JAMES WETZEL
Wants guidelines

A proposal to offer online continuing education courses to Realtors has riled some in the industry.

Some local Realtor groups fear that the plan – offered by the Massachusetts Association of Realtors – will cut into the revenue they get from the in-person courses they already provide. Continuing education courses are a significant source of non-dues revenue for the associations, particularly at a time when membership has dropped off.

Members of the Eastern Middlesex Association of Realtors said they do not support online continuing education. Jan Triglione, a Reading broker who is EMAR president, said nothing can beat a live instructor.

“The online [classes] eliminate the opportunities for students to ask questions and for them to experience the presentation of real-life situations,” said Triglione, principal of Premier Realty Group Inc. “Our goal as an association is to raise the bar of professionalism, and our fear is that online education will lower the standard.”

In a May newsletter to EMAR members, Triglione indicated that online courses would hurt the local associations financially.

“Losing [continuing education] class revenues would have a tremendous impact on our bottom line,” she wrote.

EMAR has a real estate academy that offers weekly continuing education courses. Realtors are required to take 12 hours of continuing education to renew their licenses.

Massachusetts is one of only a few states in the country that does not allow for online continuing education. Many association executives and Realtors say providing the courses online is overdue.

“I think most associations are definitely in favor of it,” said Edward W. Moore, executive vice president of the Realtor Association of Pioneer Valley. The association offers two to three courses a week year-round, which draw an average of 20 to 25 participants per class.

“I think any type of delivery system that will benefit the licensees and protect the public is beneficial,” Moore said.

A survey that MAR sent to members in April showed that most respondents were in favor of some form of online continuing education. John Dulzcewski, who is part of a task force exploring the issue, said half of the more than 1,350 survey respondents said they support online continuing education classes, while 34 percent said it was a good idea but that some courses should be taught in the classroom.

Dulczewski said MAR is considering several models for bringing online continuing education to the state, including raising membership dues to pay for course development and then offering the courses for free. As part of that arrangement, MAR would funnel some money to the local associations.

But association executives have indicated they’re opposed to MAR increasing dues.

MAR is also considering:

• whether to develop the courses using money from its reserves – eliminating the need to increase dues

• whether to develop a platform for online education and then sell it to the local associations to use and implement.

• weighing whether to develop the platform, keep control of it and have members pay course fees.

• or work through regulatory changes with the Board of Registration of Real Estate Brokers and Salespeople, and leave it up to local associations to work with vendors to develop a platform.
Dulczewksi said the task force is trying to get feedback from local associations, and could make a recommendation to MAR as early as September.

James Wetzel, executive vice president of the Worcester Regional Association of Realtors, said attention should focus on drafting “sound educational guidelines for the delivery of online edu-cation.”

“It’s very important that real estate practitioners obtain a good sound professional education, and it’s our responsibility to make sure that the mechanics that are put in place to deliver that education are effective,” he said.