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Real estate brokers who work with lenders can not receive any compensation from the lender for referring a residential client to a specific lender. To do so would be a violation of a United States federal law known as the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA). RESPA ensures that buyers and sellers are given adequate notice of the Real Estate settlement process.[15]
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In the United States, the term realtor is trademarked by the National Association of Realtors, which uses it to refer to its active members, who may be real estate agents or brokers.[16][17][18] In Canada, the trademark is used by members of the Canadian Real Estate Association.[19] Both organizations advise against the use of realtor as a generic synonym for real estate agent.[19]
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States issue licenses for an annual or multi-year period and require real estate agents and brokers to complete continuing education prior to renewing their licenses. For example, California licensees must complete 45 hours of continuing education every 4 years in topics such as agency, trust fund handling, consumer protection, fair housing, ethics, and risk management.[20]
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Several notable groups exist to promote the real estate industry and to assist professionals.