The rise and fall of real estate brokers and agents
This article analyzes the historical population of active DRE licensees, with discussions and forecasts about future licensing trends.
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Category: Fundamentals
Form-of-the-Week: Partial payment agreement — Forms 558 and 559
Commercial landlords and tenants agreeing to partial payments use RPI Form 558, and residential landlords and tenants use RPI Form 559. The forms commit to writing the portion of remaining delinquent rent the tenant owes the landlord, the date the balance is due, and when not paid by the due date, what action the landlord may take to enforce payment.
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The seller agent and the prospective buyer
Learn the difference between a broker’s specific agency duty owed only to their client and the limited general duty they owe to others in a transaction and how to observe and disclose conditions adversely affecting value and qualify statements when they are opinions, not facts.
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The diligent effort for an opinion of value
WLearn the due diligence obligations required from a broker to a client when performing, drafting, delivering and maintaining records for a broker price opinion (BPO).
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Mortgage complaint trends
Compliance doesn’t prevent all consumer complaints, but it goes a long way toward happier customers and borrowers — and better business for MLOs.
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DRE Bulletin Digest: Winter 2026
The Winter 2026 Real Estate Bulletin lays out the California Department of Real Estate’s expectations for ethical conduct by its licensees in the age of ARMs, digital brokerages, and AI.
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Form-of-the-Week: Credit report disclosure forms for originating an SFR mortgage — Forms 302, 217, 217-1, 217-2 and 219
A mortgage loan originator (MLO) processing an SFR mortgage application pulls a credit report, advises the applicant of the credit agency’s score and any derogatory financial information which suggests adverse action on the application. Critical to approval, the applicant provides the MLO with explanations for the derogatory items so the MLO can process the application.
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Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac accept new credit score model
Lenders and MLOs now have more Enterprise-approved options for qualifying homebuyers with thin credit histories.
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The representation of a seller-client
Learn how to manage licensed activities as a seller agent from soliciting a seller-client and organizing the marketing of their property through closing a transaction.
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CFPB cuts into mortgage discrimination rules
A new CFPB federal rule shaves down the definition for what lender actions qualify as mortgage discrimination.
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Designated officer missteps
This article presents three real-life scenarios in which each licensed brokerage corporation’s designated officer conducted unlawful activities which led to disciplinary and enforcement actions by the DRE.
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Changing a real estate corporation’s Designated Officer
Avoid the cancellation of licenses attached to a corporate license by following proper DRE procedures to make Designated Officer changes.
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A Designated Officer’s diligence guidance
Learn about a designated officer’s duties to maintain corporate and employee compliance with Real Estate Law.
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California’s for-sale inventory growth: buyer caution rises faster than owner need to sell
In early 2025, low-tier priced housing has the lowest level of inventory available for sale or rent.
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Duties owed by designated officers
Learn how an individual becomes a designated officer of a DRE-licensed corporation and provides supervision and oversight of all its employees for compliance with real estate law.
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Home sales volume impacts sales agent licensing and renewals
View California sales agent trends from 2002-present, and examine the effect of home sales volume on licensing.
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Form-of-the-Week: Purchase Agreement with Short Sale Contingency, and Deed-in-Lieu of Foreclosure — Forms 150-5 and 406
Alternative methods to a foreclosure sale on mortgaged property include a short sale and a deed-in-lieu of foreclosure. RPI Form 150-5 allows a buyer to purchase a property when the mortgage holder agrees to take a reduced payoff to satisfy the debt and clear title. RPI Form 406 allows an owner to deed their property directly to their mortgage holder.
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Referral fees to transaction agents from third-party providers prohibited
Learn to identify impermissible fees for your referral of a transaction participant to a third-party provider as a duplicate charge and a prohibited kickback and establish broker-owned services and refer clients to use them to capture legally entitled profit from transactional services otherwise received by third-party providers.
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Condition of property: the owner’s disclosures for symmetric information
Learn the seller broker duty to inspect and disclose their observations and knowledge about a property’s condition to prospective buyers, preparation and delivery of the seller’s Transfer Disclosure Statement (TDS) and recognize the home inspection report (HIR) as a risk mitigation activity.
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