Courses + Instructors

Information & Forms

The S.E.C. Education Foundation is dedicated to professional education in creative real estate philosophy and methodology. Course Offerings and Instructors approved by the Society of Exchange Counselors and its Foundation are listed below.

If you are interested in having any of these courses presented in your geographic area, please contact the instructor directly regarding program availability and parameters. Questions regarding the S.E.C. Education Foundation or its participation in promoting, sponsoring, or underwriting an approved program should be directed to the Foundation at: [email protected].

Please Note: CC indicates it is a Core Course.

Equity Marketing/Exchanging

The Seven Deadly Sins of Marketing (CC)

This is an advanced course structured for those who are already in the Exchange/Equity marketplace. Having attended 1,500 Local, State, and National real estate marketing meetings over 30 years, I see brokers continually making the same mistakes/sins year after year. In this 2-4 hour course we will examine 7 of the most common challenges to successful Equity Marketing that are found in the Brokers, the Clients, the Properties, and the Marketplace. Actual examples will be used to demonstrate how we can modify our techniques to increase our productivity in the future

Authorized Instructors:

Ted Blank, S.E.C., CCIM

Denver, Colorado

303-748-9998 [email protected]

Strategies For Closing Real Transactions

Elevate your real estate practice with this in-depth, 8-hour course designed for professionals seeking to master the art of creating and closing powerful transactions. This comprehensive program covers every critical stage of the deal-making process, from counseling clients to building multi-property transactions, offering actionable tools and strategies to grow your success.

Exchange Magic – (CC)

This course is about actual exchanges of one property for another. Learn how to identify Sellers likely to exchange, how to counsel them, formulas for creating exchanges, and how to write the contracts. Students will re-enact actual counseling sessions for 3-way exchange, and re-enact closing balancing equities. Learn how brokers can earn multiple commissions from one exchange. Discover how everyone in an exchange ends up with more benefits than they had.

Authorized Instructors:

Gary Vandenberg, S.E.C., CCIM

Grand Rapids, Michigan

616-774-1031 [email protected]

Basic Principles Of Equity Marketing

Elevate your real estate practice with this in-depth, 8-hour course designed for professionals seeking to master the art of creating and closing powerful transactions. This comprehensive program covers every critical stage of the deal-making process, from counseling clients to building multi-property transactions, offering actionable tools and strategies to grow your success.

Counseling

Jim Brondino’s Counseling for Action – 16 hours (CC)

Identify how a client understands situations, the role of the counselor, objectives of counseling, why counsel, effective use of time, benefits, listening, environment, words and images.

Authorized Instructors:

Wesley Dingler, S.E.C.

Tyler, Texas

903-581-8544 [email protected]

Peter West, S.E.C., CCIM, ABR, CRS

Venice, Florida

616-774-1031 413-822-2571

Understanding Your Client – 8 hours (CC)

This course examines the reasons to clearly understand a client’s motivation when they are buying, selling, or exchanging. Using the skill of client counseling will allow any agent (residential, commercial, farm, etc.) to help their client reach a successful conclusion.

Authorized Instructors:

Ted Blank, S.E.C., CCIM

Denver, Colorado

303-748-9998 [email protected]

Counseling for the Serious Exchangor – (CC)

This course is a workshop, not a “how to” course. The objective is to upgrade existing counseling skills, accurately assess our strengths and weaknesses in the continuum of the counseling process.

Authorized Instructors:

Ted Blank, S.E.C., CCIM

Denver, Colorado

303-748-9998 [email protected]

Effective Client Counseling – (CC)

Looking to enhance your skills as a real estate professional? Join our education course on Effective Client Counseling. This course is designed to teach you the value and benefits of counseling for building trust, strengthening relationships with clients, and ultimately increasing your conservation rate for successful real estate transactions. You will learn best practices and techniques for effective client counseling through group discussions and practical exercises that will help you apply the concepts you learn.

Authorized Instructors:

Nick DeMarte, S.E.C.

Madison, AL

(256) 763-0867 [email protected]

Creative Real Estate Formulas

“Broker Estate Building” – Two Day Course (CC)

This course will give you proven techniques to build your own estate as well as helping your client to build theirs. Fast paced delivery of methods used by many of the finest minds in creative real estate, all designed to create and retain wealth.

Authorized Instructors:

John Brennan, S.E.C., CCIM

Dallas, Texas

214-533-7178 [email protected]

Gary Vandenberg, S.E.C., CCIM

Grand Rapids, Michigan

616-774-1031 [email protected]

“Broker Estate Building” – One Day Course

This course is a one day condensed version of our two day course and is designed to give you proven techniques to build your own estate as well as your clients. Fast paced delivery of methods used by many of the finest minds in creative real estate, all designed to create and retain wealth.”

Authorized Instructors:

Gary Vandenberg, S.E.C., CCIM

Grand Rapids, Michigan

616-774-1031 [email protected]

John Brennan, S.E.C., CCIM

Dallas, Texas

214-533-7178 [email protected]

Formulas in Today’s Broken Market – (CC)

The course will help you understand your expertise; plan for today’s market; teach you formulas that have been proven over time; explain the inference of opportunities in government and banking; provide case studies; and help you maximize your portfolio management skills.

Authorized Instructors:

Mark Johnson, S.E.C., CCIM

Brownsville, Texas

956-546-3551 [email protected]

Moderator Training Course

Certified Moderator Course – (2 days & 1 evening) (CC)

Among the topics addressed in the course are (1) characteristics and philosophy of a well run marketing meeting; (2) specifically addresses the elements of an effective moderator; (3) the role and responsibilities of a moderator; (4) the questioning process for effective marketing; (5) the moderator’s responsibilities; (6) the presentation process and format; (7) how to create a positive and productive market environment; (8) how to handle a presenter; (9) how to stimulate productive thinking and create participation. Many role-plays are an integral part of the course, as is videotaping and critiquing.

