Why is Continuing Education so Important for REALTORS®?

LEARNING never stops – and neither should it. As the world around us continues to change and evolve, so must we along with it.

Would you be happy seeing a doctor who had not looked at any medical advances in the past 20 years? Would you be satisfied using a lawyer who had not stayed abreast of legal changes in recent decades?

Of course not – and real estate professionals are in the same boat.

The real estate industry is changing and developing just the same as everything else – from changes in legislation and regulations, through economic cycles, and to marketing platforms, the industry is simply not the same as it once was.

This is neither a good nor bad thing – every drawback has an opposite opportunity if considered correctly – but it remains a fact.

And if you choose to let yourself fall behind you are simply giving business to your competitors.

Many view the hours of compulsory ongoing education REALTORS ®must do each year to be an unnecessary waste of time, a distraction from what they are supposed to be doing to earn a living.

But it is the reverse that is true – a valuable time to take a moment or two out from doing things the way they have always been done, clear your head, refocus your energies and recharge your knowledge base so you can best serve your clients – and in doing so serve yourself.

Of course, it is vital to stay on top of any legal or regulatory changes as a bare minimum, and given realty involves dealing with contracts, negotiations, home inspections, banks, mortgages, and much more there is a lot of law to be aware of and fully understand, particularly if you operate across state lines where there will be even more variations to account for.

But it is not just Law 101 to contend with as a professional real estate agent – the entire market has changed how business is done over the past decade. If you are not on top of your social media – which is a rapidly changing world in itself – then you are missing out on getting your message out to buyers and sellers. Continuing education can help you ensure you are at the cutting edge of your messaging and reach.

And being up to date means you give your clients the best service you possibly can. With the power of the internet on everyone’s phone, it does not take a prospective client to check out things for themselves if they get a feeling you are not on the top of your game – everything from peer reviews of your service to their own crash course in real estate law, as well as contact details for your competitors.

But do it right 0 by being informed, up-to-date and knowledgeable and your prospective clients not only become actual clients but a referral source all of their own, which is most definitely worth a few hours in front of the computer screen staying fully accredited.