The following policy statements were identified by the NAR State and Local issues Policy Committee in collaboration with the Fair Housing Policy Committee and were adopted by the NAR Board of Directors on May 6, 2022. Below are the new statements and additional background information.
Fair Housing Education Requirements for Licensure
That the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) urge state associations to promote legislation or regulation providing for the following minimum, universal fair housing education requirements for all real estate licensees:
- A concrete minimum number of hours of pre-license fair housing education to obtain a real estate license;
- A concrete minimum number of hours of continuing fair housing education to renew a real estate license;
- Defined fair housing education requirements for all licensees, with no exemptions.
- Course and instructor approval provisions that prescribe a strong fair housing curriculum and ensure high-quality instruction.
- Regular audits of the quality of fair housing course providers and instructors.
- And that such legislation or regulation provide opportunity for commercial real estate licensees to satisfy these requirements with non-discrimination training.
Rationale:
The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) recognizes that fair housing training is essential for real estate licensees to provide equal professional service to the public. Yet there is wide variability among the states regarding fair housing training requirements for real estate licensure. Many states require little or no fair housing training to obtain or renew a real estate license. In keeping with its commitment to consumer protection and professionalism in the industry, NAR believes that states should require all real estate licensees to engage in regular fair housing training.
Background Information
Heirs’ Property
That the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) urge state associations to support reforms to state law governing intestate succession of real property that provide due process protections for owners of heirs’ property, such as the Uniform Partition of Heirs’ Property Act (UPHPA).
Rationale:
The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) recognizes that property owners who inherit real property intestate as tenants-in-common are vulnerable to forced sale and eviction. NAR recognizes the need for increased protections in state law to safeguard the property rights of these owners of “heirs’ property.” Under the default common law, tenants-in-common may face a court-ordered partition sale by public auction if a single co-tenant demands it. The UPHPA provides a series of simple due process protections: notice, appraisal, right of first refusal, and if the other co-tenants choose not to exercise their right and a sale is required, a commercially reasonable sale by a real estate broker, supervised by the court, to ensure all parties receive their fair share of the proceeds. The UPHPA was developed by a bipartisan group of experts appointed by state governments to the Uniform Law Commission.
Heirs Property
FAQs
State and Local Issues Policy Committee and Fair Housing Policy Committee Joint Webinar Recording
Informational Webinar Recording
