glimpse into the future of fair housing law

Agency is integral to your real estate practice. You'll want a clear understanding of which duties you owe to clients and customers, and which duties can be performed for others without breaching obligations to your clients. Knowing what to disclose, when to disclose it, what to keep confidential, and all the other detailed requirements built into agency relationships is crucial for a successful, legal real estate practice.

This six-hour course provides New Jersey licensees with an understanding of the agency relationships that can be formed with buyers, sellers, tenants, and landlords, and the parameters for the services that may be offered with each type of relationship. It also helps prepare you to explain agency relationships to consumers and appropriately manage consumer expectations.       

Course highlights:

• Agency-client relationships; the difference between a client and a customer, and how agency relationships are created
• Agency definitions and an agent’s fiduciary duties
• Types of agency relationships
• The importance of agency disclosure
• Agency considerations in the context of property management
• The importance of safeguarding client funds and confidential information
• Buyer agency and of seller agency
• Activities and scenarios to reinforce key concepts

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

Real estate wholesaling is not a new concept. However, the practice, regulation, and public perception of wholesaling have changed significantly in recent years. For real estate professionals navigating a market where wholesaling is becoming more popular and increasingly problematic, understanding its legal, ethical, and professional implications is more important than ever.

This three-hour course provides a straightforward examination of wholesaling: how it operates, when it crosses legal and ethical boundaries, and why it faces greater scrutiny from lawmakers and the public. You’ll examine how some investors use wholesaling as a legitimate and transparent strategy to build wealth, while others exploit it to bypass licensing requirements, mislead sellers and buyers, and disrupt housing stability, particularly in vulnerable communities.

Whether you are new to wholesaling, advising clients involved, or simply looking to avoid legal issues, this course is designed for you.

Course highlights include:

• Foundational principles of wholesaling
• Strategic uses of wholesaling
• State laws and licensing implications of wholesaling
• Red flags to indicate predatory wholesaling practices
• When wholesaling becomes illegal
• Ethical wholesaling
• Collateral damage of wholesaling
• Legal and civil penalties
• Effects of predatory wholesaling on housing market
• Real-world cases, interactive scenarios, and activities to understand wholesaling in your real estate practice

Lead hazards aren’t just a concern for homeowners—they’re also a big deal for real estate professionals. If you're listing a home built before 1978 or guiding buyers through disclosures, understanding the risks of lead exposure isn’t just helpful—it’s essential. Federal laws require specific disclosures and safety measures and skipping them can lead to hefty fines and legal trouble.

This course helps you recognize where lead hazards lurk, stay on top of your legal responsibilities, and follow safe practices help protect you, your clients, and your transactions. But beyond compliance, having a strong grasp of lead safety makes you a trusted advisor. When clients see that you take their health and safety seriously, it strengthens your reputation and sets you apart as a knowledgeable, reliable real estate professional. Ultimately, keeping people safe, reducing risk, and staying compliant aren’t just obligations—they’re smart business moves supporting long-term success.

Course highlights include:

• Common sources of lead in residential properties
• Health risks of lead exposure
• Community-based approaches to lead hazard prevention
• Review of federal lead disclosure laws
• Compliance with lead disclosure laws
• Consequences of non-compliance with disclosure requirements
• Mitigating lead hazards
• Lead-safe work practices for renovations and repairs
• EPA’s Renovation, Repair, and Painting Program
• Preventing lead hazards long-term

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

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

Chances are good that, if it hasn't happened yet, you will one day work on a transaction involves a property that’s part of a tax-deferred exchange. When this happens, will you be ready to guide your client through the process and ensure they meet the critical deadlines?

With an appropriately formed exchange, an investor can defer paying taxes on the profit from one investment and instead use all of the profits to fund another investment. 

This course helps licensees become more comfortable with guiding clients through a 1031 tax-deferred exchange transaction and ensuring critical deadlines are understood and met.  

Course highlights include:

• Section 1031 tax-deferred exchange definitions
• Starker’s Exchange background and application
• U.S. Internal Revenue Code requirements
• IRS Safe Harbor Guidelines
• Investor taxes advantages
• Setting up an exchange
• Selecting a Qualified Intermediary
• Licensee role in a Section 1031 tax-deferred exchange
• The non-exchanger's role in a Section 1031 transaction
• Reverse exchanges
• Rare exemptions to exchange deadlines

Thanks in part to movements such as #MeToo and Time’s Up, sexual harassment and discrimination have moved to the forefront of the national conversation. Responsible agents not only reject sexually predatory behavior but also actively dismantle toxic workplace environments to ensure a safe place for all. It’s up to agents to reject behaviors or ideologies that could damage neighbors, clients, and each other.

In this course, we’ll take a closer look at how sexual harassment is defined and the impact such behavior can have on your clients, your brokerage, and your reputation. Additionally, we’ll discuss actions you can take to ensure that your office is inclusive and welcoming to all, and that your clients’ best interests are always protected. This includes tips for putting together a comprehensive office policy that thoroughly addresses sexual harassment and discrimination.

Course highlights:

• How sexual harassment is defined by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR)
• Protections offered through Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and the federal Fair Housing Act
• Ramifications of sexual harassment within a brokerage, including how it affects clients and customers
• Federal Sexual Harassment Housing Initiative
• Federal and state laws protecting sexual orientation and gender identity in housing
• Landmark legal cases relating to sexual harassment and gender discrimination
• Tips for putting together a comprehensive office policy that addresses sexual harassment and the complaint process
• Activities and scenarios to reinforce key concepts

Note: This course is not designed to meet NAR Fair Housing requirements.