The Division of Occupational And Professional Licensing Has a New Address
As you may be aware if you have visited our website or contacted the commission recently, our offices have moved to 1100 N. Eutaw St., Baltimore, MD 21201. Please make note of our new address for all future mailing needs. Our phone numbers and email addresses will remain the same, as will our website address and social media accounts.
|
Virtual Appointments Now Available
Our office has developed new remote ways to support our clients with our new virtual appointment form located on our website. Clients needing assistance from our staff can now request a virtual appointment. These appointments are available Monday through Friday with start times ranging from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., using Google Meet.
Computer Users:
- A Google or Gmail account is not required to join the meeting on a computer. Simply click on the meeting link in your email and join the meeting.
Mobile Device Users:
- A Google or Gmail account is required to use the video call function for your appointment. Once logged in, you will be able to join the meeting.
If you need to visit our office in-person to review or deliver documents, our building is available by appointment only. You can schedule an appointment at our new building online. If you need additional or immediate assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us; we remain dedicated to servicing all our clients and are here to assist via phone and e-mail in addition to our new virtual platform.
New Broker Commissioner - Sandy Olson
The Maryland Real Estate Commission would like to introduce you all to Sandy Olson, our new Broker Commissioner. She was appointed to the board in July of 2022 and succeeds Marla Johnson, whom we thank for her service to the Commission and the citizens of Maryland.
Commissioner Olson was raised in Frederick Maryland and graduated from Gov. Thomas Johnson High School in 1983. She earned a Bachelor in Science Degree in Business Administration from Mount Saint Mary's University and started her real estate career as a salesperson in 2000. After getting her broker’s license by completing the GRI curriculum, Olson opened her brokerage RE/MAX Results in 2005.
Commissioner Olson is a graduate of the Leadership Academy of the Maryland Association of Realtors and Frederick Leadership Academy. She was a past president of the Frederick County Association of Realtors and a past president of Women's Council of Realtors, Frederick chapter. She continues to serve on the Professional Standards and Forms committees for Frederick County Association of Realtors, in addition to serving as broker and owner of two RE/MAX Results offices in Frederick and Hagerstown. For her stellar performance in the area, she won RE/MAX Regional Broker of the Year award in 2017.
She is married and has two children, two step children, one daughter-in-law, three sons-in-law, five grandchildren and a sixth on the way any day now! She and her husband continue to live in Frederick, Maryland and together they enjoy golfing, biking, traveling and spending time with their family.
She is proud and honored to be able to serve in the position of Commissioner for the Maryland Real Estate Commission and she hopes that her experience can help all of us be the best that we can be for our profession.
|
Important Note About Continuing Education (CE)
The Commission has seen an increase in licensees not completing required continuing education prior to renewing. Please note, when you renew in our electronic licensing portal, you are affirming that you have already completed the required continuing education. Of course, Brokers, Branch Office Managers and Team Leaders must complete Supervision as part of their 15 hours of CE requirements. We strongly recommend that you verify your earned credits online, prior to starting your application for renewal.
Doing so will allow you to schedule the courses you need in order to renew or answer with confidence that you have already completed the requirements when you submit your renewal application, if your record shows you have completed them.
Note: Education providers have up to 14 days to upload courses to your record. While most do not take that long, it can be why your record is not showing a course you recently completed. If you are certain that you have completed all your courses, you are able to renew.
Audits of CE requirements are regularly conducted, and the penalty for renewing without completing is significant. If you have any questions, please contact the Commission prior to renewing. The Commission would much prefer to answer your questions and facilitate a smooth renewal, rather than beginning the process of opening a complaint.
Transactions Involving Septic Systems
During 2020 and 2021, the Commission has seen an uptick in complaints related to sewer and septic sales. The complaints tend to focus upon a lack of licensee knowledge, guidance, or assistance with this area of the transaction. Many of these complaints include a request for reimbursement from the Guaranty Fund.
In accepting employment as an agent, licensees are charged with protecting and promoting the interests of the client. If this is your first septic transaction and you are not familiar with such systems, you owe it to yourself, your client, your broker, and consumers to learn as much as possible to better fulfill your duties. You can seek guidance from many sources including your supervision chain at the brokerage, training offered by your brokerage, licensed home and septic inspectors, and continuing education classes.
These resources should be able to increase your knowledge of the septic inspection process, where to direct your client for knowledge on septic maintenance, disclosure requirements for sellers, as well as how your Buyers and Sellers may want to respond to repair requests and counters. Throughout the process, check-in to provide updates to your Team Leader, Branch Office Manager or Broker. Do not wait until problems to arise before seeking the assistance.
Credit Reports for Broker Renewal
Prior to each renewal, brokers must submit a current credit report to the Commission. After completing your continuing education, please upload a current credit report on the commission website, by using the “Securely Submit Documents” button on the left-hand side of the screen. While you can email it to the Commission the website has additional security measures. The report must be the full credit report, within 6 months, and contain a public records section. The key portion that the Commission reviews is the public records section.
Once the report is processed, you will receive an email from the licensing system informing you that you can now renew online. Please start the process soon after receiving your 60 day expiration reminder so you can start the process early. Plan to allow for up to three business days for reports to be processed, so you can renew on time.
|
