It’s hard to believe that 2020 has finally ended and that 2021 is here in all its glory! While we may continue staying indoors and social distancing for a while longer, there are still plenty of opportunities to develop your real estate business and invest in your professional development. Zoom calls haven’t kept buyers from purchasing homes on Boise’s real estate market, and online courses are more accessible than ever.

Whether you are looking to complete all of your Continuing Education Credits for the Idaho Real Estate Commission license renewal, or are planning to invest in new specializations, here is a guide to essential coursework to advance your professional development this year.

Idaho Core Courses

Whether you are working towards your first-time renewal, or a subsequent renewal as a salesperson or broker, you will be required to fulfill two Idaho Core Courses to fulfill Idaho’s CE requirements. Finishing your Core Course requirements well before any deadlines is a practical goal that will save you time and stress while keeping you up to date on local issues and legal adjustments.

When taking a Core Course, you can expect to learn:

  • Legal interpretations for everyday practice
  • Legislative changes that could impact your practice
  • Commission guidelines
  • Case studies and scenarios that reinforce key concepts for your business

Core courses are called “core” for a reason: they are mandatory for all renewals and give you up-to-date information that you need to know to run your real estate business. The Idaho Real Estate Commission works to identify common issues and misunderstandings in Idaho real estate practice and guidelines and goes over these areas in detail to ensure that you are properly informed.

Core Courses with Boise Real Estate School

Right now, you can register for the 2019 and 2020 Idaho Real Estate Commission Core courses with Boise Real Estate School online:

  • 2019 Idaho Real Estate Commission Core, 3 hours – $39.00
  • 2020 Idaho Real Estate Commission Core, 4 hours – $39.00

The 2020 Idaho Real Estate Commission Core will be available through 2021, but the 2019 Core Course will expire at the start of July.

Both courses can be purchased together at a discount with the Idaho Core Package, giving you access to all 7 hours for only $49.00!

Elective Credits

In addition to two Core courses, you need to fulfill 12 elective hours for license renewal. Electives cover a wide range of topics and are usually very specific in their focus. There are well over 12 hours of electives to choose from—Boise Real Estate School offers over 30 hours of electives alone—which means that you have an opportunity to select courses that speak to your interests and specializations as a real estate professional.

If you are taking courses to earn a Professional Designation, Idaho may accept that coursework as a CE credit. Some designations accepted for CE credit in Idaho include:

  • Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR)
  • Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM)
  • Graduate REALTOR® Institute (GRI)
  • Master Certified Sales Professional (NAHB)

Idaho accepts many courses taken in other jurisdictions—including professional designation courses—if necessary. You need to submit a Licensee Request for CE Credit form to the Idaho Real Estate Commission at least 60 days before your Idaho license renewal date to receive credit from out-of-state courses.

Electives with Boise Real Estate School

Boise Real Estate School offers a wide variety of elective coursework to help you fulfill your renewal hours and build on your preferred specializations. Many of our electives are suited for new agents looking to expand their knowledge of fundamental practices—such as appraisal or property management—as well as brush up on their legal training.

Some of our best electives for license renewal include:

  • Real Estate Ethics & Practice (3 hours): It’s very important to understand the foundation of ethical practice when assisting buyers and sellers with their properties. This course guides you through the NAR Code of Ethics and fulfills the NAR triannual ethics requirement. That means you not only fulfill 3 hours of elective credit but meet a regular NAR requirement at the same time!
  • Rights and Limitations of Property Ownership (4 hours): Property ownership can be a powerful asset, but it has its legal limitations and disputes, and conflicts over property rights and the limits of ownership can become very complex very quickly. A thorough understanding of when, how, and why real estate ownership is not absolute is extremely valuable for real estate professionals.
  • Legal Issues (2 hours): Real estate transactions feature a lot of paperwork, technicalities, and legalese. Our course on legal issues identifies the relevant information you need to know—common scenarios, legislation, and best practices—to ensure that your transaction processes are smooth and without unnecessary complications.
  • Fundamentals of Real Estate Appraisal (3 hours): Appraisal plays a foundational role in real estate—appraisals are prepared for tax assessments, lease negotiations, sales of property, lending, and more. This course will guide you through the purpose of appraisal, types of property valuation, four methods for assessing value, and how to produce effective appraisal reports.

These four courses alone can fulfill your elective requirements and the NAR Code of Ethics training. New agents looking to build valuable skills will gain essential legal knowledge for assisting buyers and sellers on the market. 

Boise Real Estate School offers these electives together as a discounted bundle, perfect to help you with your education goals in 2021. The Idaho Elective Package offers all four courses (12 hours of elective credits) for only $98.00.

If you are already familiar with these topics or are looking to specialize elsewhere, don’t worry! Boise Real Estate School has plenty of online classes on everything from Agency Law, Contract Law, Fair Housing, Foreclosure, and Property Management. Our courses are suited to new agents and real estate veterans alike and are ready to help you meet your goals as you advance your real estate education in 2021.

Idaho Licensee Renewal Package

If your 2021 New Year’s resolution is to knock out your required Core courses and electives for license renewal in one go, then we have you covered! Our Idaho Licensee Renewal Package combines our Core Package and Elective Package together to give you all the credits you need to complete your IREC requirements for renewal. That means that you get:

  • 2019 Idaho Real Estate Commission Core
  • 2020 Idaho Real Estate Commission Core
  • Real Estate Ethics & Practice
  • Rights and Limitations of Property Ownership
  • Legal Issues
  • Fundamentals of Real Estate Appraisal

With the Idaho Licensee Renewal Package, you get all 19 hours for only $128.00! This is the perfect package for beginning Real Estate Professionals looking to get a head start on their CE while picking up fundamental best practices.

Interested in investing in an online course package? Want to enroll in individual electives or Core courses? Check out our complete list of courses today!