Part VI. Schools
18VAC135-20-350. Definitions.
The following words and terms when used in this part, unless a different meaning is provided or is plainly required by the context, shall have the following meanings:
"Accredited university, college, community college, or other school or educational institution," as used in § 54.1-2105 B 1 a of the Code of Virginia, means those accredited institutions of higher learning approved by the Virginia Council of Higher Education or listed in the Transfer Credit Practices of Designated Educational Institutions, published by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers.
"Class hour/clock hour" means 50 minutes.
"Equivalent course" means any course encompassing the basic educational curriculum of Virginia courses and approved by the board.
"Proprietary school" means (i) a privately owned school, (ii) a real estate professional association, or (iii) a related entity, which is not under the authority of the Department of Education, but approved by the Real Estate Board to teach real estate courses.
"Provider" means an accredited university, college, community college or high school offering adult distributive education courses, or a proprietary school.
Statutory Authority
§ 54.1-2105 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from VR585-01-1 § 7.1, eff. July 15, 1987; amended, Virginia Register Volume 5, Issue 23, eff. October 1, 1989; Volume 7, Issue 14, eff. May 15, 1991; Volume 8, Issue 13, eff. May 15, 1992; Volume 11, Issue 18, eff. June 28, 1995; Volume 15, Issue 5, eff. January 1, 1999.
18VAC135-20-360. Proprietary school standards, instructor qualifications and course requirements.
A. Every applicant to the Real Estate Board for a proprietary school certificate shall meet the standards provided in subsection A of § 54.1-2105.02 of the Code of Virginia by submitting a CPA-certified letter attesting to the applicant's net worth or a balance sheet or financial statement certified to be accurate by the applicant. Such applicant shall show a minimum net worth of $2,000.
B. Every applicant to the Real Estate Board for certification as an instructor for prelicense education must meet two of the qualifications outlined in subdivisions 1 through 6 of this subsection:
1. A baccalaureate degree, an active Virginia real estate broker's license, and two consecutive years of discipline-free active real estate experience immediately prior to application;
2. An active Virginia real estate broker's license and five consecutive years of discipline-free active real estate experience immediately prior to application;
3. A professional designation such as, but not limited to, Accredited Land Consultant (ALC), Certified Residential Specialist (CRS), Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM), Certified Property Manager (CPM), Certified Residential Broker (CRB), Counselor Real Estate (CRE), Member Appraisal Institute (MAI), Society Industrial Office Realtors (SIOR), Senior Residential Appraiser (SRA), or Senior Real Estate Property Appraiser (SRPA);
4. A fully designated membership of the Real Estate Educators Association holding the Designated Real Estate Instructor (DREI) designation;
5. Possession of a valid teaching credential or certificate issued by the Commonwealth of Virginia or any other state with qualifications that are equal to or exceed Virginia teacher qualifications, or at least five years of teaching experience in an accredited public, private, or parochial school or an accredited junior college, college, or university; and
6. An attorney member of the Virginia State Bar who is engaged in the field of real estate-related law.
7. The board shall also consider evaluations from previous education courses the applicant has instructed and recommendations of course providers, coordinators, administrators, and institutions that have employed the applicant.
8. The board may waive the requirements of subdivisions 1 through 6 of this subsection upon review of proof of experience in related fields of real estate. The board has discretion to deny an applicant who has been the subject of a disciplinary action.
C. Every applicant to the Real Estate Board for approval as an instructor for continuing education and post license education shall have expertise in a specific field of real estate with at least three years of active experience and will teach only in the area of the applicant's expertise. Such applicants will be required to furnish proof of expertise, possibly including educational transcripts, professional certificates, letters of reference (a maximum of three), a resume, or any other type of documentation that will verify the applicant's expertise.
D. Prelicense courses must be acceptable to the board, be taught by a certified prelicense instructor, and are required to have a monitored, final written examination. Online distance learning courses must include a timer requiring licensees to be actively engaged online learning course content for at least 50 minutes to receive one hour of credit. Those schools which propose to offer prelicensing courses (Principles and Practices of Real Estate, Real Estate Brokerage, Real Estate Finance, Real Estate Law or Real Estate Appraisal, etc.) must submit a request, in writing, to the board prior to offering the courses and supply the following information:
1. Course content. All Principles and Practices of Real Estate courses must include the 25 topic areas specified in 18VAC135-20-400. All requests to offer broker courses must include a course syllabus acceptable to the board;
2. Name of the course's text and any research materials used for study assignments;
3. Description of any research assignments;
4. Copies of test or quizzes;
5. Information explaining how the "Principles" course will require 60 hours of study, or how each broker-related course will require 45 hours of study, in compliance with § 54.1-2105 of the Code of Virginia; and
