Real estate is not just about buying or selling a house. It is about educating consumers so they can make the best possible decision, according to Baldus Real Estate, Inc. which is teaming up with the College of Southern Maryland to provide existing agents with more educational opportunities, starting with a Maryland Ethics and Agency: Law and Responsibilities class April 23.
Existing agents need to renew their licenses every two years and continuing education is a big component of the process, said Sharon E. Martlock, an associate broker and the director of training for Baldus Institute of Real Estate.
CSM is excited about partnering with Baldus Real Estate, Inc. to provide real estate training. Through the Corporate Centers continuing education offerings, businesses like Baldus Real Estate, Inc. can collaborate to bring training locally to meet the needs of their business and clients, said Linda Schleip of the Corporate Center.
Reputation and service are the two qualities that define a great real estate agent. In order to provide the best customer service, an agent has to know and understand the standards of practice such as what are the ethics involved in working with other agents, clients and lenders; what are the disclosure laws; what is illegal flipping and what are the signs of predatory lending? We need to be educated if we are going to give our clients appropriate counsel, said Martlock, who pursued real estate 25 years ago after being dissatisfied with the answers provided by people who were supposed to be assisting her in her house purchase. I realized I could do it and I could do it better, she said.
Baldus Real Estate is committed to the community and the agents that serve it. We want to offer these classes to as many people in the industry as possible and teaming with CSM is an excellent opportunity to do that, said Martlock, who noted that Baldus Real Estate, Inc. and CSM will bring in experts from different sectors of the real estate process to serve as instructors.
Imagine learning about finance from an actual underwriter. You are not just going to get the bare facts, you are going to have a deeper understanding of why and how financing could work for your client, said Martlock. She noted that these agent classes are just the first step Baldus Real Estate, Inc. was taking to reach out to the community.
We are really excited about developing future courses for prospective and existing clients, said Martlock, who noted that while the market is nothing like it was in 2002 2005, transactions are still happening.
Some may say that the market has gone soft, but for agents who have been in the business for awhile, we know that real estate is local. What is happening in one neighborhood in Charles County is not the same as what is going on in Cobb Island. Certain markets will always sell. It is hard work and to be in for the long haul you have to develop your reputation as an agent by providing excellent service and presenting all of the material facts so your client can make the best, educated decision. Education is integral to that process and it is what is going to differentiate one agent from another, said Martlock.
With residential offices in La Plata and Waldorf and a commercial office in Waldorf, Baldus Real Estate, Inc. has been serving the real estate needs of Southern Maryland since 1960 and has been consistently one of the leading real estate organizations in the region.
For information call 301-934-7557 or 301-870-2309, Ext. 7557 for Charles County; 240-725-5499, Ext. 7557 for St. Marys County or 443-550-6199, Ext. 7557 for Calvert County. For registration, visit http://www.csmd.edu/Forms/Admissions/ContinuingEducation/CONED.pdf.
Sidebar
Starting April 23, Baldus Real Estate, Inc. is partnering with the College of Southern Maryland to provide real estate agents with more educational opportunities. The following are upcoming classes, for additional classes call Tresa Sullivan, 301.934.7557
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Date |
Course |
Time |
Campus |
|
9/10/08 |
MD Ethics, Flipping & Predatory Lending |
9 a.m. – Noon |
La Plata |
|
|
Agency: Laws & Responsibilities |
1- 4 p.m. |
La Plata |
|
9/16/08 |
MD Ethics, Flipping & Predatory Lending |
6 – 9 p.m. |
Leonardtown |
|
10/29/08 |
Fair Housing |
6 – 7: 30 p.m. |
Leonardtown |
|
11/15/08 |
MD Ethics, Flipping & Predatory Lending |
9 a.m. – Noon |
Prince Frederick |
|
|
Fair Housing |
4: 30 – 6 p.m. |
Prince Frederick |