Methods of Moderating & Marketing – 2 Day Course (CC)

The key to successful marketing meetings is quality Moderators. This course covers: Definition of marketplace, presenter and moderator, gaining respect in the marketplace, proven presentation process and format and Marketing session strategies and coping with disruptive influences.

Authorized Instructors:

Brandon Sanders, S.E.C.

San Angelo, Texas

325-653-1489 [email protected]

Wesley Dingler, S.E.C.

Tyler, Texas

903-581-8544 [email protected]

Fundamentals of Moderating

This one-day introductory course is perfect for local and regional equity marketing groups looking to enhance their meetings and drive better results. Designed for real estate professionals of all experience levels, the program provides foundational skills to run effective equity marketing sessions that foster collaboration and productivity.

Marketing the S.E.C. Way

Tough Questions in Tough Times

In tough economic times or with hard to market properties, understanding the client is as important, or more important, than understanding the real estate. This course will explore the importance of learning the client’s motivations, abilities and inabilities, which will help to design a transaction that benefits the client.

Authorized Instructors:

Ted Blank, S.E.C., CCIM

Denver, Colorado

303-748-9998 [email protected]

Applying Lessons from the World’s Toughest Markets

In this interactive course, Mittman will lead the class with humorous events of failures and successes from the trenches of global adventure and the world’s toughest races. Participants will leave with tools and develop skills to positively propel themselves and their businesses forward.

Authorized Instructors:

Jason Mittman, S.E.C.

Denver, Colorado

512-947-5757 [email protected]

Creative Real Estate Finance

Master the art of Equity Marketing Meetings

This comprehensive 8-hour course is designed for real estate professionals seeking to elevate the quality and productivity of their equity marketing meetings. Whether you are a seasoned presenter, a first-time moderator, or an active participant, this program equips you with the skills, techniques, and strategies necessary to create a dynamic and results-driven meeting environment.

How to Market a Difficult Investment Listing in any Economy!

This in-depth class will formulate new ideas and solutions for your client that could result in a successful transaction. Learn how to identify the real problem which could be the property, the client or even the broker. Learn how to evaluate a Property’s benefits that create value and opportunity. Learn how to evaluate different categories of property and how they typically rank in the eyes of the market. Learn how to better understand clients and their true needs and motivations. Learn creative ideas and transaction formulas to find a solution that will work. Analyze case studies to illustrate possible transactions.

Authorized Instructors:

Ted Blank, S.E.C., CCIM

Denver, Colorado

303-748-9998 [email protected]

Owner Financing – The Paper Course

This is an intensive one-day course that explores the many facets of owner financing and how to use it to close transactions, assess risk and make sound note investments. The course begins with a quick review on the use of a financial calculator to calculate present and future values of an income stream. From there, topics include analyzing notes for investment, full and partial purchases, investment-to-value vs. loan-to-value, the paperwork behind the deal and the possible use of self-directed IRA’s and private investors to sell notes. The course provides numerous case studies showing how to put deals together in today’s marketplace. This course is designed for experienced commercial real estate professionals who are in a position to advise clients, partners and others on the benefits of using owner financing to close commercial real estate transactions and satisfy investment objectives.

Authorized Instructors:

Dana Barnes, S.E.C.

Wellington, Florida

806-930-1933 [email protected]

Paper On Steroids

As cash has become cheap and plentiful, many have lost the art of creating wealth through Paper. In this advanced course, participants will learn the basics of Paper to set a foundation for understanding how paper can be used to create transactions. Later in the course, powerful formulas using Paper will be discussed in detail, and will include case studies and real world examples. In this course you will learn at least one way to resurrect a deal you have lost, make more on a deal you are ready to close, or make an offer on a property that you didn’t think you could acquire. Attend this course to build you knowledge of why Paper is a great tool, and learn how to increase your transaction abilities

Authorized Instructors:

Jason Dillard, S.E.C.

864-444-7650 [email protected]

Present vs Potential using Options and Trades

This class teaches effective strategies for negotiating real estate deals that create win-win outcomes for both buyers and sellers. You’ll learn how to use options to control properties and analyze a seller’s situation to determine the best approach and documents for closing a deal. The course also covers how to understand the tax implications of a sale to craft offers that are more likely to succeed, and how to use taxdeferred exchanges to benefit both parties.

Unlocking Success through partnership and Syndications

Elevate your real estate expertise with our immersive class, centered on the strategic advantages of partnerships and syndications. Delve into the intricacies of collaborative ventures and syndicated investments to propel your real estate career to new heights. Gain valuable insights, practical knowledge, and networking opportunities to set you apart in the competitive real estate market.

Real Estate Development

Developing Real Estate Principles & Process

Real Estate Developers acquire existing real estate assets or strategic land where they can develop the physical and economic nature of a property in an effort to increase value and positively influence the social and economic quality of the community and provide financial benefits to their investors and their company.

Authorized Instructors:

Derek Barker, S.E.C.

Charlotte, North Carolina

704-907-5456 [email protected]

Stephen Barker, S.E.C., CCIM

Charlotte, North Carolina

704-906-3400 [email protected]

Click to Download



The mission of the Education Foundation is to establish a fund to encourage and financially support education programs related to real estate, particularly in the area of creative transactions and professionally structured equity marketing techniques.

Comments About Our Website

Contact Us

COPYRIGHT 2022 | Commercial Real Estate Websites by FocusedCRE