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 Illinois
Illinois State Requirement Details for Real Estate Broker Continuing Education
The Illinois Division of Real Estate has implemented new education requirements to reflect recent changes to the Illinois Real Estate License Act of 2000. The 2026 Broker Renewal deadline is April 30, 2026. The 4-hour Core course, if completed prior to June 30, 2025, will satisfy the Core requirement for this renewal. However, the Division strongly recommends completion of the 6-hour Core course, which includes at least 2 hours of fair housing training, to satisfy the Core requirement for this renewal.
Renewal Date: April 30th of even-numbered years
Hours Required by the State: 12 hours
- 6-hour core course (or 4-hour core course if completed prior to June 30, 2025)
- 6 hours of elective courses (or 8 hours of elective courses if the 4-hour core course was completed prior to June 30, 2025) including
- 1-hour course in Sexual Harassment Prevention Training
Note: Brokers receiving their initial broker license are required to complete the 45-hour post-license education during their first license term and are not required to complete any other CE during that license term.
Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation Division of Real Estate
Street Address: 320 West Washington Street, 3rd Floor, Springfield, Illinois 62786
Mailing Address: 320 West Washington Street, 3rd Floor, Springfield, Illinois 62786
Telephone: (800) 560-6420
Email: fpr.realestate@illinois.gov