Understand Oregon’s Instructor System

In Oregon, becoming a real estate instructor typically involves working through a Certified Continuing Education Provider, rather than applying for a separate instructor credential from the Oregon Real Estate Agency.

The Agency does not certify individual continuing-education instructors. Instead, before an instructor teaches a course for Oregon real estate continuing-education credit, the certified provider must verify that the instructor meets the qualifications in Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS) 696.186 and must obtain a completed instructor qualifications form.

This distinction matters:

• Teaching an informal seminar or private training may not require Agency approval.
• Teaching a course that counts toward an Oregon real estate licensee’s required continuing education requires compliance with Oregon’s instructor and course rules.
• Teaching post-license courses—such as Broker Advanced Practice, Brokerage Administration and Sales Supervision, or Property Manager Advanced Practices—may involve additional qualifications and course-approval procedures.

Meet an Acceptable Instructor Qualification

For a regular Oregon continuing-education course, an instructor generally must satisfy at least one statutory qualification. The available routes include:

• A bachelor’s degree and at least two years of work experience in a field related to the course topic.
• Six years of work experience in a field related to the course topic.
• A combination of college-level coursework and related work experience totaling six years.
• A designation from a qualifying professional real estate organization and two years of college-level coursework.
• A designation as a Distinguished Real Estate Instructor from the Real Estate Educators’ Association.
• Current certification or approval as a real estate instructor for the same or a similar subject in another state or jurisdiction.

The experience must relate to the subject being taught. For example, a person teaching real estate finance should be prepared to document relevant finance, lending, investment, appraisal, or real estate experience—not merely general classroom experience.

Oregon’s instructor form also includes professional-conduct requirements. In general, the instructor must not have had a relevant professional or occupational license revoked or suspended for disciplinary reasons and must not have been found to have violated applicable real estate laws or rules within the specified period.

Additional Standards for Post-License Courses

Oregon imposes more specific standards for instructors teaching certain post-license courses.

Brokerage Administration and Sales Supervision

To teach the Brokerage Administration and Sales Supervision course, an instructor may qualify through one of the following routes:

• Six years of experience as a principal real estate broker, including at least two years of active experience as a principal broker with responsibility for managing a brokerage.
• A bachelor’s degree and two years of related experience.
• Six years of related professional experience.
• A combination of college-level education and related experience totaling six years.

The instructor must complete the applicable post-license instructor qualifications form, and the certified provider must submit or retain the form as required by the Agency.

Broker Advanced Practice and Property Manager Advanced Practices

For Broker Advanced Practice, Property Manager Advanced Practices, and other advanced-practice courses, possible qualification routes include the general education-and-experience standards, qualifying professional designations, out-of-state instructor approval, or completion of an instructor-training course approved by the Oregon Real Estate Board combined with related work experience.

Because post-license course rules and forms can change, confirm the current requirements with the Oregon Real Estate Agency before accepting an assignment.

Obtain Teaching and Subject-Matter Experience

Although Oregon’s statutory pathways focus on education, experience, or professional designations, a strong instructor candidate should also develop practical teaching competence.

Useful preparation includes:

• Working actively in the real estate field or in a closely related profession.
• Building expertise in a defined subject, such as agency law, contracts, property management, finance, ethics, fair housing, or brokerage supervision.
• Completing adult-education, presentation, or instructor-training programs.
• Developing lesson plans, learning objectives, exercises, and legally accurate course materials.
• Keeping documentation of degrees, transcripts, licenses, designations, employment, and relevant teaching history.

A provider may impose standards that exceed the minimum legal qualifications. Many providers look for instructors who can explain complex rules clearly, use current Oregon examples, manage classroom discussion, and distinguish legal information from personal opinion.

Work With a Certified Continuing-Education Provider

To offer credit-bearing continuing education, the course must be offered through a Certified Continuing Education Provider. The provider—not the individual instructor—typically handles course approval, attendance records, certificates, and Agency compliance.

The provider must generally:

• Confirm that the instructor meets ORS 696.186.
• Have the instructor complete and sign the Oregon Continuing Education Instructor Qualifications Form.
• Keep the completed form in its records.
• Ensure that the course fits an eligible Oregon continuing-education topic or other Agency-approved format.
• Maintain required course and attendance records.
• Issue compliant certificates of attendance to licensees.

