New Agreement Signed between Department of Real Estate and the UCLA Ziman Center for Real Estate Provides Students with Clear Real Estate Licensing Path
Published: December 20, 2024
Sacramento, Calif. – Under a new agreement signed in November by the Department of Real Estate (DRE) and the University of California,
Los Angeles (UCLA) Ziman Center for Real Estate, UCLA students pursuing a career in real estate will now have a more clear, direct path to
earning a real estate license in the state of California.
"We are thrilled to partner with the UCLA Ziman Center for Real Estate,” said DRE Commissioner Chika Sunquist. “Real estate education
continues to serve as a key component to real estate consumer protection. And we are proud of the effort to eliminate barriers by providing
a clear path to licensure, and ultimately support overall student growth and success."
The agreement marks an expansion of DRE's and the Ziman Center's existing partnership through DRE's Endowment Fund established in the 1970s
and recently renewed in 2023.
"The UCLA Ziman Center for Real Estate is honored to be among the inaugural entities within the University of California (UC) system to
enter into an articulation agreement with the DRE," said Executive Director of the UCLA Ziman Center for Real Estate Tim Kawahara. "We are
pleased that our curriculum aligns so well with the State's licensure requirements. The real winners are our students as they prepare for
careers in the real estate industry."
As part of this year's new articulation agreement, the DRE has outlined the UCLA Ziman Center for Real Estate courses that meet the state's
course education requirements for becoming a licensed real estate salesperson and broker. The goal is to provide a clear pathway for students.
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History of DRE Endowments
In the early 1970s, DRE Commissioner Robert W. Karpe established not one, but three DRE endowment funds to support the continued advancement of real estate education in California. Each endowment, or fund, is individually managed by one of our state’s higher education systems: the California Community Colleges, California State University, and the University of California.
The Regents of the University of California and DRE entered into an agreement in 1973 that created the California Real Estate Endowment Fund (REEF).
The agreement created an advisory committee consisting of members appointed by the UC President and the Real Estate Commissioner. The purpose of the investment was to establish a professorship or chair in real estate and land economics at the UC Berkeley and UC Los Angeles (UCLA) campuses.
In November 2023, a new agreement was executed sharpening the focus of research and education in California real estate matters; advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) principles within the real estate profession and industry; and investing in improving the quality of education for students, especially those enrolled in real estate programs at UC Berkeley or UCLA who are from economically or socially disadvantaged communities. The 2023 agreement also includes opportunities for student financial assistance through scholarships and paid internships. In addition, the new agreement reconstitutes the REEF Advisory Committee, with the goal of providing input to UC Berkeley and UCLA on REEF appropriations and advising the chairpersons/professors on their real estate related research.
In all, the three DRE endowments work in partnership with our state’s higher education institutions to support real estate professorship and students studying the industry, and to expand access to quality real estate education throughout our state.
The Department of Real Estate is the regulatory agency that enforces the Real Estate Law, Subdivided Lands Act, and Vacation Ownership and Timeshare Act. DRE oversees the licensure of approximately 434,000 licensees. The Department’s mission is to safeguard and promote the public interests in real estate matters through licensure, regulation, education, and enforcement. Consumer protection is its highest priority. For more information, visit: www.dre.ca.gov.
