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Legal & Law Programs ►Real Estate Law Professional Certificate Program with Externship

Program includes National Certification & an Externship Opportunity

The Real Estate Law Professional

Real Estate law defines the elements and principles essential to the buying and selling real property. Real Estate refers not only to a piece of land, but the buildings on it, the natural resources crops, water, minerals that come with it, as well as the various interests associated with it. Far from a simple transaction, Real Estate law governs the procedures surrounding the titles to and conveyance of real property. Real Estate law also governs various substantive issues related to housing discrimination, housing credit discrimination, and community reinvestment. At a more practical level, however, Real Estate law defines the appraisal, finance and regulatory issues that cover the sale and transfer of real property as well as the licensing requirements of brokers and agents that operate within the confines of these transactions.

The Real Estate Law Professional Program

This program takes an interdisciplinary and practice-oriented approach to real estate transactions, covering land transfers, mortgage law, and selected topics such as the structure and law of real estate transactions, including agreements of sale, title and survey matters, leasing, financing, easements, and development rights. Students will discover the importance of legal descriptions of the property, deeds, encumbrances and liens as well as the distinctions between real and personal property.

This program will examine the real estate finance transaction from a practitioner's viewpoint and will cover the laws governing and normal documentation utilized in a real estate finance transaction, negotiation skills, title insurance, remedies, and other facets of a real estate secured loan. As an introduction to Real Estate Law, this course offers students a fundamental understanding of property rights, principles of land ownership, sale, financing and conveyance, contracts, liens, mortgage financing, deeds, mortgages or deeds of trust, settlement concepts, leasing, and other property concepts.

Program Objectives

At the conclusion of this program, students will be able to:

  • Examine real estate principles
  • Prepare a real estate listing agreement
  • Prepare a real estate sales agreement
  • Draft an addendum to a real estate sales agreement
  • Prepare documents associated with title
  • Prepare deed documents
  • Prepare mortgage documents
  • Prepare documents associated with closing a real estate deal
  • Prepare documents associated with lease agreements
  • Prepare real estate arbitration and litigation documents
  • Prepare documents associated with foreclosures
  • Research real estate issues
  • Examine ethical issues in real estate
  • Use Microsoft Office

REAL ESTATE PRACTICE

  • Define real estate terms
  • Identify the types of real property interests and rights
  • Identify forms of real estate ownership
  • Identify the parties involved in a real estate transaction
  • Determine the information required for a real estate transaction
  • Locate forms needed to process real estate transactions in your jurisdiction

LISTINGS AND LISTING AGREEMENTS

  • Describe the purpose and components of a real estate listing agreement
  • Identify the types of listing agreements
  • Describe the different forms of brokerage relationships
  • Prepare an appropriate listing agreement for a given scenario
  • Identify the parties involved in various types of listing agreements

REAL ESTATE DISCLOSURE

  • Describe seller disclosure and misrepresentation as they relate to consumer protection in the real estate industry
  • Prepare an appropriate listing agreement for a given scenario
  • Research a real estate issue involving disclosure and consumer protection
  • Identify the five types of misrepresentation that have been recognized by the courts

ELEMENTS AND COMPONENTS OF THE AGREEMENT OF SALE

  • Describe the purpose and components of a real estate sales agreement
  • Describe the conditions and contingencies that determine whether a real estate sales agreement is legally valid and enforceable
  • Prepare a sales agreement for a given scenario

SETTLEMENT AND ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION (ADR)

  • Draft documents related to an agreement of sale
  • Identify ethical dilemmas that paralegals may encounter during real estate transactions

CONDITIONS, CONTINGENCIES, AND OTHER QUALIFICATIONS TO AGREEMENTS OF SALE

  • Describe the conditions and contingencies that determine whether a real estate sales agreement is legally valid and enforceable
  • Describe ways in which an addendum can affect the enforceability of a real estate sales agreement
  • Describe the elements commonly addressed as an addendum in a sales agreement
  • Draft the necessary addenda or conditional clauses for a real estate sales agreement for a given scenario
  • Research a real estate issue involving environmental and hazardous conditions

