Real Estate Skills Through Hands-On Certification
An interactive, self-paced certification series designed to teach real estate professionals critical skills like deal analysis, tenant management, and contract negotiation through practical, scenario-based learning.
Audience
Aspiring and experienced real estate professionals seeking to gain deeper knowledge in wholesaling, seller financing, lease options, partnerships, and property retention.
Role
Lead Instructional Designer and Developer
The Problem
The client, a successful real estate professional, had built a large following through expertise in wholesaling, seller financing, lease options, and partnerships. While the client’s community valued this knowledge, they needed structured learning resources to make the content accessible. The challenge was to create a comprehensive certification series that would empower learners to sell properties and retain them, building long-term wealth.
Solution
Developed a self-paced certification series using Articulate, covering key areas such as analyzing deals, financing options, real estate analytics, and contract negotiation. The course focused on helping learners understand real estate strategies for retaining properties, as well as the intricacies of selling and leasing options. The series allowed learners to build a foundation in real estate investing, enabling them to make informed decisions about retaining or selling properties.
My Process
- Collaboration with SME: The client served as the subject matter expert (SME). I worked closely with the client to translate their deep expertise in real estate into a structured, learner-friendly certification program.
- Needs Assessment and Curriculum Design: I worked with the client to identify the most critical knowledge areas: wholesaling, seller financing, lease options, partnerships, and property retention strategies. The curriculum was mapped into six modules, each focusing on practical skills and decision-making processes in real estate transactions.
- Scenario-Based Learning Design: Each module was built around real-life scenarios relevant to the topics. For example, in the Seller Financing module, learners worked through case studies evaluating seller financing offers and assessing long-term property retention options.
- Interactive Development in Articulate: I developed the series using Articulate, incorporating video tutorials, knowledge checks, and interactive exercises. The course was designed without gamification but instead focused on scenario-based tasks, where learners could practice applying concepts like lease options and real estate partnerships in real-world contexts.
Focus on Property Retention: This certification series' key differentiator was its focus on helping learners understand how to keep properties, not just sell them. Modules such as Analyzing a Real Estate Deal and Estimating Repair Costs were designed to teach learners how to evaluate a property’s long-term value and make decisions about property retention versus selling.
Launch and Community Building: The course was integrated into the client’s LMS and marketed to their large following to build a strong foundation in real estate. The course also supported the client’s goal of building an online community with discussion forums and resources to encourage peer-to-peer learning.
Action Mapping
Each module was designed to help learners master key real estate strategies, with a focus on retention:
- Wholesaling and Seller Financing: Learners assessed which financing strategies worked best for both short-term profits and long-term ownership.
- Lease Options: Students learned to structure lease options that provided flexibility for both tenants and property owners, supporting retention goals.
- Partnerships: Learners explored real estate partnerships and joint ventures, understanding the legal and financial frameworks for successful collaboration.
- Property Retention: A central theme throughout the course, learners focused on when to keep properties and how to maximize long-term returns through repair, management, and tenant strategies.
Storyboard
Each module followed a clear learning pathway:
- Introduction: Overview of the real estate concept, with a focus on the benefits of property retention.
- Content: Interactive video tutorials, real-life case studies, and expert insights provided by the client.
- Application: Learners worked through scenarios such as negotiating contracts or structuring seller financing deals.
- Assessment: Knowledge checks and practical tasks to assess learner understanding and application of real estate concepts.
Skills Highlighted
- Scenario-Based Learning Design: Created realistic real estate scenarios that allowed learners to apply wholesaling, financing, and retention skills.
- Self-Paced Learning: Designed a self-paced course for busy real estate professionals to complete at their convenience.
- Interactive eLearning Development: Used Articulate to build interactive, scenario-driven content, focusing on practical applications.
- Project-Based Learning: Centered the curriculum around real-world projects, enabling learners to apply their knowledge to actual real estate situations.
- Visual Design and Branding: Used Figma and Adobe Illustrator to design custom graphics aligned with the client's brand.