CE for Texas Agents
Attend a MetroTex area meeting. You could win $150 of free CE for you and 15 agents on your team. We raffle off over $3000 of free CE every year. Click here to find a MetroTex meeting near you.
Did you know that Texas does not enforce any Competency requirements for Loan Officers? While REALTORs are held to a competency standard by TREC, Loan Officers are not. REALTORs who want to protect their buyers will need to know how to identify Pre-Approval Letters that are not competently prepared. That’s what my class teaches.
My name is Ben Strube. I provide Continuing Education for about 500 REALTORs each year, with 2 classes monthly, as a Texas REALTORs Certified Instructor.
I teach classes that help agents build confidence and competency about mortgage concepts (Pre-Approvals, Underwriting, Lender Timeline, Appraisals). My class is intended for agents with 2+ years experience, but newer agents will also benefit.
To develop my curriculum, I reviewed the GRI Finance and 30-hour Real Estate Finance classes, so that my class does not repeat anything you’ve already learned.
I teach in a very conversational style, with a lot of engagement with my students. My goal is for you to finish my class and walk out with tools you can apply to your business the next day. I hope every REALTOR I teach is able to coach their buyers so that they are never denied by a lender while under contract, and they don’t make an offer on a home that they’re not Pre-Approved to buy.
You can find my CE class offered through MetroTex Association of Realtors and Collin County Association. I also teach private classes for groups of 15-20, at Republic Title or Stewart Title. I do not teach via Zoom.
Instructor Credentials
The past 8 years, I have trained Junior Loan Officers, Pre-Approved and originated loans for Self-Employed, Relocation, Construction-To-Permanent, Conventional, Jumbo, and FHA buyers.
I have coached Borrowers about FICO score improvements, debt consolidation, and gift funds. I have recommended Portfolio Loan Products for Buyers who were ineligible for Conventional or FHA. I have successfully brought buyers to the Closing Table who are relocating from out of state, starting a new job 60 days post-closing, using gift funds instead of a Bridge Loan, and making an offer with a partial appraisal waiver in a strong seller’s market to close in 15 days.
Before starting my Mortgage Company in 2020 and obtaining my State of Texas broker license (NMLS 2014212), I began my career at Chase Bank. I hold a bachelor’s degree from UT Tyler in Economics and Political Science. My Honors Research explored the Impact of Student Loan Debt on Millennial Home Ownership. As we plan for the next 10 years and 16 million Millennials buying a home, I hope to teach classes specific to this topic.
Prior to my mortgage work, I served as a Bill Archer Fellow at the United States Senate (HELP Committee, disability policy).
Where I Teach in DFW
I am available to teach with MetroTex and CCAR quarterly, so you’ll have 8 opportunities to book a class with them (200 seats). I also teach 20 private classes per year, for groups of 15 with local Title Companies (300 seats).
Republic Title and Stewart Title will always host our class. They have over 20 office locations in DFW. Just let me know what Date you would like, and that you have at least 15 agents. Email me to see how far out we are booked.
Why Book A Class With Me?
In Texas, there is no competency requirement for Loan Officers. Your buyer may receive a Pre-Approval Letter that was not competently prepared. How do you know as a REALTOR if your buyer can trust that Letter? How do you fulfill your fiduciary duties, if you don’t know very much about lender approval?
My class addresses this competency gap that many agents struggle with. We teach you how a Mortgage moves from Pre-Approval, to Initial Underwriting Approval, to final Lender CTC. And we teach you what questions to ask, every step of the way.
Also, the mortgage industry is ever-changing. The Classic FICO is being replaced by the FICO 10T algorithm within the next 2 years. Fannie and Freddie released a new LLPA Matrix in late 2022, with potential savings for Home Buyers with a 780+ FICO.
In the next decade, over 16 million Millennials will buy a home. Student loan debt remains a “phantom” barrier that REALTORs will need to understand as they serve thousands of potential buyers right here in DFW, in the coming decade.
Millennial financial literacy rates remaining historically low, making REALTORs more important than ever. We equip agents with the confidence they need to serve our local markets in DFW, especially when major changes happen in the mortgage market.
For Republic Title and Stewart Title
We offer our private classes exclusively at your offices. We look forward to bringing REALTORs to you, and sharing this information with your community. To book a class that you will be marketing, please email me 60 days prior to your desired class date. Plan on keeping your class size to 15-20 Agents. You’ll need a $150 sponsor to provide $10 per CE credit hour, to pay Texas REALTORs to post with TREC, and a lunch sponsor. We charge agents $5 for lunch, so we have an accurate attendance headcount. We will create an Eventbrite Event for agents to RSVP. My instruction fee is a flat $100 for a 1 hour CE class, regardless of class size. I’m available to speak at class locations in Collin or Dallas Counties. With questions and/or to book an event, please email me. You can download my Digital Card here.
Our TREC Approved Courses, provided by:
Course #46382
“Help! My Buyer doesn’t want to get Pre-Approved yet”
Course Description
Future Class Topics
(Fall 2023 and Spring 2024)
Goodbye Classic FICO: Here Comes the 10T. What it Means for your Buyers.
Millennial Home Buyers, Student Loans, and Freddie Mac.
What Mortgage Brokers (Actually) Do