TITLE

  • Describe title abstraction and search techniques
  • Describe the process of acquiring title insurance
  • Prepare an application for title insurance
  • Describe defects in title that would restrict transfer of property or conveyance of title
  • Prepare documents associated with title for given scenarios

DEEDS

  • Explain the purpose of a deed, its rights, obligations, and limitations
  • Identify the elements of a deed
  • Identify how grant of right is different from other types of transfer
  • Prepare a deed
  • Describe the procedure for delivering and recording a deed
  • Research a real estate issue concerning deeds

MORTGAGE DOCUMENTS AND PRODUCTS

  • Define mortgage, mortgage note, and mortgage commitment
  • Describe the purpose and components of a mortgage document
  • Describe the various financing options for a mortgage
  • Create a list of banks and financial institutions to include in your professional network
  • Prepare documents necessary to secure mortgage funds at settlement

MORTGAGE APPLICATIONS AND COMMITMENT

  • Describe the conditions and requirements for securing a mortgage
  • Identify key components of a real property survey
  • Prepare documents necessary to secure mortgage funds at settlement
  • Analyze ethical issues related to real estate law

CLOSING PREPARATIONS AND DOCUMENTATION

  • Explain the purpose of the Real Estate Settlement and Procedures Act (RESPA)
  • Describe prorations and how they are computed
  • Describe the closing process
  • Complete a closing checklist for your jurisdiction

CONDUCTING A CLOSING AND SETTLEMENT

  • Complete a settlement statement
  • Identify issues that can interfere with closure of a real estate deal
  • Identify the agencies responsible for recording the various types of real estate transaction documents upon closing

LEASES

  • Describe when leaseholds are appropriate in a buy/sell transaction
  • Identify the parties to a lease
  • Identify the purpose and elements of a lease
  • Discuss remedies for breach or default on a lease
  • Draft lease agreements
  • Draft eviction papers
  • Identify governmental agencies involved in statutory code and code qualifications of leasehold housing
  • Research a landlord-tenant issue

RESOLVING DISPUTES IN REAL ESTATE

  • Describe the various forms of informal adjudication and formal litigation in real estate dealings
  • Prepare pleadings and pertinent documentation for various means of real estate arbitration
  • Identify ethical dilemmas that paralegals may encounter during real estate transactions
  • Analyze ethical issues related to real estate law

FORECLOSURE

  • Define foreclosure
  • Describe the three methods of foreclosure
  • Define sales surplus, deficiency judgment, and redemption
  • Draft foreclosure documents
  • Research a foreclosure issue

Note: This program can be completed in 6 months. However, students will have online access to this program for a 24-month period.

Education and National Certifications

  • Students should have or be pursuing a high school diploma or GED.
  • There are no state approval and/or state requirements associated with this program.
  • There is a National Certification exam available to students who successfully complete this program:
    • Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Certification Exam

National Certification

Upon successful completion of this  program, students would be eligible to sit for the Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) exam. Although there are no state approval, state registration or other state requirements for this program, students who complete this program will be prepared and are eligible to sit for this national certification exam. Students who complete this program are encouraged to complete the externship option with their program. Students who complete this program can and do sit for the MOS national certification exams and are qualified, eligible and prepared to do so.  works with each student to complete the exam application and register the student to take their national certification exam.

Externship / Hands on Training / Practicum

Although not a requirement, once students complete the program, they have the ability to participate in an externship and/or hands on practicum so as to practice the skills necessary to perform the job requirements of a professional in this field. Students will be assisted with completing a resume and/or other requirements necessary to work in this field. All students who complete this program are eligible to participate in an externship and will be placed with a participating organization near their location.  works with national organizations and has the ability to place students in externship opportunities nationwide.

Note: No refunds can be issued after the start date published in your Financial Award document.

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