Frequently Asked Questions

We offer state-accredited real estate courses for:

• Prelicensing (e.g., Maryland 60-Hour Salesperson & 135-HourBrokers Course)

• Online via Zoom Continuing Education (CE) for MD, Washington DC, Virginia, and more!

• Self Paced Distance Learning Continuing Education (CE) for MD, Washington DC, Virginia, and more!

• Exam Prep & Tutoring

• Reciprocity & Broker Licensing

• Professional Skills Development
  All classes are live via Zoom and taught by licensed instructors.

  Browse All Zoom Courses  | Browse All Self Paced Courses

• View our selection of Courses (Contact us if you're not sure which course you need)

• Choose your desired course and click "Add to Cart"

• Complete Checkout & Enroll online with credit card or PayPal

• Receive email confirmation and instructions

We accept all major credit/debit cards and PayPal. 

You may call or text us at 240-701-6327 or email us at [email protected]

Yes, the cost on our website includes your textbooks and materials that are needed for the course. They are processed through our enrollment team who will obtain your shipping address via the enrollment forms. Then books are shipped via UPS.

Yes!

• For Courses via Zoom, students must join on time and be visibly present on camera throughout the entire session to receive credit; late arrivals, leaving early, or disabling your camera will result in no credit awarded, as required by state commissions.​
• Attendance is monitored for both class entry and exit. You may need to visually verify your presence and participate in occasional polls or chat checks to confirm engagement.​
• Technology issues (such as camera or microphone failures) are your responsibility to resolve before class starts. It’s recommended to join early to test your connection. Providers will not delay class for technical troubleshooting.​
• Per state rules, providers must deny CE to any student violating the attendance policy. No partial credit is permitted; full attendance for the entire class is required.​
• Make sure your device and Zoom are working before class and plan to join from a stationary, distraction-free setting.​

We do not currently offer payment plans. 

• Log in at the top right corner on MyTristarAcademy.com

• Go to My Courses/Enrolled Courses and Click "Start Course"

• Click Join Course when it’s time – you’ll be redirected to Zoom

• If early, you’ll see a countdown to class start.

• You will have also received an email at the time during registration

Yes! 

• Test Zoom here before class
• Log in 10 minutes early to test audio/video
• Staff is on standby to help if you need us during office hours

Yes. For MD & VA CE classes taken with us, credits are reported directly to the state within 24–72 hours. For DC, licensees are required to upload their completion using the certificates provided within your account. You'll receive a downloadable certificate in your student portal - your ID must be uploaded to you profile and approved by one of our staff members to access.
Self Paced courses taken through Colibri, please contact them directly, they report courses within 3-14 days of completion.

Some courses are eligible across states. You may reach out to the state you need credit for to confirm they accept "out-of-state CE Credit". Depending on the course, there may be an 'Add-on' you can purchase at the time of registration.

Out-of-State CE Example: You took a DC Property Management Course and I'd like to apply this to Virginia. You would contact VA using the certificate of completion from the DC course and provide to them requesting if they will accept this course for elective credit. 
 

Contact us as soon as possible with a screenshot of the renewal portal showing the insufficient credits so we can not only report a technical issue but also get them resubmitted for you. 

We understand plans change; but because Prelicensing courses are multi-week programs, our policy depends on how much of the course you've attended:

• Full Refund – Only if canceled within 7 days of purchase and before the course begins*

• Partial Refund of Tuition* – If you cancel after the course starts, we follow a refund schedule based on how many sessions you've attended. See the student enrollment forms that were sent to you upon registration.

•  No Refund – After 50% completion, refunds are no longer available

*Important: Attending even 1 or 2 sessions disqualifies you from the full refund. Textbooks once shipped and our registration fee are non-refundable.

• *Full Refund – Written notice is given within 24 hours of registration and if class hasn't started yet

• *Transfer – You may reschedule your CE course once at no charge if it is within 24 hours of your course. If canceled again thereafter, you will need to register again.

• No Refund or Transfer – After class begins or if you miss your scheduled course without notice. You will need to register again. 

*To request a refund or transfer within 24hours of the course start time, email [email protected]

Self-paced classes are delivered instantly upon purchase, so our refund policy is different:

• Full Refund if you have not started or completed the course within the access time frame. Please note; courses that expire are not eligible for a refund. Courses typically expire within 1 year from the purchase date. 

