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The Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) and Department of Real Estate (DRE) are concerned about a business practice in which a real estate broker instructs a settlement agent1 through a Commission Disbursement Authorization (CDA) to pay the real estate broker's personal or business expenses or an unlicensed entity or individual who may have engaged in activity requiring a license in a real estate transaction.

The Department of Real Estate (DRE) is alerting consumers that the rules around buyer representation and agent compensation in real estate purchase transactions is changing.

In September 2021, the California Legislature passed and Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill (SB) 263 (Rubio). The legislation changed the continuing education (CE) course requirements for Department of Real Estate (DRE) licensees effective January 1, 2023. SB 263 did not change the overall 45 hours needed of continuing education. Licensees with a renewal date of January 1, 2023, or later are required to take an Implicit Bias course and an Interactive Fair Housing course as part of their 45 hours of CE. Total required 45 hours of CE remains the same. Please review C.A.R.'s License Renewal page for more information: https://www.car.org/en/education/licenserenewal

The California Department of Real Estate (DRE) posted a new Consumer Alert titled, "Possible Alternatives or Options to Foreclosure."

The California Department of Real Estate issued a news release this afternoon warning against rental price gouging in wildfire areas.

After passage of AB 3088, the California Department of Real Estate (DRE) was tasked with developing a tenant, landlord, and homeowner resource website, housingiskey.com, to provide information and resources on this new legislation, and house the soon-to-be revised publication, California Tenants – A Guide to Residential Tenants' and Landlords' Rights and Responsibilities. The Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency (BCSH) has also announced the creation of the "The California COVID-19 Information App for Tenants & Landlords" to help Californians understand their rights and options under the law.

Want to get news clips about real estate related topics that DRE follows? Subscribe to our new RSS feature here https://dre.ca.gov/RSS.html

The California Department of Real Estate (DRE) recently completed of a new publication for licensees titled, "Real Estate Advertising Guidelines", RE 27. These guidelines are intended to assist California real estate licensees in understanding the many advertising requirements they are expected to know and follow.

On Thursday, July 18, SAMCAR's second quarterly membership meeting was held at Long Branch Farms in Half Moon Bay featuring real estate industry update presentations from 2020 NAR President, Vince Malta, and California DRE Auditor Cecilia Yan, along with welcoming remarks from Long Branch Farms owner, and SAMCAR Affiliate member, Kevin Palmer, an update from refreshments sponsor MLSListings, Inc., and closing remarks from candidate for 2021 C.A.R. President, Otto Catrina. Read more for a recap of theses presentations.

On Wednesday, April 17, SAMCAR initiated our new quarterly "Speaker Series" with a legal update from C.A.R. Associate Counsel, Jana Gardner, covering details of the recent California "Real Estate Clean Up Law" package, landlord/tenant law changes, new forms and reminders about a REALTOR® member benefit: C.A.R.'s legal hotline. Read more for helpful resources and to download the "Legal Update" presentation deck.

In its 2018 Winter Real Estate Bulletin, the California Department of Real Estate (DRE) discusses the risks of "Coming Soon" marketing in an article titled "Be Sure to Maintain Fiduciary Responsibility for Your Client or Face Civil and Regulatory Liability," which includes the DRE's view of "best practices" for listing agents.

As a REALTOR®, you represent the face of the real estate industry by conducting yourself in an ethical and professional manner. However, there are serious, yet common reoccurring issues pertaining to advertising.

The California Department of Real Estate (DRE) issued revised draft regulations clarifying SB 1461, the State law that requires real estate licensees toinclude their license numbers on all "first point of contact" materials. View chart RE 559 for more information or call the DRE's Enforcement section at (877) 373-4542 if you have questions.