Fair Share: Protecting Consumers and Your Business from Unfair Practices
Real estate professionals wear many hats: expert communicator, attentive listener, trustworthy confidant, obedient servant, loyal advocate, and knowledgeable educator, to name just a few. To juggle these roles effectively—and within the lines of the law—licensees must remain informed. Real estate professionals are in a position to provide an invaluable level of consumer protection as they support consumers through their real estate transactions.
This course explores licensees' role as advocate and educator, and how they can protect consumers and their business from the threats of antitrust and fair housing violations and predatory lending. We'll start by looking at what federal protections are in place to combat these unfair practices. We'll also provide the steps you can proactively take to protect the consumers you work with day in and day out and the business you've worked so hard to create.
Course highlights include:
- Federal antitrust laws and violations
- Avoiding antitrust violations and protecting consumers from them
- Antitrust complaint process and penalties
- Federal fair housing laws and violations
- Redlining, blockbusting, and steering
- Buyer love letters
- Fair housing complaint process and penalties
- Predatory lending
- Truth in Lending Act
- Home Ownership and Equity Protection Act
- Protecting consumers from predatory lending
- Reporting predatory lending
State Requirements For Virginia
Virginia State Requirement Details for Real Estate Salesperson Continuing Education
Renewal Date: License expires every two years on the last day of the initial license month. Renew no earlier than 60 days prior to license expiration.
Hours Required by the State if License Expires Before June 30, 2026: 16 hours
- 8 hours of mandatory course topics
- 3 hours in Ethics & Standards of Conduct
- 2 hours in Fair Housing
- 1 hours in Legal Updates and Emerging Trends
- 1 hours in Real Estate Agency
- 1 hours in Real Estate Contracts
- 8 hours of elective course topics or mandatory course topics
Hours Required by the State if License Expires On or After June 30, 2026: 16 hours
- 11 hours of mandatory course topics
- 3 hours in Ethics & Standards of Conduct
- 2 hours in Fair Housing
- 2 hours in Legal Updates and Emerging Trends
- 2 hours in Real Estate Agency
- 2 hours in Real Estate Contracts
- 5 hours of elective course topics or mandatory course topics
Note: These Continuing Education requirements also apply to inactive experienced salespersons who apply to activate their licenses. No Continuing Education is required of new salespersons in their first two-year license term. However, some new salesperson licensees—upon completion of their 30-hour Post-License Education requirement—may choose to begin taking Continuing Education courses in the six months just prior to renewing their license for the first time. If a new salesperson completes Continuing Education courses in those last six months of the first licensure period, those hours may carry over to the 16-hours required of them during their second two-year licensure term pursuant to 18 VAC 135-20-101.
Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation Real Estate Board
Street Address: 9960 Mayland Drive, Suite 400, Richmond, Virginia 23233-1485
Mailing Address: 9960 Mayland Drive, Suite 400, Richmond, Virginia 23233-1485
Telephone: (804) 367-8526
Email: reboard@dpor.virginia.gov