New York State broker’s license curriculum set for major changes

The curriculum for obtaining a broker’s license in New York State is about to undergo more changes than it has in over a decade.

Effective September 1, new 16-hour courses on agency law, license law and operating a real estate office are coming to broker class, Hamptons news site 27east.com reported. The curriculum will also emphasize concepts such as disclosure standards for “first substantive contact” with clients and the protection of commissions rights.

“Updating education curriculum is imperative to achieve the brokerage course’s stated objective of [requiring] ‘brokers to be lifelong learners and critical thinkers, always discovering new ideas and methods to foster the delivery of quality service to consumers,’” attorney and broker teacher Andrew Lieb told 27east.com “Unfortunately, most real estate education on the market is stale and only theoretical with no practical application.”

The New York Department of State has been working on the new curriculum since 2015, Lieb said. Instructors were informed of the coming changes in May, a DOS spokesperson said.

“I welcome any changes that better inform us as brokers and help make us better leaders in real estate,” said Joseph De Sane, senior managing director at the Compass brokerage in Bridgehampton. [27east.com] — Will Parker