A practical first step is to contact Oregon-approved education providers and ask whether they are recruiting instructors. Send a résumé emphasizing subject-matter expertise, teaching experience, Oregon licensure or professional credentials, and the specific course topics you can teach.

Complete the Instructor Qualifications Form

Before teaching a credit-bearing course, complete the current Continuing Education Instructor Qualifications Form supplied by the Oregon Real Estate Agency.

The form generally requires the instructor to:

• Identify the course subject.
• Select the applicable qualification pathway.
• Provide supporting information about education, experience, designations, or prior instructor approval.
• Make the required professional-conduct attestations.
• Sign and date the form.

The completed form normally goes to the certified provider, not directly to the Agency, unless the Agency requests it. The provider must retain the form as part of its compliance records.

Do not rely on an old copy of the form. Oregon periodically revises forms and administrative materials, so obtain the current version from the Agency’s educator resources.

Address Course Approval Separately

Instructor qualification and course approval are separate matters. Meeting the instructor standard does not automatically authorize a course to receive Oregon continuing-education credit.

The provider may need to submit course information to the Agency, use an approved course format, or comply with special rules for required courses and post-license education. The course must also stay within the topics and instructional requirements established by Oregon law and administrative rule.

If you intend to teach a required or advanced course, coordinate with the provider well before advertising or scheduling the class. The provider should confirm:

• Whether Agency course approval is required.
• Whether the course is new or previously approved.
• Which instructor form applies.
• Whether the instructor must submit documentation to the Agency.
• Whether special curriculum or delivery standards apply.

Consider Becoming a Certified Provider

If you want to design and offer your own continuing-education courses, you may need to become—or work through—an Oregon Certified Continuing Education Provider.

The Agency’s provider process generally requires an applicant to meet specified qualifications involving demonstrated expertise and experience providing education to real estate licensees or expertise in qualifying course topics.

If the applicant does not meet the listed qualifications, the applicant may petition the Oregon Real Estate Board to approve the applicant’s qualifications to apply as a certified provider. The petition must generally be submitted before the relevant Board meeting and may require the petitioner to appear before the Board. If the Board approves the petition, the applicant may then apply for provider certification under the applicable administrative rule.

This provider route is more involved than becoming an instructor for an existing provider. It may also involve application fees, course administration, recordkeeping, and continuing compliance responsibilities.

Recommended Application and Career Path

A practical Oregon pathway is:

1. Obtain or maintain an Oregon real estate license or develop closely related professional expertise, depending on the subject.
2. Choose the subjects you are qualified to teach.
3. Assemble proof of education, employment, professional credentials, licenses, designations, and teaching experience.
4. Review ORS 696.186 and the current Oregon instructor qualifications form.
5. Contact certified Oregon continuing-education providers.
6. Complete and sign the instructor qualifications form for the provider.
7. Submit any supporting documentation requested by the provider.
8. Work with the provider to confirm course approval and scheduling.
9. Keep your subject knowledge, legal materials, and teaching content current.
10. Recheck Oregon requirements whenever the Agency updates its forms, rules, or educator guidance.

Where to Confirm Current Rules

The controlling sources are the Oregon Revised Statutes, Oregon Administrative Rules, and current guidance and forms published by the Oregon Real Estate Agency.

Before teaching, confirm the following directly with the Agency or the certified provider:

• Whether the course qualifies for Oregon continuing-education credit.
• Which instructor qualification pathway applies.
• Whether the instructor form must be submitted or merely retained by the provider.
• Whether additional standards apply to BASS, BAP, PMAP, or other post-license courses.
• Whether the provider and course have current certification or approval.
• Current fees, deadlines, forms, and submission procedures.

Requirements can change, and a provider may apply standards beyond the minimum statutory requirements. The current Agency educator pages and forms should control over older articles, résumés, or informal advice.

Authoritative Sources

• Oregon Real Estate Agency: Offer Continuing Education
• Oregon Real Estate Agency: Continuing Education Instructor Qualifications Form
• Oregon Real Estate Agency: Post-License Instructor Qualifications Form
• Oregon Revised Statutes, Chapter 696—Real Estate Professionals
• Oregon Real Estate Agency: Offer Post-License Education