2006 Education Committee Report

Everyday is a new day, and a new opportunity! Make the most of it.

By Ted Oatts, Chair
Residential Education Committee

Education and Knowledge are the keys that unlock the doors of Wisdom and Opportunity. REALTORS® in central Ohio who want to learn more about the real estate business are blessed because at the Columbus Board of REALTORS® education has been, and remains a core focus area.

Classes on the CBR purchase contract, Top Producer, Tarasoft Titan, CBR Tempo^TM, and Realist are offered regularly throughout the year as are courses that satisfy your core law, ethics and civil rights education requirements. In addition, CBR offers a multitude of interesting courses whose subject matters range from technology to feng shui.

All courses approved for CE are published monthly in this magazine, and available for review/registration 24/7 on www.ColumbusRealtors.com. Just click on the shiny red apple on the right side of the home page. There is always something new for you to learn and discover as a REALTOR®, so sign up for a class today!

New this year, CBR members can also take CE classes online (at a discounted price) because of our partnership with Hondros College. What a great deal!

In 2006, one of the Education Committee's focuses is professional designations. In co-operation with CRS, the 200 class (Business Planning and Marketing for the Residential Specialist) was offered this past March. Since it was a huge success, we are planning another CRS class for early next year.

The online e-Pro designation classes are being taken more than ever because of the fact that most consumers use the internet to search for homes before they personally contact a REALTOR®. Visit www.epronar.com for more info.

Designation and certifications popular with many of our members include:

• ABR - Accredited Buyer Representative Member 
• CCIM - Certified Commercial Investment 
• CIPS - Certified International Property Specialist 
• CRB - Certified Real Estate Brokerage Manager 
• CRS - Certified Residential Specialist 
• e-Pro - Internet Certification Program 
• FIS - Foreclosure Intervention Specialist 
• GRI - Graduate, REALTOR® Institute 
• LTG - Leadership Training Graduate (through WCR) 
• SIOR - Society of Industrial and Office REALTORS®

Nearly 100 agents attended the first of three 30-hour Foreclosure Intervention Specialist (FIS) courses in May. This course was the first course in the series to obtain the FIS Certification. There are two other levels which CBR will be offering on December 4-6. For those who were unable to attend Level 1, this course will be offered again November 28-29. There will also be a bonus 2-hour session, "Building Your Business Using Foreclosure Intervention Techniques" on the first evening of Level 3 (December 5). Be sure to mark your calendars for these important courses.

In addition, our 2006 curriculum has included: Everything You Need to Know to Successfully Sell Condominiums; Complying with the Fair Housing Act, At Home with Diversity; Train the Trainer: Consumer Information for the Affordable Housing Market; Loss Mitigation: The Short Sale; and Bidding on HUD Homes.

 Coming attractions include . . . 

• Joe Testa, Franklin Co. Auditor, will be back at CBR to talk about the information available to REALTORS® online.
• Terry Watson, nationally known motivational speaker will be our CE speaker at Sales Associates Day (10/26/06). 
• 1031 Tax-Deferred Exchanges 
• Advertising/Marketing Real Estate Teams 
• CRS 204 (early 2007)

CE just doesn't get any better than this!

And don't forget our CBR library -- a great resource filled with CD's, DVD's, tapes, and books. We welcome donations of library materials that will benefit others.

A huge thanks to our Professional Development staff liaison, Lucy Hadley, who makes sure that the doors of Wisdom and Opportunity are available to all of us who will simply use the keys!

Remember . . . Everyday is a new day, and a new opportunity! Make the most of it.