Bylaws Vote to Add Education Requirements for CCIAOR Members

The CCIAOR Board of Directors is recommending amendments to the CCIAOR Bylaws that would add education requirements for all CCIAOR members. These proposed changes are at the core of what we have heard from our leadership and membership over the last few years -- that too many in the business do not know the basics of conducting real estate. We aim to change that by raising the standard of what it means to be a CCIAOR member.

In crafting the proposed changes, feedback was gathered from the Diversity and Inclusion Committee as well as brokerage leaders regarding what education and training would be most helpful and impactful for new and existing members. Based on that feedback, the proposal would put in place recurring fair housing education requirements for all CCIAOR members as well additional legal and ethical training requirements for new members. A leading component of the new strategic plan the CCIAOR Board of Directors is finalizing includes an effort to “establish requirements of CCIAOR membership that are above the minimum set by NAR to raise the standards of our marketplace,” and these proposed changes support that strategic initiative.

The Board of Directors has approved the proposed changes which now brings them to a vote of the membership. CCIAOR REALTORS® and Designated REALTORS® will be eligible to vote between March 22nd and March 29th, 2022. Voting will be electronic and accessible through the Member Dashboard.

Click below to watch our informational Zoomed In on Real Estate where leadership and staff discussed the proposed Bylaw amendment changes:

The National Association of REALTORS® Bylaws allow a local board to require members to attend, on a biennial basis, a continuing education program comprised of not more than six (6) cumulative hours of instruction with respect to Board or Member practices that might result in a significant legal vulnerability and possible liability to the Board and its Members, such as violations of antitrust laws, agency laws, civil rights laws, the Code of Ethics of the National Association, or other similar public policies.

The proposed amendment to the CCIAOR Bylaws would allow the Board of Directors to require existing members to complete an education program consisting of not more than six (6) cumulative hours of instruction every three years on the same schedule as the Code of Ethics training requirement. Although the Bylaws allow the Board to require up to 6 hours of instruction, the proposed policy amendments would only require an additional 2 hours of instruction to be completed every three years for existing members.

The proposed amendments to the CCIAOR Bylaws allow the Board of Directors to require new members to complete an education program consisting of not more than six (6) cumulative hours of instruction within 120 days of the date that membership is granted. Although the Bylaws allow the Board to require up to 6 hours of instruction, the proposed policy amendments would only require 4 hours of instruction for new REALTOR® members in addition to completing Code of Ethics and New Member Orientation. New Designated REALTOR® members would be required to take the full 6 hours of instruction stipulated under the Bylaws.

• Existing REALTOR® and Designated REALTOR® members would be required to take the CE class Protecting the Protected Classes OR receive NAR’s At Home with Diversity Certification within the current Code of Ethics Cycle which runs from January 1st, 2022 through December 31st, 2024. Note that completion of either requirement in 2021 would count toward the 2022-2024 cycle requirement.
  

• For subsequent three-year Code of Ethics cycles (i.e. January 1st, 2025 through December 31st, 2027), CCIAOR members would be required to complete one (1) of the following: the Fair Housing CE class, the Protecting the Protected Classes CE class, or receive NAR’s At Home with Diversity Certification. Note the CCIAOR Board of Directors has the ability to approve additional trainings and classes that will meet the requirement beyond what is listed above.

NEW REALTORS®
New REALTOR® members would be required to take the following two (2) CE classes in addition to New Member Orientation and Code of Ethics within 120 days of joining: 1) Protecting the Protected Classes and 2) Getting Started in Cape & Islands Real Estate (new class to be created that would address key legal/ethical and local RE issues for new members). New REALTOR® members who only hold an appraiser license would not be required to take Getting Started in Real Estate but would need to meet all other requirements.

NEW DESIGNATED REALTORS®
New Designated REALTOR® members would be required to take the CE class Protecting the Protected Classes in addition to New Member Orientation and Code of Ethics within 120 days of joining. Note that under the current Bylaws, New Designated REALTOR® members are already required to take the CE classes Brokerage Liability and Office Policies 101 within 120 days of joining.

• The required classes for new members would be on-demand courses launched in CCIAOR's new education platform soon to be rolled out. The required classes for existing members would be available on-demand, live via Zoom, and in-person over the course of the three-year cycle. These options will provide members with flexibility for completion of requirements within the allotted time-frame.

• Members can use CE credits received from completing required classes toward renewing their MA Real Estate License (note classes must be offered by a state approved school and instructor to be eligible for Massachusetts CE credit).

• MAR has filed legislation at the state level that would require fair housing or diversity and inclusion education for all real estate licensees. The legislation, if passed, would do the following: 1) Revise the real estate salesperson licensing education requirements to require that four of the forty total hours must be on fair housing law; 2) Revise the real estate salesperson continuing education requirements to require two of the twelve biannually required hours be on fair housing law or diversity and inclusion in real estate. The CCIAOR Bylaw amendments have been written so that if the state passes the proposed legislation, meeting the state education requirements would also meet the CCIAOR fair housing education requirements for existing members.

The Board of Directors has approved the proposed changes which now brings them to a vote of the membership. CCIAOR REALTORS® and Designated REALTORS® will be eligible to vote between March 22nd and March 29th, 2022. Voting will be electronic and accessible through the Member Dashboard.

If you have questions or comments about the proposed Bylaws amendments, please contact Marissa Cyr, Chief Operating Officer at mcyr@cciaor.com or 508-957-4344.