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Legal Update

Legal Update

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  • MANDATORY FOR: ALL REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS.

  • BCFSA’s Legal Update course is a mandatory continuing education requirement for all real estate professionals. Updated annually, the course includes an online, self-paced learning component and a one-day virtual classroom session. You must complete both components of the Legal Update course (online and virtual classroom) before applying to renew your licence.

    Cost: $275
    Register Now

To register, you need your licence number. Find your licence number using our Licensee Search.

Once your registration has been processed, you will receive a confirmation email with details on how to access the online component of the course.

Course Overview

Who Must Take the Course

All licensed real estate professionals are required to complete the Legal Update course before applying to renew a licence.

The Legal Update course includes:

  • An online, self-paced learning component and
  • A one-day virtual classroom session.

You must complete the entire Legal Update course before applying to renew your licence.

Real estate professionals are required to complete a total of six modules. This includes four mandatory modules dependent on your licence type, in addition to selecting at least two of the remaining modules. Professionals are encouraged to complete all modules offered in Legal Update.

You are only required to complete one Legal Update course during your two-year licensing cycle and prior to licence renewal, even if you are licensed to provide more than one service. Professionals are welcome to complete each yearly version of the course for their own professional development.

What You Will Learn

In the Legal Update course, you’ll learn about legal and regulatory updates, as well as best practice reminders. It includes recent notable BCFSA discipline cases, legal developments, Errors and Omissions reports, and covers key learning points for real estate professionals to transfer into their business practices.

When to Take the Course

We encourage you to take Legal Update as soon as possible within your two-year licensing period. Completion of the course is required in order to renew a licence.

BCFSA strongly recommends that you begin the Legal Update course at least 8 weeks in advance of your licence expiry date, to ensure that you have ample time to complete the course and submit your licence renewal application.

Course cost

The Legal Update course fee is $275. Course fees must be paid upon registration.

Course revenues support the development of further educational resources and courses to enhance real estate professionals’ knowledge and help them to comply with regulatory requirements.

Course Length

The online component of the course is self-paced and must be completed at least one week before the virtual classroom component. There are quizzes and evaluations to ensure that you thoroughly understand the material before going on to a new section. In most cases, it will likely take a total of 10-15 hours to complete the online self-paced component of the course. The virtual classroom component is a full-day, 5 hour session.

Course Details

The course consists of a selection of the modules listed below, depending on your area of practice.

Module 1Insurance
Module 2Contracts of Purchase and Sale
Module 3Residential Tenancy Act
Module 4Conflicts of Interest
Module 5Agency
Module 6Terminations and Transfers
Module 7Leases and Subleases
Module 8Cybersecurity
Module 9Managing Broker Policies and Procedures
Module 10Managing Broker Oversight and Supervision
Module 11On the Radar
- Tax Issues
- Title Update
- Powers of Attorney
- Administrative Penalties

The table below details the mandatory modules required for each version of the course (based on your licence type). You will then select at least two additional modules from the list above based on your interests, educational or professional goals.

  • Trading — Residential

    • Agency
    • Contract of Purchase and Sale
    • Conflicts of Interest
    • Cybersecurity
    • Two (2) Elective Modules

  • Trading — Commercial

    • Agency
    • Leases and Subleases
    • Conflicts of Interest
    • Cybersecurity
    • Two (2) Elective Modules

  • Rental/ Strata

    • Residential Tenancy Act
    • Terminations and Transfers
    • Conflicts of Interest
    • Cybersecurity
    • Two (2) Elective Modules

  • Managing Broker

    • Managing Broker Policies and Procedures
    • Managing Broker Oversight and Supervision
    • Conflicts of Interest
    • Cybersecuriy
    • Two (2) Elective Modules

Learners are encouraged to review the other elective modules as well, and will be provided access to all elective modules during the course.

During the virtual classroom session, you will take a closer look at the content of the four mandatory modules through case studies, polls, group discussions and other activities.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Real estate professionals who take the 2022 Legal Update course will learn key concepts related to cybersecurity, conflicts of interest, and contracts. You will understand how real estate insurance, leases, and the Residential Tenancy Act affect the professional services you provide to clients. The Legal Update 2022 course also offers specific modules for Managing Brokers focusing on policies and procedures as well as oversight and supervision that occur within a brokerage.

    Legal Update is part of the mandatory continuing education that real estate professionals must complete in order to maintain their licence. The course format consists of two parts: a preparatory online component followed by a one-day classroom component. You can expect to complete online assessments and participate in classroom activities that are created to develop skills for your day-to-day practice.

    The 2022 version of Legal Update introduces greater flexibility by allowing you to tailor your online learning by requiring the completion of six modules: 4 modules are mandatory, and real estate professionals may choose any two of the remaining modules, which allows learners to customize their experience based on interest or profession.

  • After registering for the Legal Update course, you will receive access to the online component on the day it is scheduled to start. You’ll find:

    • Self-paced modules, each with a final quiz with multiple choice questions; and
    • Adventures in each module specific to the course you registered for.

    Once you have completed the online component, you can attend the virtual classroom component, which will include:

    • Case scenarios;
    • Interactivity;
    • Group work and class discussions; and
    • Distance-based options for those unable to attend in person.

  • If you took the 2021 Legal Update during your current licence period, you have satisfied BCFSA’s Continuing Education requirement. You do not need to take another Legal Update course until your next licensing period. Real estate professionals are welcome to take the Legal Update course every year for their own professional development.

  • No. You must successfully complete all the sections in the online component of the course before you will be able to attend the virtual classroom component. If you are not able to complete the online component in time, you will be required to reschedule your course to another available offering, and pay a course rescheduling fee (50% of the course cost).

  • If you do not successfully complete the appropriate Legal Update course by the time your licence renewal application is due, your real estate licence will not be renewed. Register for the next available course and once you have completed it, you can submit a late renewal application form, paying an additional late renewal application fee of $50.

    If you do not renew your licence, you will not be licensed and cannot provide real estate services.