Education & Careers

Careers in Real Estate

Careers in Real Estate

The real estate industry provides a variety of employment opportunities. In our Job Postings section, you will find job listings for positions not only at the Calgary Real Estate Board itself, but also at other industry organizations:
Industry and CREB® Job Postings

Learn what is involved, and how to get started. Begin the process of entering a new & incredibly rewarding profession in an exciting industry:

All industry members, regardless of licence type, must comply with the Real Estate Act.

Real Estate Associates

Real estate associates are independent business people who work under the supervision of licenced real estate brokers, representing clients who are involved in the sale or purchase of real property. Associates must complete all three phases and all modules of the Real Estate Associates Program (REAP) to qualify for licensing, and pass the provincial examination before qualifying for licensing by the Real Estate Council of Alberta (RECA) (www.reca.ca) to buy and sell all three types of real estate, Residential, Rural and Commercial.

The necessary courses for licensing are available through classroom instruction at the Calgary Real Estate Board® either full-time during business hours, or part-time during evening & weekend classes.

Real Estate Associate Assistants

Unlicenced: A real estate assistant is a definite asset to a busy real estate associate. This role can take care of much of the crucial day-to-day administrative tasks that keep an associate from dealing directly with clients. However, because they do not hold a licence, they may not perform duties that require a licence like negotiating contracts, agreements or finances, advising clients, recommending pricing, showing property, holding an open house, placing promotional advertisements without the review of a broker or associate and so on. The unlicenced real estate assistant is not paid on remuneration and therefore their salary is not based on real estate activity, unlike licenced assistants. Many assistants work for more than one associate or brokerage.

A certificate courses for unlicensed assistants are available through classroom instruction at the Calgary Real Estate Board® that requires two Saturday classes.

Licenced: A real estate associate who becomes licenced but works in the capacity as an assistant to another real estate associate. As a licensee there are no restrictions required for their duties, however they may only be employed by one brokerage and therefore may only trade for that brokerage and cannot act as an assistant to any other brokerage, their brokers or associates.

Real Estate Brokers

A brokerage must employ a broker to operate the brokerage. The broker is responsible for ensuring all the business of the brokerage is conducted in compliance with the Real Estate Act this includes supervision of all brokerage employees, including the associate brokers and associates registered to the brokerage. Like a Real Estate Associate, a broker may also represent buyers and sellers in their real estate transactions. In small brokerages or sole proprietorships, the broker may be the only staff member and therefore will represent clients in addition to management duties; however, brokers responsible for larger operations tend to focus on the management role.

Real Estate Associates must have successfully completed the Real Estate Brokers Program (REBP) and pass the provincial examination qualify for licensing by the Real Estate Council of Alberta (RECA) after two years of documented & licenced experience as a real estate associate within the five years preceding the application for licence.

The necessary courses for licensing are available through classroom instruction at the Calgary Real Estate Board®.

Real Estate Associate Brokers

An associate broker is an individual, who has earned the necessary qualifications to become a broker, usually in preparation for becoming a broker, but continues in the role and responsibilities of a real estate associate.

Real Estate Appraisers

Real Estate Appraisers estimate the value of property including land, homes, and businesses. There are 2 governing bodies for appraisers: the Appraisal Institute of Canada (AIC) and the Canadian National Association of Real Estate Appraisers (CNAREA).

The Appraisal Institute of Canada (AIC) has two designations:

  1. A Canadian Residential Appraiser (CRA) who can appraise residential properties up to a fourplex
  2. An Accredited Appraiser Canadian Institute (AACI) who can appraise all types of real estate

Each designation requires post-secondary education/training. The Real Estate Appraisal program takes about five years, with an articling period of 200 days for the CRA designation and 600 days for the Alberta ACI designation.

The Canadian National Association of Real Estate Appraisers (CNAREA) has three designations:

  1. A Designated Appraiser Residential (DAR) who can complete appraisal assignments of 1 - 4 family residential properties
  2. A Designated Appraiser Commercial (DAC) who can complete appraisal assignments of any type of real property
  3. Certified Appraisal Reviewer who can complete all types of appraisal review assignments

Each designation requires specialized appraiser education and training. The DAR requires a minimum of 2 years full time appraisal experience and 5 years for the DAC.

A Real Estate Assessor

A Real Estate Assessor determines the value of all types of real estate, oil or gas pipelines and other specific equipment, for property tax purposes. A combination of post-secondary education and field experience is generally required to obtain The Accredited Municipal Assessor of Alberta (AMAA) designation that takes between four and six years to complete. For more information enquire at the Alberta Assessors Association (AAA) an affiliate member of the International Association of Assessing Officers (IAAO).

Land Titles Examiners

Land Titles Examiners, work only for the provincial government in the regional land titles offices located in Edmonton and Calgary, and examine land-related documents presented to the land titles office for registration. A high school diploma and related work experience is required, although paralegal experience is also an asset.
There are three levels of responsibility in this occupation consisting of:
  1. Entry level
  2. Working Level
  3. Advanced Working Level

Each level requiring two to three years experience & paralegal training to qualify for advancement to the next level.

Property Managers

Property Managers oversee the administration, maintenance, operation and improvement of all types of real estate properties, representative of the property owner. Property managers who are expected to: show suites, collect rent or prepare and administer leases and other legal documents as part of their job duties, must be licenced by the Real Estate Council of Alberta (RECA). To qualify for licensing, applicants must complete the first two phases and one phase three module of the Real Estate Associates Program (REAP) licensing program and pass a provincial qualifying exam.

Phase one and two of the Real Estate Associates Program (REAP) for licensing are available through classroom instruction at the Calgary Real Estate Board® either full-time during business hours, or part-time during evening & weekend classes. Phase three is available online through the Real Estate Council of Alberta (RECA) www.reca.ca only.

A Land Agent

A Land Agent is responsible for the acquisition of real estate in both the public and private sectors. It is common for land agents to work in the oil and gas, resource, utility, environmental, engineering, rail and government industries. Two years post-secondary education in addition to some experience in the industry of employment is generally required to obtain a interim land agent licence. To obtain a permanent land agent licence, additional training, and evaluation with a supervising land agent, successful completion of an examination and twelve months of experience are required through the provincial government Land Agent Licensing Office. Additional information can be obtained through the following organizations: Alberta Association of Surface Land Agents (AASLA), Canadian Association of Petroleum Landmen (CAPL) , and the International Right of Way Association (IRWA).

Home Inspectors

Home Inspectors usually have an extensive background in construction or maintenance in order to provide an expert evaluation and to report on the condition of properties for sale or purchase, on behalf of potential buyers or sellers. Reports may be narrative or detailed checklists identifying any problems, how they can be repaired and what is likely if the repairs are not carried out. To avoid potential conflicts of interest, home inspectors cannot be involved in the sale of real estate or the repair of problems identified during inspections. There is currently no minimum standard of education required for home inspectors in Alberta, however full membership in the Canadian Association of Home & Property Inspectors (CAHPI) requires the following:
  • successful completion of specified safety codes in addition to heating, plumbing & electrical inspection courses
  • successful completion of two CAHPI exams
  • verification of the inspector's reporting system
  • two mock inspections
  • proof of adequate errors & omissions insurance
  • compliance with the CAHPI code of ethics
  • 250 fee-paid inspections

Associate members are required to complete all of the above requirements with the exception of the 250 fee-paid inspections & become full members within three years.