The GRI Designation. Benefits from the GRI Designation

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1 The GRI Designation Graduate, Realtor Institute GRI designation is the nation s #1 real estate designation designed specifically for Realtors Who Mean Business. Real estate is a fast moving industry, so to be successful Realtors must keep current on issues, legalities, technology, and many other components of business. The GRI designation covers major real estate related topics, and is earned by successfully completing an in-depth series of education courses. Once the GRI designation is earned it is yours, as long as you are a Realtor or Realtor-Associate. Wearing the GRI pin, displaying the GRI certificate, placing the logo on business cards and stationery, and using GRI after your name, are ways Realtors and Realtor-Associates communicate their dedication, knowledge and professional achievement. This prestigious designation goes far beyond building skills, knowledge and productivity; it takes Realtors to the next level, and beyond. Need post-license or continuing education credit? Earn the type of real estate continuing education credit you need; 11 hours of continuing education, 60 hours of Brokers post-license credit, or 45-hours of Sales Associates post-license credit. (COMING SOON) Benefits from the GRI Designation Enhance your image. Realtors who pursue professional designations have a distinct competitive edge as a result of their increased expertise and marketability. Increase your knowledge. You'll learn valuable information and techniques that can help you and your business. Professionals find the GRI designation a powerful tool for attracting and building new business. Expand your network of real estate professionals to generate more leads. Develop skills and obtain knowledge to get better results with less time and work. Display your designation certification to illustrate your professionalism and expertise. You'll find other designees to be great sources of ideas and referrals.

2 Is Online Learning Right For Me? Florida Realtors is proud to offer the Graduate Realtor Institute (GRI) program online for our members. Online courses bring together the flexibility of learning from wherever an Internet connected computer is located and the standards of a course taught in a face-to-face setting at your local association. Students can login to their courses any hour of the day and any day of the week, so they are not bound by scheduling conflicts presented with in-person instruction. In return for this flexibility, students must take responsibility for their learning by using time management skills, keeping up with the readings and quizzes and by logging in to the course management system on a regular basis to get class information and progress through the material. The online course has an easy to use interface. If you can surf the web and communicate by , you already have the basic skills needed to succeed in an online course. Because of the emphasis placed on self-directed learning with an online course, there are several things you will want to consider before determining if the program is right for you. If you can say yes to most of these statements, then chances are you will succeed in an online course: I usually read directions very carefully. I can open files on my computer. I manage my time effectively and always meet deadlines without having to be reminded. I can read class material and apply the concepts based on that reading. I have regular access to a computer with high speed Internet access. I will allot specific study time to my online class. I am willing to figure things out on my own, but am also comfortable asking an instructor for help as soon as I need it. I feel that I have the self-discipline needed to learn without face-to-face interaction. I am willing to dedicate the same amount of time and effort to an online class that I would to a classroombased course. I have the necessary time-management skills that would enable me to balance online coursework with my professional and personal responsibilities. Adapted from Stanley Community College, North Carolina Still wondering if the online class is right for you? Check out our FAQs for more information.

3 Online Course FAQ What is taking an online course like? Taking the online course is as easy as reading the news on your favorite website. Once you purchase the course, you will need to verify your information and begin working through the material. To do this, you will click on the first available section and work through a series of modules that present the course content in small, manageable chunks of information. You will read through the information, take whatever notes you feel is appropriate, and then move to the next section. Occasionally, there will be quizzes designed to assess your mastery of the subject matter. You must pass these quizzes with a score 90% or better in order to move forward to the next module. At anytime, you have the ability to go back and review any module that has been completed. Once you complete all the modules, you will need to take an examination in order to pass the course. Prior to starting the exam, you can spend as much time as you feel necessary going back through the material to review for the test. Because the examination is closed book, all of the modules will be locked once you begin the exam. Be certain that you have completed any review and study of the material before you choose to take the examination. To pass the examination, you will need to score 75% or better. Once you submit your exam, it will be immediately graded and if you pass the exam, your credits will be transmitted to the DBPR within 7 business days (if applicable) and you will be able to immediately print your certificate of completion. If you fail the examination, you will have one additional attempt before you must retake the entire class. How long do I have to complete the course? You will have 90-days from the date of purchase to complete the course material and take the examination. For example, if you purchase the course on August 22, 2012 at 8:50 AM, you will have until November 22, 2012 at 8:50 AM to work through the material and take the examination. You may start and stop working through the material at anytime during this 90 day window; however you must take and submit your final examination before the expiration date. If for some reason you fail the examination, you will be able to retake the exam based on the established GRI policy. How long will I spend taking this course? GRI Course 1 is a 45 hour course, and GRI Course 2 and 3 are each 30 hours in length. If you were to take these courses in the classroom setting, you are expected to spend at least that amount of time receiving face-to-face instruction, while spending some time independently reviewing the material in preparation for the examination. These courses are designed to translate the same learning objectives into an online environment, and are designed to be completed in roughly the same amount of time as a traditional classroom course. However, since everyone has different learning styles, everyone will work through the material at a different pace. A reasonable estimate of time spent logged into the computer and working through the modules would be hours for GRI-1, and hours for GRI-2 or GRI-3. These courses are NOT designed to provide the GRI course content at an accelerated pace, and cannot be successfully completed without the proper time investment.

4 Can I get the course book to help me study? Since the examination is closed book, we will be unable to provide you with a textbook to take the course. Additionally, the course interface will not allow you to print the material or copy and paste the text from the screen into a word document. If you want material to study, you will need to take your own notes and refer back to the various modules while logged into the system before taking the examination. Upon successful completion of the course, you can contact the education department at the Florida Association of Realtors and order a course book for your reference library. Since the course is online and self-paced, what happens if I need help? The entire instructor staff at Florida Realtors will be available to answer any questions you may have. Simply your question to the customer service provided with your registration packet, and it will be forwarded to a specialist. Most questions will be answered within 48 hours. I know my attendance in a classroom environment benefits my local board, but what about these online courses? Florida Realtors works closely with each local board to support them in each program offered to our members, including the online GRI program. Just as a portion of your registration fee from a face-to-face GRI course goes to your local association, a portion of the online registration fee goes back to your local board to help support additional programs and services. Therefore, it is very important that you enter the name of your local board when you register for the course.

5 How to Get Started Step 1: Complete the attached registration form and either , fax or post it to Florida Realtors with your payment information. Step 2: New courses begin on Mondays, and students are enrolled in online courses on a weekly basis. Each Monday, students who submitted their registration form the week prior will be given log-in information. If we receive your form and payment before 8:00 AM EST on Monday, you will receive your log-in information that afternoon. Step 3: Once you receive your log-in information, feel free to begin working through the course. You will have 90- days to complete the course. Step 4: Upon successful competition of the course, your credits will be transmitted to the DBPR (if applicable), and the GRI designation credit will be posted to your membership record within 7 business days. You will be able to download a certificate of competition immediately after completing the course.