Part VI. Schools
18VAC135-20-350. (Repealed.)
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 January 1, 1999; repealed, Virginia Register Volume 42, Issue 14, eff. April 1, 2026.
18VAC135-20-360. Certification of proprietary schools.
Every applicant to the board for a proprietary school certificate must meet the standards provided in subsection A of § 54.1-2105.02 of the Code of Virginia by submitting a CPA-certified (i) letter attesting to the applicant's net worth or (ii) a balance sheet or financial statement. Such applicant must show a minimum net worth of $2,000.
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; Volume 42, Issue 14, eff. April 1, 2026.
18VAC135-20-361. Certification of instructors.
A. Every applicant to the board for certification as an instructor for prelicense education must meet two of the qualifications outlined in subdivisions 1 through 7 of this subsection:
| Prerequisite Credential | Education | Experience |
1. | Active real estate broker license | Baccalaureate degree or higher | Two consecutive years of active real estate experience immediately prior to application. |
2. | Active real estate broker license | N/A | Five consecutive years of active real estate experience immediately prior to application. |
3. | A professional designation that has been approved by the board. | N/A | N/A |
4. | Fully designated membership of the Real Estate Educators Association holding the Designated Real Estate Instructor (DREI) designation. | N/A | N/A |
5. | Valid teaching credential issued by the Commonwealth of Virginia, or any other state with qualifications that are equal to or exceed Virginia teacher qualifications. | N/A | N/A |
6. | N/A | N/A | At least five years of teaching experience in the real estate field or at an accredited university, college, community college, or educational institution, or their equivalent. |
7. | Attorney member of the Virginia State Bar who is engaged in the field of real estate-related law. | N/A | N/A |
The board may waive the requirements of subdivisions 1 through 7 of subsection A upon review of proof of substantially equivalent qualifications.
B. Every applicant to the board for certification as an instructor for continuing education and post-license education must have expertise in a specific field of real estate with at least three years of active experience in that field in the five years immediately preceding the date of application and must teach only in the area of such applicant's expertise. Such applicants must furnish proof of expertise. Proof of expertise may include (i) educational transcripts, (ii) professional certificates, (iii) no more than three letters of reference, (iv) a resume, or (v) any other type of documentation that verifies an applicant's experience.
C. The board has discretion to deny an applicant who has been the subject of a disciplinary action.
Statutory Authority
§§ 54.1-201 and 54.1-2105 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 42, Issue 14, eff. April 1, 2026.
18VAC135-20-362. Approval of courses.
A. Prelicense courses must be acceptable to the board, be taught by a certified prelicense instructor, and are required to have a monitored, final written assessment. All courses offered by an approved provider must include a mechanism designed to ensure reasonably that licensees are actively engaged for each class hour. Schools applying for approval to offer prelicense education courses must (i) electronically submit an application on a form prescribed by the board; (ii) gain approval by the board prior to initially offering the course; and (iii) supply the following information:
1. Course syllabus;
a. All Principles and Practices of Real Estate courses must include the topic areas specified in 18VAC135-20-400.
b. All requests to offer broker courses must include a course syllabus acceptable to the board;
2. Name of the course text and any research materials used for study assignments;
3. Description of any research assignments;
4. Copies of proficiency assessments, tests, or quizzes; and
5. Information about recordkeeping for the type of course delivery.
B. Continuing education and post-license education course requirements.
1. Schools applying for approval to teach continuing education and post-license education courses must electronically submit an application on a form prescribed by the board and gain approval by the board prior to initially offering the course.
2. All courses offered by an approved provider must include a mechanism designed to ensure reasonable that licensees are actively engaged for each class hour.
3. 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.
4. The board will 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.
5. Course content must be specific to the current laws and regulations of Virginia where applicable.
C. Approval of prelicense, continuing education, and post-license education courses, as well as post-license and continuing education instructors, will expire three years from the last day of the month in which the approval was granted by the board.
D. All schools must establish and maintain a record for each student. The record must include:
1. The student's name and address;
2. The course name and clock hours attended;
3. The course syllabus or outline;
4. The name of the instructor;
5. The date of successful completion; and
6. The board's course code.
Records must 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.
E. 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 must contain:
1. The student's name;
2. School name;
3. Course name;
4. Course approval number;
5. Course completion date;
6. Hours of credit completed; and
7. A statement that the course is "Approved by the Real Estate Board."
F. All providers of prelicense, continuing education, or post-license education courses must electronically transmit course completion data to the board in an approved format and method within five business days of the completion of each individual course.
G. All schools must appropriately update their course materials to reflect changes in applicable law or regulation when those changes take effect. Such changes do not require separate approval.
Statutory Authority
§§ 54.1-201 and 54.1-2105 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 42, Issue 14, eff. April 1, 2026.
18VAC135-20-370. (Repealed.)
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; repealed, Virginia Register Volume 42, Issue 14, eff. April 1, 2026.
18VAC135-20-380. (Repealed.)
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; repealed, Virginia Register Volume 42, Issue 14, eff. April 1, 2026.
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 that 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 the school's 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.
6. A school or instructor fails to ensure the timely and accurate electronic transmission of course completion data.
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; Volume 42, Issue 14, eff. April 1, 2026.
18VAC135-20-400. Course content of real estate principles and practices.
The following must be included in the four-semester-hour or six-quarter-hour course. Such course must be at least 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 agreements 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, and
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; Volume 42, Issue 14, eff. April 1, 2026.
18VAC135-20-410. Broker courses.
A. Brokerage must be a required specific course with three semester hours or six quarter hours, but at least 45 class hours, constituting a complete course.
B. "Related subjects," as referred to in § 54.1-2105 of the Code of Virginia, must be real estate related, including 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 will be accepted in lieu of specific broker courses set forth in § 54.1-2105 of the Code of Virginia.
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; Volume 42, Issue 14, eff. April 1, 2026.
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.