A revitalized Professional Development Program (PDP) structure designed to inspire REALTORS® to learn in new and interesting ways with more flexibility and personal choice is almost here.
Beginning in January 2020, PDP courses will be either accredited, or self-directed courses that contribute to lifelong learning and the enhanced professionalism of Realtors.
The change to PDP was developed by real estate boards, BCREA and Realtors themselves in a collaborative effort to raise the standards of professionalism beyond basic licensing requirements and to make PDP more relevant and accessible.
What does this mean for you?
The new PDP structure will now recognize hours of professional development, rather than credits. And, there will no longer be course categories (A, B, C).
You will need to complete 18 hours of professional development in each licensing cycle, of which at least 12 hours are accredited learning. You can choose whether the rest of your professional development is accredited or self-directed.
To be accredited, a learning opportunity must follow best practices in adult learning and reflect the guiding principles of the PDP framework. This means the learning opportunity must:
• Have immediate relevance and impact to the learner’s profession; and
• Contain opportunities for reflective practice, such as case studies, paired exercises, small group activities and personal reflection, such as action planning.
Accredited courses will be clearly identified in advertising so that you’ll know when the hours will count toward your PDP profile.
Self directed learning
Self directed learning is learning that is not accredited by BCREA or a member board, but which is shown to enhance professional practice of Realtors. Self directed learning could include formal or informal learning opportunities, such as conferences, webinars, workshops, or online seminars. That includes the FVREB’s own Conference & Trade Show 2020, February 5 to 7 which would yield you 6 self-directed PDP hours.
The requirements are that the self-directed learning opportunity must be at least one hour in length, be verifiable and auditable, enhance professional practice, and provide proof of completion for those taking the learning.
Please note that you can start earning self-directed PDP hours for learning opportunities taken on or after January 1, 2020, not before. Learning opportunities that you complete before this date cannot be used toward self-directed PDP hours.
Note that re-licensing education, such as Legal Update, will not count towards PDP hours. Legal Update remains a requirement for renewing your license under the Real Estate Council’s mandatory education program.
Help is here
The good news is that there is nothing you need to do to transition to the new PDP. Your Board will convert the PDP credits you’ve earned within your current licensing cycle to PDP hours on January 1, 2020. And Board staff can provide you with more information about the PDP, as well as information specific to your learner profile and PDP requirements. For additional support, you can also email pdpeducation@bcrea.bc.ca
For details about the new PDP, visit Realtor Link where you’ll find videos, FAQs and other resources specific to the FVREB. You can also visit the PDP transition web page, managed by BCREA.