Question:

What is the new Office Management and Supervision requirement for California Bureau of Real Estate (CalBRE) continuing education (CE)?

Answer:

A real estate licensee’s 45-hour California Bureau of Real Estate (CalBRE) CE renewal requirement now includes three hours of Office Management and Supervision.

The Office Management and Supervision course is mandated by the CalBRE for both brokers and sales agents.

Office Management and Supervision applies to an individual renewing their real estate license when the license:

• expires on or after January 1, 2016; or
• has expired and is within the two-year renewal grace period.

While the need for a minimum of 45 hours of CE to renew a CalBRE license was not altered, the subjects mandated to be studied as part of the 45 CE hours were expanded to include the Office Management and Supervision course.

Sales agents renewing for the first time

The Office Management and Supervision course is optional for sales agents renewing for the first time.

A CalBRE sales agent renewing for the first time needs to complete 45 hours of CE, consisting of:

• 18 hours of Consumer Protection courses;
• 15 hours comprised of five separate three-hour courses in:
  • Agency;
  • Fair Housing;
  • Trust Funds;
  • Ethics; and
  • Risk Management; and
• the remaining 12 hours composed of either Consumer Protection or Consumer Service courses, including the Office Management and Supervision course if they choose to take it.

Editor’s note — first tuesday’s Agency, Fair Housing, Trust Funds, Ethics and Risk Management courses are collectively called AFTER for easy reference.

Brokers renewing for the first time

CalBRE brokers renewing for the first time now need to complete 45 hours of CE, consisting of:

• 18 hours of Consumer Protection courses;
• 18 hours comprised of six separate three-hour courses in:
  • Agency;
  • Fair Housing;
  • Trust Funds;
  • Ethics;
  • Risk Management; and
  • Office Management and Supervision; and
• nine hours composed of Consumer Protection or Consumer Service

Brokers and sales agents beyond first renewal

While brokers and sales agents beyond their first renewal are required to include the Office Management and Supervision course in their 45 CE hours, the CalBRE allows them the option of choosing how to study it.

A licensee may study the Office Management and Supervision material separately or aggregated into an eight-hour “survey” course with the five mandated AFTER courses.

Here, the 45 CE hours will consist of:

• 18 hours of Consumer Protection courses;
• mandated topical courses, structured as either:
  • 18 hours comprised of six separate three-hour courses in:
    • Agency;
    • Fair Housing;
    • Trust Funds;
    • Ethics;
    • Risk Management; and
    • Office Management and Supervision; OR
  • eight hours in a survey course covering all six subjects; and
• the remaining hours composed of Consumer Protection or Consumer Service

first tuesday CE packages

All first tuesday 45-hour CE enrollments automatically include the newly mandated three hours of Office Management and Supervision.

Each CE package includes 18 CE hours consisting of the six three-hour topical courses in Agency, Fair Housing, Trust Funds, Ethics, Risk Management and Office Management and Supervision. Further, licensees choose from an exclusive collection of Consumer Protection courses to satisfy the remaining 27 CE hours, such as Economic Trends in California Real Estate and Landlords, Tenants and Property Management.

Thus, first tuesday CE packages satisfy CalBRE renewal CE requirements for both sales agents and brokers in all situations, whether a first time or subsequent renewal.

Ready to complete your CE? Sign up for a 45-hour CE package online here.

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