• No Refund once course has been started or more than 50% is completed. For Prelicensing courses, please see the refund schedule table within the Student Enrollment Forms.

• Transfer may be available in certain cases if the course was never started (contact us to request)

If we cancel a class due to low enrollment or unforeseen circumstances:

• You’ll be notified via email

• You may reschedule, switch courses, or request a full refund — your choice

In Salesperson Prelicensing, you can miss up to 6 hours of class time. The time will need to be made up on the scheduled make up day outline on your course syllabus. In the event a student misses more than the 6 hours allowed, the student will be dismissed from the course and will need to re-enroll.

• Check your spam or promotions tab

• Make sure your email is correct in your profile

• Still no luck? Email [email protected]

• Log into your student portal

• Navigate to My Profile > Upload ID under Identification (image files accepted: jpeg, jpg, png, heic)

• Our staff will then approve your file.

You can edit the following under Edit Profile:

• Name

• License number

• Email

• Password

You can access your Zoom link 2 ways below. If you cannot connect to zoom for technical reasons, please contact us via phone or email to reschedule your course. 

1. Via Email that was sent to you upon registration and 1 hour before the course begins.
2. Within your online account:

• Log in at the top right corner on MyTristarAcademy.com

• Go to My Courses/Enrolled Courses and Click "Start Course"

• Click Join Course when it’s time – you’ll be redirected to Zoom

• If early, you’ll see a countdown to class start.

• You will have also received an email at the time during registration

To reset your password, click on "Forgot Password" under the login page. This will prompt an email to be sent to you (check spam too). If you do not receive the email, please reach out to our team at [email protected] and we can send you a temporary login code.

• Complete all 15 CE hours at least 30 days before your license renewal date to avoid delays or reinstatement/late fees.

• Courses must be completed within your active license period. If your license is expired or lapsed, please contact the Real Estate Commission to confirm the courses you need.

• Credits are uploaded by Tristar directly to MREC within 24-72 hours of course completion although ALL educators have up to 14 days to report. 

• *Check your CE status regularly through MREC's license lookup portal: https://www.dllr.state.md.us/cgi-bin/ElectronicLicensing/RE/CE/CEquery1.cgi

  *If you do NOT see your CE Credits in this portal BEFORE the 30 days window, please contact us ASAP to re-submit the credit for you as we have identified some technical issues when reporting to MREC.

MREC Contact Info:
Maryland Real Estate Commission
100 S. Charles Street, Tower I,
Baltimore, MD 21201
Phone: 410-230-6200
Fax: 410-333-0023
e-mail: [email protected] 
Office Hours: Mon-Fri - 8:30 am - 4:30 pm (except holidays/weekends)

Licensees in Maryland must complete 15 hours of approved Continuing Education (CE) every two‑year license renewal cycle. CE must be completed at least 30 days before the renewal date to avoid a reinstatement/late fee. 
The Maryland Real Estate Commission (MREC) requires that courses be submitted by providers within 14 days of completion. 

Salesperson / Associate Broker (Residential) – Licensed before October 1, 2023

15 hours total

• Legal & Legislative Update (Topic A) – 3 hrs 
• Fair Housing (Topic C) – 2 hrs 
• Ethics (Topic D) – 3 hrs 
• Brokerage Relationships & Disclosure (Topic H) – 3 hrs 
• Electives – 4 hrs (Topics B, F, G, etc.) 

Licensees in Maryland must complete 15 hours of approved Continuing Education (CE) every two‑year license renewal cycle. CE must be completed at least 30 days before the renewal date to avoid a reinstatement/late fee. 
The Maryland Real Estate Commission (MREC) requires that courses be submitted by providers within 14 days of completion.

Broker / Designated Branch Office Manager / Team Leader (Residential) – Licensed before October 1, 2023

• Legal & Legislative Update (Topic A) – 3 hrs
• Fair Housing (Topic C) – 2 hrs
• Ethics (Topic D) – 3 hrs
• Brokerage Relationships & Disclosure (Topic H) – 3 hrs
• Supervision (Topic I) – 1.5 hrs
• Electives – 2.5 hrs

Licensees in Maryland must complete 15 hours of approved Continuing Education (CE) every two‑year license renewal cycle. CE must be completed at least 30 days before the renewal date to avoid a reinstatement/late fee. 
The Maryland Real Estate Commission (MREC) requires that courses be submitted by providers within 14 days of completion.

