Using the Code to Solve Ethical Dilemmas
While conducting real estate business, have you encountered a situation in which you weren’t sure what the proper course of action was? What the right thing to do might be? Or maybe you’ve heard your colleagues’ stories and got that uncomfortable, itchy feeling that an action they took wasn’t quite on the up and up.
Let’s look at an uncomfortable truth: real estate agents have a small tarnished image problem. With every transaction being unique, real estate licensees often face ethical gray areas. Some real estate professionals simply don’t understand how to handle complex issues in the most ethical manner, and others bend the rules if they think it’ll keep a transaction on track or a commission in their bank account and not a competitor’s.
Aligned to the requirements of the current NAR cycle, this three-hour course helps licensees deepen their knowledge—and practice—of ethical rules of conduct according to the National Association of REALTORS® Code of Ethics & Standards of Practice. The code isn’t applicable to REALTORS® only, who are duty-bound to uphold the code as a privilege of membership. The code’s guidance serves anyone possessing a real estate license, and licensees who heed the code’s various articles and standards of practice can do the greatest good of all: protecting consumers while also bolstering the reputation of all the industry’s professionals.
Course highlights include:
- Laws vs. morals vs. ethics
- Top articles of the code involved in the most complaints (plus a few more)
- A candid look at the industry’s image problem
- Common ethical dilemmas and using the code to solve them
- Foundation and enforcement of the code
- Competency in real estate practice as a matter of ethics
- Steering clear of procuring cause disputes
- Ethics concerns with technology and social media
- Tips and best practices to keep your reputation polished to a high shine
*This course was designed by us to meet the REALTOR® Code of Ethics Training Requirement. Please confirm that your local association, who administers the Code of Ethics training, will accept this course.
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