Commercial Foundations Package

This course provides a thorough review of the REALTORS® Code of Ethics and its application in commercial real estate practice. Specifically designed for commercial practitioners—including those working in leasing, investment sales, and mixed-use properties—the course connects ethical standards directly to the situations commercial agents encounter every day. Residential agents may also complete this course to satisfy their Code of Ethics training requirement.

Over seven chapters, participants will explore the history and structure of the Code, the aspirational values of the Preamble, and key Articles governing client representation, disclosure, advertising, and dispute resolution. The course also covers the professional standards enforcement process, due process protections, and the often-misunderstood concept of procuring cause. The final chapter brings it all together through a series of commercial-focused case studies that challenge participants to identify violations and apply ethical reasoning to real-world scenarios.

Instructor: Patricia Lynn, CCIM, CDEI -- commercial real estate strategist, founding partner of ExceedCE, and award-winning instructor for the CCIM Institute.

Course Content

Chapter 1: The Preamble — Aspirational Concepts traces the history of the Code of Ethics from its 1913 adoption and examines the foundational values of the Preamble, including the Golden Rule, stewardship of land, and the REALTOR®'s commitment to competency, fairness, and integrity.

Chapter 2: Business Ethics vs. REALTOR® Ethics compares general business ethics to the enforceable standards of the REALTORS® Code, highlighting how broad ethical principles are translated into specific, binding professional duties.

Chapter 3: Key Articles of the Code covers Articles 1, 2, 12, and 17 in depth—addressing fiduciary duties to clients, truthful disclosure, honest advertising, and the requirement to resolve disputes through mediation and arbitration.

Chapter 4: Due Process in Code Enforcement examines the due process protections built into the REALTORS® professional standards system, including fair hearing rights, confidentiality of proceedings, and prohibitions against coercion and double jeopardy.

Chapter 5: Procuring Cause covers NAR's arbitration guidelines and the factors hearing panels use to determine which agent was the procuring cause of a transaction—one of the most frequently disputed issues in real estate arbitration.

Chapter 6: The Professional Standards Enforcement Process walks through the full lifecycle of a Code of Ethics complaint, from filing through resolution, including mediation, arbitration procedures, and the duty to arbitrate under Article 17.

Chapter 7: Common Violations — Commercial Case Studies applies course concepts through commercial-focused case studies examining violations under Articles 1, 2, 3, 11, and 16, as well as the Pathways to Professionalism.

Learning Objectives

At the end of this course, you will be be able to:

• Describe “general business” ethics, and compare and contrast the REALTORS®’ Code of Ethics with business ethics, broadly
• Describe the professional standards process for enforcing the Code of Ethics, including the duty to arbitrate
• Identify critical elements of due process as they relate to Code enforcement
• Identify factors considered by hearing panels in procuring cause disputes

Some say that real estate is all about location. But really investment real estate is all about cash flows! Cash flows happen at three phases of the investment, the acquisition, the operations, or holding period and finally the disposition of the property.

This course will deal with how the real estate agent can work with investment real estate and with the investors who buy investment real estate. 

This course introduces real estate agents to the fundamentals of investment real estate, with a focus on how cash flow drives decisions at acquisition, during operations, and at disposition. Learners will compare investor vs. user perspectives, review property types, financing basics, performance metrics, cash flow modeling, and common group ownership structures.

Instructor: Patricia Lynn, CCIM, CDEI -- commercial real estate strategist, founding partner of ExceedCE, and award-winning instructor for the CCIM Institute.

Learning Objectives

At the end of this course, you will be be able to:

• Compare the way users and investors view real estate
• Identify differences between the types of properties investors buy
• Explore the basics of financing investment real estate
• Identify various measures of investment real estate performance
• Introduce the real estate cash flow model
• Explain structures of group ownership in investment real estate

Course Content

This course is comprised of video presentations and reading material. 

This course prepares commercial and multifamily real estate professionals to operate ethically and compliantly under fair housing law by connecting the historical roots of housing discrimination to today's leasing, marketing, screening, and client-interaction practices. Through ten chapters, interactive activities, videos, and case studies with a commercial focus, learners will build practical habits that reduce legal risk and promote equitable treatment of all clients and tenants.

Instructor: Patricia Lynn, CCIM, CDEI -- commercial real estate strategist, founding partner of ExceedCE, and award-winning instructor for the CCIM Institute.

Learning Objectives

Upon completing this course, students will be able to:

• Explain why fair housing laws were necessary by understanding the history of housing discrimination and its lasting economic and demographic impact
• Identify federal laws that prohibit housing discrimination and the actions they require or forbid in commercial real estate practice
• Recognize the seven federally protected classes under the Fair Housing Act
• - Distinguish state and local protections that may exceed federal requirements
• Define steering and apply strategies to avoid it
• Describe reasonable accommodations and modifications for people with disabilities as required by law
• Apply best practices for fair housing-compliant marketing and advertising
• Direct clients and tenants to appropriate fair housing resources and assistance
• Recognize the risks of stereotype-driven assumptions and support consumer self-determination in community selection
• Use practical interventions to interrupt implicit bias in day-to-day decision-making

Course Content

Chapter 1: History of Discrimination and Its Lasting Impact
Examines the government-sanctioned and private discriminatory practices — including racial zoning ordinances, redlining by the HOLC and FHA, racially restrictive covenants, and mid-century urban renewal displacement — that shaped American housing markets. Explores how these historical policies continue to influence cap rates, valuation gaps, tenant income disparities, and multifamily stock distribution in commercial real estate today.

