Real Estate Professionalization: Training Towards Success

The real estate market continues to be one of the most important sectors in the field of professions around the world, as this industry is one of the economic engines of many countries, including Mexico.

In this context, the professionalism of real estate agents in our country is one of the most important across the industry. Consistency in accreditation throughout the profession in this country offers multiple operational advantages industrywide.

Certifications available in Mexico to obtain an education for the benefit of the entire real estate industry.

In many countries, real estate agents are subject to a series of educational courses and certifications before starting to practice their profession. The most representative case is the United States, where the legislation requires professionals to pass a series of exams, as well as to complete specialized courses to obtain a license for the state in which they plan to practice, which may include more or less strict requirements.

In Mexico, there is still no regulation that requires people to obtain a license to mediate real estate transactions, so work is still being done to professionalize workers in this sector. However, there are a series of trainings available that are designed to provide greater accountability to agents and to provide benefits for all actors involved in the real estate industry including buyers and sellers.

With this in mind, the Vallarta Real Estate Guide editorial team spoke with Aldo Arceo, real estate agent for Timothy Real Estate Group, who kindly shared a brief guide to learn about some of the certifications available in our country. He discusses the process of adaptation that he underwent in his career when he arrived at our destination from the United States. There, he had enjoyed a successful professional career in this same sector and employed his business acumen to his career here.

Aldo Arceo, real estate agent for Timothy Real Estate Group.

“Although I am originally from Guadalajara, Jalisco, since my adolescence I lived in the states of Wisconsin and Nevada (United States), where later I had the opportunity to go to university and study business,” he explains.

In 2006, Arceo began his professional career in real estate, when he joined Prudential Nevada Realty, then changed to Coldwell Banker and finally Solid Source Realty. During those 12 years of real estate experience in the United States, he always operated under his state license and was an active member of the National Association of Realtors (NAR), as well as the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP). Over time he obtained a specialized certification as a Real Estate Analyst.

Upon arriving in our destination at the end of 2018, Arceo was hired by Timothy Real Estate Group and immediately began looking for courses to train himself and obtain general knowledge of real estate in Mexico.

“As I still had my current Real Estate Agent license issued by the state of Nevada in the United States, I felt that it was unethical to enter the real estate industry without having the necessary training to undertake this new professional adventure in a country with different regulations and real estate principles. In this way, at the beginning of 2019, I took the required training to be part of the Mexican Association of Real Estate Professionals (AMPI).”

To obtain this certification, Arceo took the Real Estate I and Real Estate II courses, which are taught by Rafael Valdez on different dates throughout the year and are held at various venues in our destination. While the first course requires 60 hours of educational training, the second requires 36 hours. Some topics covered during these courses include Market Analysis, Negotiation, Marketing, Ethics, Federal Maritime-Terrestrial Zone and Coastal Environments, as well as the Business Plan of the Real Estate Professional.

“This course is endorsed by the Ministry of Public Education (SEP) and the requirement is 96 hours to be completed gradually over the course of a year. Once completed, the AMPI requires members to obtain an additional 25 hours of annual training to remain active. These training hours are needed in a continuing education format, which is based on taking courses recognized by the association.”

Benefits of Being an AMPI Member

“AMPI has 65 years of history, and it projects standardization of knowledge for its affiliated agents, as well as current regulations on the real estate market in Mexico. Additionally, by being members, it gives us the benefit of being affiliated with the National Association of Realtors (NAR). In addition, it gives us access to the most current listings on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). The properties that appear on the MLS system have gone through a rigorous preliminary scrutinization that shows that they have the necessary documents to be able to go on sale without problems. Without a doubt, this raises the professionalism of the sector.”

More Certifications Available

• Certification in Marketing of Real Estate (endorsed by the SEP with federal validity as a certified real estate advisor)
• Real Estate Marketing in Tourist Areas
• CIPS (Certified International Property Specialist, which is endorsed by the NAR)

In this way, because real estate activity is one of the most important generators of economic capital around the world, the industry’s professionalization and regulation are essential for its future development.