REALTOR® Institute - GRI

The Graduate, Realtor® Institute is the most popular designation among successful Realtors®. While your licensing courses and most PL teaches you how to manage your risk and complete transactions, GRI teaches you the skills you need to really be successful in your field.

IN THIS SECTION:

GRI FAQs

Designation requirements

What is the REALTOR^® Institute?

The Realtor^® Institute is an education program consisting of 90 hours of coursework that culminates in the awarding of the Graduate, Realtor^® level in ways that positively affect their bottom line. Institute (GRI) designation. This program focuses on developing and increasing participants’ professionalism and skill.

Where can I take GRI classes?

The GRI program is offered jointly by he Virginia Association of Realtors^® and local Realtor^®associations across the Commonwealth. Visit the GRI Calendar to view course locations. Or view the Realtor^® Institute Schedule which includes a comprehensive look at the 2012 dates and includes a registration form and online registration links.

What is a GRI Module?

It’s just another word we use for class/course.

What does GRI cover?

The coursework required to earn the GRI designation covers four major areas to give you the tools and knowledge you need to provide your clients superior service. Click here for a summary of the program detailing the required and optional credits you need to acheive the designation.

The Sales Process

• Business development
• Sales & marketing strategy
• Customer & client services, and
• Dealing with cultural diversity

Laws & Regs: How to stay out of the courtroom

• Fair housing
• Brokerage relationships
• Contracts, and
• Green/environmental issues
• Reputation Insurance: Real-world professional standards
• Ethics & Standards, Arbitration, and Mediation

Connecting 2.0: Choosing and leveraging technology

• Communications
• General technology, and
• Modern real estate software and mechanics

How much does GRI cost?

The GRI program is run on a pay-as-you-go plan. You have the ability to customize your modules and the order in which you complete them.

Single-Module Tuition	Early-Bird	Regular
VAR Members	$90	$105
Non-VAR Members	$140	$155

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DESIGNATION REQUIREMENTS

To earn the GRI designation in Virginia you must

complete the nine "required" modules and take three of the five "optional" modules or equivalent credit within five (5) years.
receive a passing grade for each module examination and you may not miss more than 15 minutes of any one module session.
hold membership in the National Association of REALTORS^®.
complete the GRI Designation Application and pay the one-time fee of $25 (application will be mailed to you upon completion of last module).

You may make use of the GRI Designation on business cards, stationery, etc. only when you have completed all of the steps listed above.

Continuing Education

Most of the modules in the Realtor Institute program are approved for continuing and/or post license education credit.

Total of 16 hours of continuing education are required each licensing period as follows:

8 hours in the mandatory topics
- 2 hours in Fair Housing,
- 3 hours in ethics and standards of conduct, and
- 1 hour in each of the following categories: Legal Updates, Real Estate Agency, Real Estate Contracts and
The remaining 8 hours can be in real estate related topics or in the mandatory topics.

Attention Principal Brokers, Associate Brokers and Sole Proprietor Licensees: You need 8 hours in approved Broker Management courses. This is in addition to the 16 hours noted above.

Post License Education: PL references are intended for those in their first year of licensure. New licensees need to take 30 hours of post license education in lieu of taking any continuing education courses in the first year after they receive their license. New Salespersons must wait until their first two-year licensure term ends and renew their license to begin taking Continuing Education courses. Note: The nine “required” modules in the Realtor® Institute program will satisfy the 30-hour requirement.

Effective 7/1/12: All active licensees renewing their license between 7/1/2012 and 6/30/2014 must complete three hours in Residential Standard Agency (and is not satisfied by taking the RI 401: Understanding Agency module). This is in addition to the 16 hours of continuing education (24 for brokers) or the 30 hours of post license education the licensee is required to complete and is a one-time requirement.

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OTHER POLICIES

Attendance

Class will begin promptly at 8:00 a.m. NAR REALTOR^® Institute Policies and Procedures requires that attendance at 87 of the 90 course hours is required in order to obtain credit and, consequently, the GRI designation. Students may not miss more than 15 minutes per module. Students missing more than the allotted 15 minutes will be disqualified for credit.

Payment

Guarantee yourself a seat in the GRI module of your choice by accompanying your completed registration form with full tuition payment (which includes a $20 non-refundable, non-transferable deposit).

Cancellation & Refund

Cancellation requests (written or phoned) will be accepted through 5:00 p.m. 8 days preceding each module. All paid tuition other than the $20 non-refundable, non-transferable deposit will be refunded. No refunds will be given for cancellations made after the close of business on that day. (Requests for refund consideration due to extenuating circumstances must be received in writing within 15 days after module start date.) Cancellation requests will be handled only through the office which handled your registration.

Standby

Once classroom space for any course of the REALTOR^® Institute Program has been filled, registrations for the course will be accepted on a standby basis only. Policy pertaining to the processing of standby registrations is as follows:

1. As standby registrations are received, the registrant is assigned a standby number on a first-received, first-served basis. This number indicates the registrant's position in line for any openings that may occur in the course.

2. Any standby registrant not contacted prior to the session is to assume that class openings are not available. All tuition payments will be promptly returned at the end of the module.

3. If on the day of the module, there are registrants who do not show up for the course, standby registrants who are present will be admitted in order according to their position on the standby list. (The 15-minute window should pass before standby registrants are admitted.)

For more information, please contact the VAR Professional Development Department:

Glenda Puryear at Glenda@varealtor.com for REALTOR® Institute questions,
Lili Paulk at Lili@varealtor.com for continuing education/post license education questions, or
Call (800) 755-8271 for additional education information.

