Workforce Housing Certificate Program

Tuesday, July 28, 2015 1:05:00 PM

The Workforce Housing Certificate Program (WHCP) educates Realtors® to work with first-time buyers and clients purchasing in the affordable price range (80 percent of the area median income). This program allows people to find Realtors® who have acquired the education and skills to handle real estate transactions in the workforce-housing market. Participants must attend five workshops within two years to earn the local designation of Workforce Housing Specialist.

All workshops except the NAR Military Relocation Professionals (MRP) and Creative Lending: Financing Dreams courses are free to Canopy Realtor® Association/Canopy MLS members. Courses average three hours and are not approved for continuing-education (CE) credit unless explicitly specified.

Program benefits

The Workforce Housing Certificate Program identifies Realtors® who have committed time, obtained experience and received education in the workforce-housing market. Realtors® who complete the program receive the local designation of Workforce Housing Specialist along with the following benefits:

  • Certificate of completion and Workforce Housing Specialist lapel pin
  • Name and contact information given to partnering housing nonprofits who in turn share with their clients
  • Name and contact information listed on www.CarolinaHome.com as a Workforce Housing
    Specialist Recognition at foundation events
  • Opportunity to use the Workforce Housing Specialist logo on business cards and other promotional materials
  • Certification as a North Carolina Workforce Housing Specialist through the NC REALTORS® Housing Foundation certificate program

For more information, email workforcehousingcertificate@canopyrealtors.com or call Karyn Lindsey at 704-940-3116 or Courtney McLaughlin at 704-940-3128.

Enrollment information

Register for upcoming classes

Workforce Housing Resources

List of Workforce Housing Specialists

Workforce Housing Recertification

For graduates to remain current on affordable workforce-housing resources and issues, each graduate must attend or complete a minimum of two of the following each year:

  • Refresher workshop (refresher workshops will be offered periodically throughout the year, and information about these will be sent via email).
  • Current approved elective courses (identified throughout the year).
  • Fair Housing CE (in-person, virtual or on-demand) course through Canopy Real Estate Institute (Email Courtney McLaughlin after you have completed the class.)
  • Workforce-housing transaction: Completing a sales transaction as a buyer’s agent for an affordable-housing client as defined by HUD (80 percent of area-median income). Transactions must be completed using at least one of the following: FHA, House Charlotte, HUD-approved counseling agency, a down payment assistance program, NCHFA, USDA-Rural Development and/or VA.
  • Appropriate documentation must be sent to workforcehousingcertificate@canopyrealtors.com

For more information, call Courtney McLaughlin at 704-940-3128 or email at ckmclaughlin@canopyrealtors.com.