Chapter 2: Fair Housing Laws — Legal Foundations for Commercial Real Estate
Provides a detailed review of the key federal statutes governing fair housing in commercial contexts: the Fair Housing Act of 1968, the Civil Rights Act of 1866, Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Clarifies where and how these laws apply to multifamily, mixed-use, and housing-adjacent commercial transactions.

Chapter 3: Understanding Federally Protected Classes
Covers the seven protected classes under the Fair Housing Act — race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation per HUD guidance), familial status, and disability — with specific application to multifamily leasing, tenant screening, and property management.

Chapter 4: State and Local Fair Housing Protections
Explores how state and local jurisdictions expand upon federal protections, adding additional protected classes and obligations for commercial real estate professionals. Emphasizes the importance of knowing and complying with the rules of the jurisdiction in which you practice.

Chapter 5: Understanding and Preventing Steering
Defines steering — the practice of directing clients toward or away from properties based on protected characteristics — and distinguishes it from lawful guidance. Presents concrete strategies for ensuring clients are shown properties based on their stated preferences and objective criteria alone.

Chapter 6: Disability Rights — Accommodations and Modifications in Multifamily Housing
Examines the legal requirements for reasonable accommodations (changes to rules, policies, or practices) and reasonable modifications (physical changes to the property) for tenants with disabilities. Covers how to evaluate requests, what can and cannot be required of tenants, and common compliance pitfalls in multifamily settings.

Chapter 7: Fair Housing Marketing Best Practices
Reviews compliant advertising language, imagery, and targeting practices across print, digital, and social media channels. Addresses the risks of human models, neighborhood descriptions, and algorithmic ad targeting, and provides guidance for creating inclusive marketing materials.

Chapter 8: Fair Housing Resources for Professionals and Clients
Identifies the government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and NAR resources available to assist real estate professionals and their clients with fair housing questions, complaints, and education. Covers how to direct clients to the right resources when discrimination concerns arise.

Chapter 9: Avoiding Stereotypes — Letting Consumers Choose Their Community
Examines how assumptions based on racial, ethnic, religious, or other stereotypes can influence professional recommendations and violate fair housing law. Reinforces the principle that consumers have the right to choose where they live based on their own criteria, without interference rooted in a professional's assumptions.

Chapter 10: Addressing Implicit Bias in Commercial Real Estate
Introduces the concept of implicit (unconscious) bias and its documented influence on leasing decisions, tenant screening, and client interactions. Presents research-backed interventions and daily habits to interrupt biased decision-making and ensure all clients and prospects are treated with equal concern, respect, and fairness.

Why is a city located where it is? Why do some cities grow while others stagnate or decline? What forces create or close the gap between real estate supply and demand? This course gives real estate licensees the tools to answer those questions with confidence.

Drawing on U.S. Census data, Department of Labor employment statistics, and modern analytical frameworks, this course builds a working understanding of the economic forces behind real estate demand across all property types -- residential, industrial, office, and retail. Students will also be introduced to emerging tools including real-time market data and AI-assisted analysis, and will examine how post-COVID migration and remote work trends are reshaping demand patterns across the country.

Instructor: Patricia Lynn, CCIM, CDEI -- commercial real estate strategist, founding partner of ExceedCE, and award-winning instructor for the CCIM Institute.

Course Content

Chapter One: Make Use of What the Census Tells Us About Our Country Students learn how to use U.S. Census data as a foundation for understanding real estate demand. Topics include how the census is conducted, what population and household data reveals about a market, and how to interpret demographic trends and population projections to anticipate shifts in demand.

Chapter Two: Explain the Concept of Urban Areas This chapter examines why cities form where they do and how they are classified. Students explore the centralizing and decentralizing forces that shape urban areas, the theories behind city formation, and the economic relationships that sustain them.

Chapter Three: Relate Real Estate Demand and Job Creation Students learn how employment drives real estate demand across all property types. Topics include why cities are different sizes, the factors that influence the shape of a city, the role of basic versus non-basic industries, and how to perform calculations using the employment multiplier and related concepts.

Chapter Four: Formulate Calculations Related to the Theory of Basic Industries This chapter introduces the Location Quotient (LQ) as a tool for identifying basic industries in a local economy. Students learn how to calculate and interpret the LQ using real data from multiple markets, including a detailed application within a single state.

Chapter Five: Examine the Shift-Share Analysis Students are introduced to shift-share analysis as a method for understanding whether changes in local employment are driven by national trends, industry-specific trends, or local competitive factors. The chapter includes worked examples and applications using state-level employment data.

Chapter Six: Contrast the Causes of Growth, Stability, or Decline in Cities This chapter explores the demographic, economic, and lifestyle factors that cause cities to grow, stabilize, or decline. Topics include economic diversification, domestic and international migration patterns, household formation trends, and the ongoing impact of remote work and cost-of-living considerations on population movement.

Chapter Seven: Explain the Demand for Residential Real Estate Students learn how to analyze demand for residential real estate using the gap formula, household data, interest rate trends, and ownership versus rental trends. The chapter covers multifamily rental housing, apartment market analysis, and the factors that drive a household's decision to buy or rent.

Chapter Eight: Interpret Household Characteristics as a Way to Look at Demand The final chapter introduces psychographics as a complement to traditional demographic data. Students learn how market segmentation, customer profiling, media targeting, and site location analysis are used to understand consumer behavior and identify the types of real estate products that will succeed in a given neighborhood.