6. Information about recordkeeping for the type of course delivery.
E. Providers of continuing education and post license education courses shall submit all subjects to the board for approval prior to initially offering the course. Correspondence and other distance learning courses offered by an approved provider must include appropriate testing procedures to verify completion of the course, including requiring licensees who complete correspondence or other distance learning courses to file a notarized affidavit certifying compliance with the course requirements with the education provider or with the licensee's own records. Online distance learning courses must include a timer requiring licensees to be actively engaged online learning course content for at least 50 minutes to receive one hour of credit. The board shall approve courses and the number of hours approved for each course based on the relevance of the subject to the performance of the duties set forth in § 54.1-2100 of the Code of Virginia.
F. Approval of prelicense, continuing education, and post license education courses shall expire on December 31 three years from the year in which the approval was issued, as indicated on the approval document.
G. All schools must establish and maintain a record for each student. The record shall include: the student's name and address, the course name and clock hours attended, the course syllabus or outline, the name of the instructor, the date of successful completion, and the board's course code. Records shall be available for inspection during normal business hours by authorized representatives of the board. Schools must maintain all student and class records for a minimum of five years.
H. All schools must provide each student with a certificate of course completion or other documentation that the student may use as proof of course completion. Such documentation shall contain the student's name, school name, course name, course approval number, course completion date, hours of credit completed, and a statement that the course is "Approved by the Real Estate Board."
I. All providers of continuing education or post license education courses shall electronically transmit course completion data to the board in an approved format within five business days of the completion of each individual course. The transmittal will include each student's name, license number, or social security number; the date of successful completion of the course; the school's code; and the board's code.
Statutory Authority
§§ 54.1-201 and 54.1-2105 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from VR585-01-1 § 7.2, eff. July 15, 1987; amended, Virginia Register Volume 5, Issue 23, eff. October 1, 1989; Volume 7, Issue 14, eff. May 15, 1991; Volume 8, Issue 13, eff. May 15, 1992; Volume 11, Issue 18, eff. June 28, 1995; Volume 15, Issue 5, eff. January 1, 1999; Volume 19, Issue 12, eff. April 1, 2003; Volume 24, Issue 11, eff. April 1, 2008; Volume 31, Issue 26, eff. November 1, 2015; Volume 41, Issue 2, eff. November 1, 2024.
18VAC135-20-370. Fees.
A. The application fee for an original certificate for a proprietary school shall be $265.
B. The renewal fee for proprietary school certificates expiring every two years from the last day of the month in which they were issued shall be $135.
C. If the requirements for renewal of a proprietary school certificate, including receipt of the fee by the board, are not completed within 30 days of the expiration date noted on the certificate, a reinstatement fee of $205 is required. A certificate may be reinstated for up to one year following the expiration date with payment of the reinstatement fee. After one year, the certificate may not be reinstated under any circumstances and the applicant must meet all requirements and apply as a new applicant. If the renewal requirements are not completed within 30 days of the expiration date noted on the proprietary school approval, the proprietary school shall no longer offer board-approved courses.
D. The application for an original prelicense education instructor certificate shall be $265.
E. The renewal fee for a prelicense instructor certificate expiring every two years from the last day of the month in which it was issued shall be $115.
F. If the requirements for renewal of an instructor certificate, including receipt of the fee by the board, are not completed within 30 days of the expiration date on the certificate, a reinstatement fee of $170 is required. A certificate may be reinstated for up to one year following the expiration date with payment of the reinstatement fee. After one year, the certificate may not be reinstated under any circumstances and the applicant must meet all requirements and apply as a new applicant.
G. The board in its discretion may deny renewal of a certificate for the same reasons it may deny initial approval.
Statutory Authority
§§ 54.1-113, 54.1-201, and 54.1-2105 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from VR585-01-1 § 7.3, eff. July 15, 1987; amended, Virginia Register Volume 5, Issue 23, eff. October 1, 1989; Volume 7, Issue 14, eff. May 15, 1991; Volume 8, Issue 13, eff. May 15, 1992; Volume 11, Issue 18, eff. June 28, 1995; Volume 14, Issue 6, eff. January 8, 1998; Volume 15, Issue 5, eff. January 1, 1999; Volume 15, Issue 18, eff. July 1, 1999; Volume 19, Issue 12, eff. April 1, 2003; Volume 20, Issue 23, eff. September 1, 2004; Volume 24, Issue 11, eff. April 1, 2008; Volume 41, Issue 1, eff. October 1, 2024.
18VAC135-20-380. Posting school certificate of approval and instructor certificates.
