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 Washington
Washington State Requirement Details for Real Estate Continuing Education
Renewal Date: Every two years
Hours Required: 30 hours
Renewal for Brokers:
First Renewal:
- 30-hour Advanced Practices Course
- 30-hour Real Estate Law Course
- 3-hour Current Issues in Washington Residential Real Estate Course
- 6-hour Wasington Real Estate Fair Housing Course
- 21 hours of other approved continuing education
You must start these hours after the date you're first licensed. If you haven't taken the initial 6-hour Washington Real Estate Fair Housing course, you must take it first.
- Once you've taken the initial 6-hour course, you must take the 3-hour Washington Real Estate Fair Housing course each time you renew.
- At least 30 hours, including:
- 3-hour Current Issues in Washington Residential Real Estate Course
- 3-hour Washington Real Estate Fair Housing Course
- At least 27 hours other approved continuing education
- At least 15 hours must be completed within 24 months of your renewal date.
- You may also use up to 15 hours of unused continuing education completed within 48 months of your renewal date.
Inactive renewals
- No Continuing Education required to renew an inactive license.
- If you want to activate your license, you may need to meet the education requirements for an active license.
Renewal for Managing Brokers:
- At least 30 hours, including:
- 3–hour Core Course
- 3-hour Fair Housing Course
- At least 24 hours other approved continuing education
- At least 15 hours must be completed within 24 months of your renewal date.
- You may also use up to 15 hours of unused continuing education completed within 48 months of your renewal date.
- The hours must be started after the date of first licensure as a managing broker.
Washington State Department of Licensing
Street Address: 2000 Fourth Avenue West, Olympia, WA 98502
Mailing Address (Forms with no payments): P.O. Box 9021, Olympia, WA 98507-9021
Mailing Address (Forms with payments): P.O. Box 3917, Seattle, WA 98124-3917
Telephone: 360.664.6488
Fax: 360.586.0998