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MODULE (COURSE) DESCRIPTIONS

Course	Title	Description (CE Info)
RI 401	Understanding Agency (Required)	Real estate is about relationships and you need to understand what Virginia law says about your business connections. This in-depth review covers the details of brokerage relationships with everyone -- buyers, sellers, landlords and tenants. In addition, you’ll find all you need to know about property/agency disclosure and confidentiality. (3 Hours Real Estate Agency; 4 Hours Real Estate Related OR PL 3 Hours Mandatory Residential Real Estate: Agency Law and 4 Hours Elective)
RI 402	Financing Alternatives (Required)	Are you a lending expert? You’ll need to be. Attend this course to get up to speed on loan limits, finance options, avoiding common pitfalls, and tips for navigating the difficult deal. (7 hours Real Estate Related; PL 7 Hours Elective)
RI 403	Personal Promotion (Optional)	You’re a brand whether you like it or not. It’s time you learned how to manage it. This course is optional, but the concepts it covers aren’t. Attend and walk away ready to plan, target, and implement strategic marketing and build an image that will attract clients now and in the years to come. (No CE or PL credit)
RI 404	The Cyber-REALTOR^® (Required)	There’s a lot of technology available today. Attend this course to make sense of it all. Today’s competitive Realtors^® are the ones making smart choices in relation to hardware, software, and communications tools (including Facebook, e-mail, websites, and more). This session is a great starter for those who want to join the technology elite, those who are struggling to keep up, and everyone in between. (CE 7 Hours Real Estate Related; PL 4 Hours Elective)
RI 405	Pricing, Listing, & Marketing (Required)	There’s a lot of technology available today. Attend this course to make sense of it all. Today’s competitive Realtors^® are the ones making smart choices in relation to hardware, software, and communications tools (including Facebook, e-mail, websites, and more). This session is a great starter for those who want to join the technology elite, those who are struggling to keep up, and everyone in between. (CE 7 Hours Real Estate Related; PL 4 Hours Elective)
RI 406	What Did I Agree To? (Required)	You can market it, you can show it, you can find it, but can you close the deal on the property? Attend this course for mission critical information on writing and presenting every category of real estate agreement including sales contracts, representation agreements, leases, deposits, and more. (CE 3 hours Real Estate Law; 3 Hours of Real Estate Contracts; 1 Hours Real Estate Related OR PL 3 Hours Mandatory Residential Real Estate: Offer to Purchase and PL 3 Hours Mandatory Residential Real Estate: Real Estate Law)
RI 407	Managing Risk (Required)	You can market it, you can show it, you can find it, but can you close the deal on the property? Attend this course for mission critical information on writing and presenting every category of real estate agreement including sales contracts, representation agreements, leases, deposits, and more. (CE 3 hours Real Estate Law; 3 Hours of Real Estate Contracts; 1 Hours Real Estate Related OR PL 3 Hours Mandatory Residential Real Estate: Offer to Purchase and PL 3 Hours Mandatory Residential Real Estate: Real Estate Law)
RI 408	Tax Issues for Real Estate (Optional)	April 15^th comes every year. Take some of the shock and anxiety out of it for you and your clients. Attend this course for useful advice and strategies on tax issues for the real estate professional, home buyers, and sellers. Also, learn the major nuances of taxes for investors and your responsibilities as a real estate professional when working with them. (CE 7 hours Real Estate Related; PL 7 Hours Elective credit)
RI 409	Business Development (Required)	April 15^th comes every year. Take some of the shock and anxiety out of it for you and your clients. Attend this course for useful advice and strategies on tax issues for the real estate professional, home buyers, and sellers. Also, learn the major nuances of taxes for investors and your responsibilities as a real estate professional when working with them. (CE 7 hours Real Estate Related; PL 7 Hours Elective credit)
RI 410	The Code of Ethics IS Good Business (Required)	What is the REALTOR^® Code of Ethics good for? The Code is more than a list of do’s and don’ts. This course covers why the Code is important for business success and includes a comprehensive review of the Code and case study analysis that will show you how to practice the Code in your everyday business. (3 hours Ethics and 4 Hours Real Estate Related OR PL 3 Hours Mandatory Residential Real Estate: Ethics & Standards and 3 Hours Elective)
RI 411	Successful Settlement- Managing the Transaction (Required)	Avoid the angry, anxious, exhausted looks at and after the closing table. Attend this course for tools for managing the transaction including how to organize and communicate for the best possible closing results. (CE 7 hours Real Estate Related OR PL 7 Hours Elective)
RI 412	Construction & Selling New Homes (Optional)	Buying a home is an intense process and building adds additional concerns for your buyers. Attend this session and learn the special challenges involved in new home transactions including warranties, construction techniques and materials, new home/construction financing, working with building inspectors and special selling techniques. (CE 7 hours Real Estate Related OR PL for 4 Hours Elective)
RI 413	Psychology of the Sale (Optional)	As a REALTOR^® you’ll have to be a lot of things, including a psychologist. This session offers the transaction-related psychology to help you communicate and negotiate to close more deals. Learn to identify and deal with different personality types, body language, and other signs. In addition, this course offers a practical guide to effective negotiation strategies. (No CE or PL credit)
RI 414	Negotiation: Working for a Yes (Optional)	Negotiators come in every shape, size, and personality. This course is designed to familiarize students with the various types and styles of negotiations and negotiators. Through examining and working through real-life scenarios students will develop plans logical plans for conducting negotiations that end in YES! (CE 7 Hours Real Estate Related; PL 4 Hours Elective)