Copies of school certificates of approval and instructor certificates, if applicable, must be available at the location a course is taught.
Statutory Authority
§ 54.1-2105 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from VR585-01-1 § 7.4, eff. July 15, 1987; amended, Virginia Register Volume 5, Issue 23, eff. October 1, 1989; Volume 7, Issue 14, eff. May 15, 1991; Volume 8, Issue 13, eff. May 15, 1992; Volume 11, Issue 18, eff. June 28, 1995; Volume 15, Issue 5, eff. January 1, 1999.
18VAC135-20-390. Withdrawal of approval.
The board may withdraw approval of any school, course or instructor for the following reasons:
1. The school, instructors, courses, or subjects no longer meet the standards established by the board.
2. The school or instructor solicits information from any person for the purpose of discovering past examination questions or questions which may be used in future examinations.
3. The school or instructor distributes to any person copies of examination questions, or otherwise communicates to any person examination questions, without receiving the prior written approval of the copyright owner to distribute or communicate those questions.
4. The school, through an agent or otherwise, advertises its services in a fraudulent, deceptive or misrepresentative manner.
5. Officials, instructors or designees of the school sit for a real estate licensing examination for any purpose other than to obtain a license as a broker or salesperson.
Statutory Authority
§ 54.1-2105 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from VR585-01-1 § 7.5, eff. July 15, 1987; amended, Virginia Register Volume 5, Issue 23, eff. October 1, 1989; Volume 7, Issue 14, eff. May 15, 1991; Volume 8, Issue 13, eff. May 15, 1992; Volume 11, Issue 18, eff. June 28, 1995; Volume 15, Issue 5, eff. January 1, 1999; Volume 24, Issue 11, eff. April 1, 2008.
18VAC135-20-400. Course content of real estate principles and practices.
The following shall be included in the four-semester-hour or six-quarter-hour course which shall not have less than 60 class hours:
1. Economy and social impact of real estate
2. Real estate market and analysis
3. Property rights
4. Contracts
5. Deeds
6. Mortgages and deeds of trust
7. Types of mortgages
8. Leases
9. Liens
10. Home ownership
11. Real property and title insurance
12. Investment
13. Taxes in real estate
14. Real estate financing
15. Brokerage and agency contract responsibilities
16. Real estate marketing
17. Real property management
18. Search, examination, and registration of title
19. Title closing
20. Appraisal of residential and income producing property
21. Planning subdivision developments and condominiums
22. Regulatory statutes
23. Housing legislation
24. Fair housing statutes
25. Real Estate Board regulations
Statutory Authority
§ 54.1-2105 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from VR585-01-1 § 7.6, eff. July 15, 1987; amended, Virginia Register Volume 5, Issue 23, eff. October 1, 1989; Volume 7, Issue 14, eff. May 15, 1991; Volume 8, Issue 13, eff. May 15, 1992; Volume 11, Issue 18, eff. June 28, 1995; Volume 15, Issue 5, eff. January 1, 1999.
18VAC135-20-410. Broker courses.
A. Brokerage shall be a required specific course with three semester hours or six quarter hours, but not less than 45 class hours, constituting a complete course.
B. "Related subjects," as referred to in § 54.1-2105 of the Code of Virginia, shall be real estate related and shall include, but are not limited to, courses in property management, land planning and land use, business law, real estate economics, and real estate investments.
C. No more than 45 class hours of broker-related courses shall be accepted in lieu of specific broker courses set forth in § 54.1-2105 of the Code of Virginia.
D. Schools intending to offer equivalent broker courses must submit to the board for approval a copy of the syllabus of the particular course with a cover letter requesting approval.
Statutory Authority
§§ 54.1-201 and 54.1-2105 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from VR585-01-1 § 7.7, eff. July 15, 1987; amended, Virginia Register Volume 5, Issue 23, eff. October 1, 1989; Volume 7, Issue 14, eff. May 15, 1991; Volume 8, Issue 13, eff. May 15, 1992; Volume 11, Issue 18, eff. June 28, 1995; Volume 15, Issue 5, eff. January 1, 1999; Volume 19, Issue 12, eff. April 1, 2003.
18VAC135-20-420. (Repealed.)
Historical Notes
Derived from VR585-01-1 §§ 7.8 to 7.10, eff. July 15, 1987; amended, Virginia Register Volume 5, Issue 23, eff. October 1, 1989; Volume 7, Issue 14, eff. May 15, 1991; Volume 8, Issue 13, eff. May 15, 1992; Volume 11, Issue 18, eff. June 28, 1995; repealed, Virginia Register Volume 15, Issue 5, eff. January 1, 1999.