Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Real Estate Licensing And Mls topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Michigan Realtors outlines continuing-education role and industry response to MLS compensation changes
Summary
Michigan Realtors told the same House subcommittee that continuing education and training are central to consumer protection, described licensing requirements, and outlined how the association is responding to national MLS compensation and antitrust changes.
Sean Cecil, policy field director for Michigan Realtors, told the House subcommittee on May 20 that the association supports robust continuing education for real estate licensees, promotes statewide access to training, and is adapting to recent national legal changes affecting brokerage compensation and MLS practices.
Cecil said Michigan Realtors manages a continuing-education marketplace that streamlines record-keeping and course access for licensees and that current law requires real estate licensees to complete 18 hours of continuing education every three years. “Under current law, all real estate licensees in Michigan are required to complete 18 hours of continuing education every 3 years,” he said, adding that the requirement includes two hours of legal credit and one hour of fair-housing credit each year.
Cecil described the association’s statewide programming, including live and on-demand courses, an annual Achieve Conference, and partnerships with local boards and brokerages that deliver training from Detroit to the Upper Peninsula.
He also discussed the broader housing market and policy proposals Michigan Realtors supports to increase housing supply. The association supports modernizing the Land Division Act to increase the allowable number of parcel splits—Cecil said the proposal would raise the split limit from four to ten and retain local discretion to require surveys and planning review. He said the association is also encouraging local zoning reforms to allow more housing types such as duplexes, townhomes and accessory dwelling units.
Cecil summarized a major national development: the class-action antitrust litigation involving the National Association of Realtors and several large brokerages that settled for approximately $418 million. He said the settlement and subsequent rule changes mean offers of buyer-agent compensation can no longer be displayed on MLS platforms and that buyer-agent compensation must be disclosed in a written agreement between buyer and agent before property showings. “Most notably, offers of buyer agent compensation can no longer be displayed on MLS platforms,” Cecil told the committee. “Instead, buyers must now enter into a written agreement with their agent prior to touring any properties.”
Michigan Realtors said it has produced educational materials, compliance webinars and updated contract forms to help members comply with the new rules. Cecil said the association will continue to work with LARA and the Legislature to balance consumer protection and business flexibility.
Committee members asked questions about the role of local government, the mix of single-family and multifamily production, and whether licensees feel the licensing and education system provides value. Cecil said the association aims to deliver accessible training and that licensees have access to a range of approved providers.
No formal committee action on licensing rules was taken during the hearing.