Salesperson First Renewal (Residential) – Licensed on or after October 1, 2023

• Contracts (Topic J) – 3 hrs 
• Principles of Brokerage Relationships and Disclosure (Topic H) – 3 hrs
• Principles of Real Estate Practice (Topic L) – 3 hrs
• Property Management and Landlord and Tenant Laws (Topic M) – 3 hrs
• Professionalism (Topic N) – 1.5 hrs
• Real Estate Financing (Topic O) – 1.5 hrs

Licensees in Maryland must complete 15 hours of approved Continuing Education (CE) every two‑year license renewal cycle. CE must be completed at least 30 days before the renewal date to avoid a reinstatement/late fee. 
The Maryland Real Estate Commission (MREC) requires that courses be submitted by providers within 14 days of completion. 

Salesperson / Associate Broker (Commercial) – Licensed before October 1, 2023

15 hours total

• Legal & Legislative Update (Topic A) – 3 hrs 
• Federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (Topic P) – 2 hrs 
• Ethics (Topic D) – 3 hrs 
• Principles of Brokerage Relationships and Disclosure/Commercial Agency (Topic H) – 3 hrs 
• Electives – 4 hrs (Topics B, F, G, etc.) 

Licensees in Maryland must complete 15 hours of approved Continuing Education (CE) every two‑year license renewal cycle. CE must be completed at least 30 days before the renewal date to avoid a reinstatement/late fee. 
The Maryland Real Estate Commission (MREC) requires that courses be submitted by providers within 14 days of completion.

Broker / Designated Branch Office Manager / Team Leader (Commercial) – Licensed before October 1, 2023

• Legal & Legislative Update (Topic A) – 3 hrs
• Federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (Topic P) – 2 hrs
• Ethics (Topic D) – 3 hrs
• Principles of Brokerage Relationships and Disclosure/Commercial Agency (Topic H) – 3 hrs
• Supervision (Topic I) – 1.5 hrs
• Electives – 2.5 hrs

Licensees in Maryland must complete 15 hours of approved Continuing Education (CE) every two‑year license renewal cycle. CE must be completed at least 30 days before the renewal date to avoid a reinstatement/late fee. 
The Maryland Real Estate Commission (MREC) requires that courses be submitted by providers within 14 days of completion.

Salesperson First Renewal (Residential) – Licensed on or after October 1, 2023

• Contracts (Topic J) – 3 hrs 
• Principles of Brokerage Relationships and Disclosure/Commercial Agency (Topic H) – 3 hrs
• Principles of Real Estate Practice (Topic L) – 3 hrs
• Property Management and Landlord and Tenant Laws (Topic M) – 3 hrs
• Professionalism (Topic N) – 1.5 hrs
• Real Estate Financing (Topic O) – 1.5 hrs

• License Renewal Deadline: All Virginia real estate licensees must complete required Continuing Education (CE) before their license expiration date. There is no grace period.

• Post-License vs. CE:

  • Salespersons must complete 30 hours of Post-License Education (PLE) within the first year after initial licensure.

  • After the first renewal, licensees follow the regular CE cycle.

• CE Hours:

  • Active Salesperson or Broker licenses must complete 16 hours of CE every two years.

  • Brokers must complete 24 hours including Broker Management content.

• Delivery Format: Courses may be completed in-person, live online via Zoom, or self-paced online if approved by DPOR.

• Recordkeeping: Licensees should retain their certificates for at least 3 years. The Real Estate Board conducts random audits.

• CE Audit Risk: If you’re audited and cannot show valid completion records, your license may be suspended or revoked.

Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR)
Real Estate Board
Website: www.dpor.virginia.gov
Email: [email protected]
License Lookup & CE Status: DPOR License Lookup

Experienced Salespersons must complete 16 hours of Continuing Education to renew their licenses. Of these 16 hours, renewing experiences salespersons must take:

• 3 hours in Ethics & Standards of Conduct
• 2 hours in Fair Housing
• 1 hour in Legal Updates and Emerging Trends
• 1 hour in Real Estate Agency
• 1 hour in Real Estate Contracts
• The remaining 8 hours for both brokers and experiences salespersons may be in Real Estate Related Subjects (electives) or in the required CE subjects already referenced. These CE requirements also apply to inactive licensees who apply to activate their licenses. 

