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Legal Update for Real Estate Licensees

Legal Update for Real Estate Licensees

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  • MANDATORY FOR: ALL REAL ESTATE LICENSEES

  • BCFSA’s Legal Update course is a mandatory continuing education requirement for all real estate licensees. 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
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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 real estate licensees 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 five-hour virtual classroom session.

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

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. Licensees 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 will gain a comprehensive understanding of the latest legal and regulatory developments relevant to real estate licensees. Topics covered encompass critical areas such as agency, disclosures, conflict of interest, contracts, and recent case laws.

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 licensees’ knowledge and help them to comply with regulatory requirements.

Course Length

The duration of the course is five business days. The online component of the course is self-paced and must be completed at least one day 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, five-hour session.

Course Details

In addition to topics applicable to specific licensing categories, there is a comprehensive suite of topics in Legal Update. The Learner Resource Workbook provided to learners includes the following list of topics:

Module 1Personal Conduct
Module 2Agency — Back to Basics
Module 3Disclosures
Module 4Conflict of Interest
Module 5Contracts
Module 6Easements and Encroachments
Module 7Recent Amendments to SPA
Module 8Small Stratas and EVs
Module 9Managing Brokers
Module 10Mortgage Brokering in Challenging Situations
Module 11Agency — Rental and Strata
Module 12Disclosures and Notices – Rental and Strata
Module 13Conflicts of Interest – Rental and Strata

The table below details the mandatory modules required for each version of the course:

  • Trading — Residential

    • Personal Conduct
    • Agency — Back to Basics
    • Disclosures
    • Conflict of Interest
    • Contracts
    • Easements and Encroachments
    • Recent Amendments to SPA

  • Trading — Commercial

    • Personal Conduct
    • Agency — Back to Basics
    • Disclosures
    • Conflict of Interest
    • Contracts
    • Easements and Encroachments
    • Recent Amendments to SPA

  • Rental

    • Personal Conduct
    • Agency
    • Disclosures and Notices
    • Conflict of Interest
    • Contracts
    • Managing Brokers

  • Strata

    • Personal Conduct
    • Agency
    • Disclosures and Notice
    • Conflict of Interest
    • Contracts
    • Easements and Encroachments
    • Recent Amendments to SPA
    • Small Stratas and Evs

  • Managing Broker

    • Personal Conduct
    • Agency
    • Disclosures
    • Conflict of Interest
    • Contracts
    • Managing Brokers
    • Recent Amendments to SPA

During the virtual classroom session, you will take a closer look at the content of the modules covered through scenarios, case studies, and group discussions.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Legal Update 2025 will adopt a back-to-basics strategy, featuring modules on Agency, Disclosures, Conflicts of Interest, and Contracts tailored to each specific service area for all licensees. Managing brokers will receive additional emphasis on establishing clear brokerage policies, effective delegation, and risk management.

    Legal Update forms an integral component of the obligatory continuing education requirements for real estate licensees, essential for the maintenance of their licences. The course structure consists of two components: mandatory online components, followed by a full-day classroom session. Participants can anticipate completing online assessments and engaging in classroom activities designed to enhance their practical skills.

    The 2025 iteration of Legal Update introduces a more targeted approach with distinct modules tailored to each licensing category.

  • 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.

  • If you took the 2024 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 licensees 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.