Growing Green: Environmental Awareness and Your Real Estate Practice
Whether you're representing a seller who's listing a high-efficiency home or working with a buyer to find one, it's important to be able to recognize a home's green features and the value they bring to the property. This means understanding the benefit of big-ticket green items such as solar panels, wind turbines, geothermal heating and cooling systems, solar water heaters, or even energy-efficient windows, as well as knowing the value in quick-and-easy updates like low-flow faucets, LED lighting, and smart thermostats. It also means knowing the difference between HERS and HES and SEER and LEED. Of course, greening up a home isn't cheap. Letting your clients know about available federal and state programs and incentives is another way you can ensure your clients are getting the best service around.
Course highlights include:
- An overview of the green home movement
- Green terminology, certifications, and ratings
- A review of energy-efficient upgrades, including solar panels, wind turbines, geothermal heating and cooling systems, solar water heaters, and more
- Tips for assisting green homebuyers and sellers
- A review of the FHA's Energy Efficient Mortgage and the 203(k) Rehabilitation Mortgage programs
- Qualifications for the DOE's Weatherization Assistance Program
- Interactive activities and scenarios to seal in the new information and frame it in everyday context
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