Raising the Bar in Fair Housing: NAR’s New Training Mandate and What it Means for REALTORS®

The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) has raised the bar for its members. In an effort to further strengthen the protection of housing rights in America, NAR has implemented a new mandate for both new applicants and existing members. During the association’s May 11, 2023 meeting, the Board of Directors approved a new requirement of two hours of fair housing training, with the first cycle beginning in 2025.

To satisfy this new requirement, NAR has identified a selection of qualifying courses. These courses range from “At Home With Diversity”, focusing on successful operation in a diverse marketplace, to “Bias Override: Overcoming Barriers to Fair Housing”, aimed at helping professionals identify and overcome bias and stereotyping. Other qualifying courses include approved offerings from state and local associations, institutes, societies, councils, and their partnered providers, as well as any fair housing courses endorsed by state licensing authorities.

Moreover, a new course tailored for non-residential practitioners is currently being developed. This course will concentrate on bias and anti-discrimination training. In addition, Fairhaven, NAR’s online fair housing simulation, is set to be updated to meet the new learning objectives and the required two-hour duration. This revamp will allow it to be included in the list of qualifying courses and serve as a no-cost training option.

NAR’s decision is part of its Fair Housing Action Plan, known as ACT! The initiative emphasizes accountability, culture change, and training to ensure REALTORS® are doing everything possible to uphold housing rights in the United States. The new training requirement was backed by the Association Executives, Professional Development, Diversity, and Fair Housing Policy committees.

In response to this new policy, we’re pleased to announce that Pinnacle Real Estate Academy’s fair housing course is already approved and fulfills the new requirement set by NAR. This is great news for South Carolina agents, who can now meet both their NAR and continuing education requirements through Pinnacle’s course. Pinnacle Real Estate Academy remains committed to delivering top-tier, relevant education to real estate professionals, and this approval is a testament to that dedication.

To view our current SC continuing education courses, please click here.