All agents have to complete real estate continuing education, but the best don't stop there. Our industry is ever-changing, and the most successful agents are the ones who never stop learning.
That’s why we’ve put together this collection of deep-dive resources just for you. These resources go beyond what's covered in our Real Estate Investments CE course, giving you deeper insights, fresh perspectives, and actionable strategies to apply in your day-to-day business. So dive into these expert-approved reads and keep pushing your business forward.
1️⃣ Emerging Trends in Real Estate
This annual ULI/PwC report is an industry-leading outlook on real estate market trends. It’s a must-read if you want to see the big picture of where real estate is headed. The 2024 edition, themed “The Great Reset,” is packed with critical data and expert opinions from over 2,000 industry insiders.
From the rise of hybrid work and Sun Belt market growth to shifts in investor sentiment on issues like climate risk, this report dishes on the top trends to watch. Best of all, it’s free – giving you high-level market economics insight that goes beyond your course and helps you forecast the future like a pro.
PricewaterhouseCoopers
2️⃣ Harvard JCHS State of the Nation’s Housing
For a deep dive into housing economics and demographics, Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies publishes an eye-opening State of the Nation’s Housing report each year. The latest edition provides an insightful overview of U.S. housing market conditions, highlighting the challenges homeowners and renters face with rising costs.
It examines how high interest rates are pricing out buyers, why construction is slowing despite housing shortages, and where affordability is headed. This report complements your course’s market analysis with current, real-world data on trends like homeownership gaps and rental burdens.
It’s a data-rich, authoritative resource that will sharpen your understanding of economic forces shaping real estate today.
3️⃣ BiggerPockets – Real Estate Investing
Looking for real-world investment strategies and success stories? BiggerPockets is the web’s largest community of real estate investors – boasting over 3 million members ready to share tips and war stories. This free platform is part social network, part education hub: you’ll find blog articles, forums, and podcasts full of practical advice on flipping houses, rental management, BRRRR strategies, and more.
BiggerPockets prides itself on grassroots, democratized learning, so you can learn from actual investor experiences (good and bad) and even ask questions. It’s an addictive way to complement textbook theory with street-level insights – consider it your online mastermind group for sharpening investment savvy.
4️⃣ Legal Updates & Risk Management
Staying out of legal hot water is paramount for any real estate professional. The National Association of REALTORS®’ “Window to the Law” is a monthly video series providing valuable risk management tips on timely legal issues in real estate. In just a few minutes per episode, you get digestible guidance on topics like avoiding fair housing pitfalls, new advertising rules, contract gotchas, and regulatory changes that could impact your business.
Think of it as having a friendly legal advisor keeping you up to date on what’s changing in the legal landscape – from the latest court cases to updated regulations. This resource perfectly complements your coursework on real estate law by adding fresh, real-world scenarios and practical do’s and don’ts.
It’s free, timely, and could save your license one day by helping you navigate those tricky legal minefields.
5️⃣ Tax Benefits & Implications
Taxes may not be glamorous, but savvy investors know they’re a huge part of real estate success. The IRS Real Estate Tax Center is an official (and free!) trove of information on all the tax angles you need to consider. This online hub covers topics like rental income and expenses, property tax deductions, tax credits, 1031 like-kind exchanges, and selling your home – all in plain language.
Not only does it outline the rules and benefits (so you won’t miss out on deductions or deferrals), but it also keeps you current on any tax code changes that could affect real estate investors.
This resource adds a nice complement to your course’s section on investment analysis: when you understand the tax implications of depreciation, capital gains, and more, you can truly maximize the financial benefits of real estate. Bookmark this site for whenever you need a quick answer on real estate taxes straight from the source.
6️⃣ Emerging Tech Tools
Tech is transforming real estate every day – don’t get left behind! VanEd (a respected real estate education provider) has a fantastic blog post on 2024’s top real estate technology trends that’s both free and fun to read. In this piece, the author explores what to expect in real estate tech in 2024 and how these innovations will impact agents and investors, from artificial intelligence to the metaverse.
It covers buzzworthy tools like AI-driven property recommendations, virtual and augmented reality home tours, blockchain transactions, and smart home tech. The tone is conversational and easy to grasp, so you’ll come away excited about the “next big things” in proptech.
This is a perfect supplemental read to give you a forward-looking perspective – beyond the core concepts you learned in class – on how you can leverage emerging tools to work smarter and wow your clients.
VanEd
7️⃣ Real Estate Tech Usage & Trends
Ever wonder which tech tools actually matter to real estate pros? The NAR 2024 Technology Survey has the answers straight from thousands of REALTORS® in the field. This free report (published by the National Association of REALTORS®) reveals which technologies agents and brokers find most valuable – and the results are fascinating. For example, a whopping 87% of respondents use Facebook for their business, 35% are using drones for property photos, and 28% have started using AI tools in their real estate work!
The survey is chock-full of insights on everything from the rise of e-signatures and CRM systems to attitudes on blockchain and the metaverse. By reading it, you’ll get data-driven validation of trends discussed in your course and discover new areas to skill up (seeing so many peers using tech might just inspire you to try something new).
It’s like getting an inside peek at the collective mindset of the industry – invaluable for staying competitive.
8️⃣ Property Management Best Practices
If property management is part of your real estate world, the Institute of Real Estate Management’s (IREM) Journal of Property Management (JPM) is the go-to resource to keep you at the top of your game. This industry-leading magazine for property managers keeps you on top of the latest news, trends, and management techniques across residential and commercial assets. Each issue is filled with real-world advice on things like optimizing operations, improving tenant relations, maintenance best practices, and even sustainability in property management.
It’s essential reading to stay current and competitive, as JPM pulls in authoritative voices and experts to share what’s working now in the field. By complementing your course material with JPM’s insights, you’ll get a broader perspective on day-to-day management challenges and innovative solutions from seasoned pros. Plus, IREM often makes select articles available for free online – so you can learn without spending a dime.
9️⃣ Mortgage & Financing Trends
For a steady stream of up-to-date information on mortgages and housing finance, turn to Freddie Mac’s Housing and Economic Research page. This official resource offers original research and analysis on housing trends, the economy and the mortgage market.
In plain terms: it’s where Freddie Mac’s economists publish their regular forecasts and reports on things like interest rate outlooks, home price projections, refinancing trends, and credit availability. Want to know where mortgage rates might be heading, or how economic shifts are affecting buyer demand? Freddie’s monthly Economic Outlook has you covered with data-driven insights (no subscription or cost required).
Using this site as supplemental reading will give you a more nuanced understanding of financing options and market health beyond what you learned in your CE course’s finance chapter. It’s like getting insider knowledge on the money side of real estate – helping you advise clients and plan your investments with confidence.
