The Center for Realtor Development Review

The Center for Realtor Development is an entirely online educational platform that offers learning opportunities, continuing education classes, certifications, and designations to Realtors. It is owned and run by NAR and doesn’t operate like a traditional real estate school. Instead it offers learning pathways, tools, and classes to help Realtors with their specializations, stay up-to-date on the changing market, and learn more about the industry. 

Pros Explained

• Continuing education classes offered in 47 states: Continuing education classes offered in every state except New Hampshire, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. An interactive map shows you what classes are available in your state. 
• Online chat: Online chat option to get a quick question answered. This is available seven days a week. 
• Designations for different niches: Choose a designation to learn more about that niche and boost your resume. You can choose from buyer designations to commercial real estate designations.  

Cons Explained

• No in-person classes: Classes are only offered online, so you will need to choose another school if you want to participate in an on-campus class. 
• No pre-licensing courses: If you’re new to real estate and want to get licensed, this isn’t the school for you. No pre-licensing classes are offered. 
• Outdated website: The website isn’t particularly difficult to navigate, but it is a bit slow and outdated and could use a makeover.   

Available Courses

The Center for Realtor Development offers continuing education classes, certifications, and designations, in addition to safety classes. However, it does not offer pre-licensing real estate agent or broker courses. There are no exam prep or post-licensing classes, either. Nor are there any licensing classes in the appraisal, mortgage lending, or home inspection fields. 

Certifications

A real estate certification recognizes that the Realtor who has completed the certification is knowledgeable and educated in this particular field. It’s a way to separate more seasoned professionals from newbies and it is taken in addition to any pre-licensing or continuing education requirements. Certifications and designations are similar but cover different topics, and certifications often require fewer qualifications than designations. For example, they may not require a certain number of completed transactions that a designation may require. 

The Center for Realtor Development offers eight certifications for Realtors. Prices and requirements vary, but you generally need to be in good standing with NAR, complete the course, submit an application, and pay the fees. Certification topics include: At Home with Diversity, Certified Real Estate Team Specialist, NAR’s e-Pro Certification, Military Relocation Professional, Pricing Strategy Advisor, Resort and Second Home Property Specialist, Real Estate Negotiating Expert, and Short Sale and Foreclosure Resource. Expect to pay anywhere from $75 to $200 per certification. 

Designations

Designations are specialized credentials offered to Realtors. These demonstrate to the general public that this Realtor has knowledge and education in a particular field, such as representing buyers, working with sellers, or managing a brokerage. These designations are often put on business cards and marketing materials. 

The Center for Realtor Development offers eight different designations: 

• Accredited Buyer’s Representative
• Certified International Property Specialist
• Certified Real Estate Brokerage Manager
• Certified Residential Specialist
• NAR’s Green Designation
• Institute of Real Estate Management
• Seller Representative Specialist
• Seniors Real Estate Specialist

Prices vary from $99 to over $770. Some designations also require additional member dues. Information for each specific designation is listed on the website. 

Continuing Education

Continuing education classes are offered by the Center for Realtor Development in 47 states. The only states that continuing education classes aren’t offered are New Hampshire, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. The school partners up with The CE Shop in some states to offer a variety of topics, core classes, and electives. 

You can click on the map and see the classes offered in your state. However, state-required continuing education hours aren’t listed, so it’s important to check out your state’s real estate commission website to make sure you complete enough continuing education classes each renewal period. Prices for classes start at $29.95 and go to over $295. The more expensive classes typically count as both continuing education elective credits and a designation course. 

Other Courses

In addition to certifications, designation classes, and continuing education classes, the Center for Realtor Development also offers Code of Ethics classes and safety classes. Two and one-half hours of Code of Ethics classes must be completed every three year cycle to maintain your NAR membership. The current cycle ends December 31, 2021. These classes are three hours long and range from free to $29.95 per class. The $29.95 classes also count toward continuing education hours. 

The safety classes are free and are designed to keep Realtors safe in a variety of situations. They cover topics such as being aware of your surroundings, empowerment, being an easy target, and social media tips. 

Course Format

The Center for Realtor Development offers online self-paced courses in a variety of real estate disciplines. All necessary materials are included in a digital format for each class. Classes are designed to be engaging and meet all of the requirements for that state, designation, or certification. You have access to most classes including designation classes for 12 months from the time of purchase. Once you click on a course, it will give you a description, system requirements, and steps to complete the course or designation. 

For example, a Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS) designation requires the completion of two core classes and three electives. You must also be an NAR member in good standing, complete 100 elective credits, and submit an application.  

Instructors

The Center for Realtor Development partners with The CE Shop for some of its continuing education courses, so the instructors who teach these courses have bios on The CE Shop website and are all experts in their respective fields. However, the Center for Realtor Development doesn’t have its own instructor bios or contact details for any instructors. Keep in mind that all classes do adhere to NAR’s guidelines and requirements, so each class will be informative and present accurate information regardless of the instructor. 

Reputation

The Center for Realtor Development has a positive reputation in the real estate industry but isn’t as well known outside of the industry. For instance, most pre-licensing students haven’t heard of it, but licensed Realtors have. It has decades of industry experience and is owned and operated by a reputable and large organization, NAR. 

However, the school doesn’t have any student reviews or testimonials and lacks the accreditation some other real estate schools have. This means that the two major institutions that award accreditation, ARELLO and IDECC, determined that the Center for Realtor Development didn’t meet their strict standards. 

Price

The Center for Realtor Development offers continuing education classes that start at around $29.95 per class. This is in line with most other real estate schools. Its safety courses for Realtors are free, and its certifications vary based on topic. For example, the Military Relocation Professional Certification Course is currently on sale for $130. Designation prices also vary depending on the subjects covered; the Accredited Buyers Representative (ABR) course costs $295. 

Customer Service

Customer service at the Center for Realtor Development can be reached via online chat, phone, or email. Your questions may also be answered in the website's FAQ section. Business hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. EST and Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST. Responding within four business hours is the school’s goal for all communication. The phone number is 1 (877) 762- 9322, the email address is support@learninglibrary.com, and the website is www.onlinelearning.realtor.

Competition: The Center for Realtor Development vs.The CE Shop

The CE Shop is an ARELLO-accredited online real estate school that has positive student reviews, years of industry experience, and offers affordable online real estate classes in multiple states. It is also known for its variety of interesting continuing education class topics. 

The Center for Realtor Development and The CE Shop are both online real estate schools that offer continuing education classes in a variety of states. Both schools also have online chat options and FAQs. That’s where the similarities end, though. The Center for Realtor Development is specifically for licensed Realtors, and The CE Shop is for aspiring and current real estate agents and brokers in various stages of their careers. The CE Shop is the better overall school based on its accreditation, vast course offerings, and easy-to-use website.

Learn More

Our Methodology: How We Review Real Estate Schools

We researched and analyzed numerous facets of each real estate school with a quantitative approach in mind. Some of the elements considered include costs of the classes, course formats, accreditation, and former student reviews. We also look at the overall reputation of the provider, geographic areas where the courses are available, and instructor qualifications. Additionally, we assess how easy it is to navigate the website and whether it includes additional student resources such as blogs, webinars, and career tips.