Brokers must complete 24 hours of Continuing Education to renew their licenses. Of these 16 hours, renewing brokers must take:

• 6 hours in Broker Management
• 2 hours in Broker Supervision
• 3 hours in Ethics & Standards of Conduct
• 2 hours in Fair Housing
• 1 hour in Legal Updates and Emerging Trends
• 1 hour in Real Estate Agency
• 1 hour in Real Estate Contracts
• The remaining 8 hours for both brokers and experiences salespersons may be in Real Estate Related Subjects (electives) or in the required CE subjects already referenced. These CE requirements also apply to inactive licensees who apply to activate their licenses. 

Experienced Salespersons must complete 16 hours of Continuing Education to renew their licenses. Of these 16 hours, renewing experiences salespersons must take:

• 3 hours in Ethics & Standards of Conduct
• 2 hours in Fair Housing
• 2 hours in Legal Updates and Emerging Trends
• 2 hours in Real Estate Agency
• 2 hours in Real Estate Contracts
• The remaining 5 hours for both brokers and experiences salespersons may be in Real Estate Related Subjects (electives) or in the required CE subjects already referenced. These CE requirements also apply to inactive licensees who apply to activate their licenses. 

Brokers must complete 24 hours of Continuing Education to renew their licenses. Of these 16 hours, renewing brokers must take:

• 6 hours in Broker Management
• 2 hours in Broker Supervision
• 3 hours in Ethics & Standards of Conduct
• 2 hours in Fair Housing
• 2 hours in Legal Updates and Emerging Trends
• 2 hours in Real Estate Agency
• 2 hours in Real Estate Contracts
• The remaining 5 hours for both brokers and experiences salespersons may be in Real Estate Related Subjects (electives) or in the required CE subjects already referenced. These CE requirements also apply to inactive licensees who apply to activate their licenses. 

The DPOR Board will accept up to 8 hours for Licensees Renewing BEFORE June 30, 2026 and 5 hours for Licensees Renewing AFTER June 30, 2026 of approved continuing education courses that a broker or experiences salesperson completed in another state, as long as the licensee holds a current real estate license in that other state and complete their CE courses during the current two-year license term. These out-of-state hours can be applied only to "Real Estate Related Subjects" (electives) CE Category. 

In order to receive these out-of-state hours of CE elective credits in the "Real Estate Related Subjects" category, a licensee must submit:

• a copy of the current out-of-state license (with its expiration date) AND
• a copy of EACH Continuing Education course completion certificate.

• All 15 hours of CE must be completed before your renewal deadline:

  • Salesperson: August 31 of odd-numbered years

  • Broker/Property Manager: February 28 of odd-numbered years

• We do NOT report for you, the licensee is responsible for verifying your course completion using your certificates. Your CE completion should be saved in case of audit; hold onto your certificates, even after upload.

• Only DC-approved CE courses will count; be sure you're registering through a licensed provider (like Tristar Academy).

• DC Real Estate License Portal: https://dcra.dc.gov/service/real-estate-licensing

DCREC Contact Info:
Phone: 202-442-4320
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://dcra.dc.gov

License Renewal Cycle for Sales Agents: Every 2 years, on or before August 31 (odd‑numbered years).

15 hours total:

• DC Fair Housing – 3 hours

• DC Ethics – 3 hours 

• DC Legislative Update – 3 hours 

• Property Management – 3 hours

• Elective topics – 3 hours 

License Renewal Cycle for Brokers & Property Managers: Every 2 years, on or before February 28 (odd‑numbered years).

15 hours total:

• DC Fair Housing – 3 hours

• DC Ethics – 3 hours

• DC Legislative Update – 3 hours

• Property Management – 3 hours

• Broker Supervision – 3 hours

License Renewal Cycle for Brokers & Property Managers: Every 2 years, on or before February 28 (odd‑numbered years).

15 hours total:

• Fair Housing – 3 hours 

• Ethics – 3 hours

• Legislative Update – 3 hours

• Property Management – 6 hours