About the ALC Designation
The REALTORS? Land Institute confers the esteemed Accredited Land Consultant (ALC) designation to only those individuals who have achieved the highest level of education, experience, and professionalism.
Please see our ALC Designation Brochure
MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS
ALC candidates must be Institute members in good standing for at least 6 months prior to filing an ALC designation application.
EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS
Successful completion of a total of six Land University courses (3 required and 3 electives). Courses may be completed in a live classroom, online, through the hybrid (independent study) program, and other delivery systems that may be made available. (All courses must have been taken within 5 years of applying for the designation.)
Required courses (3 total):
-Land 101: Fundamentals of Land Brokerage
-Land Investment Analysis
-Tax Deferred 1031 Exchanges (International candidates may take another elective instead of this course)
Electives (3 of 6):
-Tax Implications of Real Estate
-Agricultural Land Brokerage and Marketing
-Creative Land Planning
-Land Development
-Timberland
-Site Selection
-Transitional Land
-Practical Navigation for Land Brokers
-other electives as developed by the REALTORS? Land Institute
-other course equivalencies as approved on an individual basis [Individuals
who have successfully completed land courses provided by educational institutions or other
professional organizations may apply for in-kind, or "equivalency" elective credit. Each
request for such credit is reviewed on an individual basis. Course outline(s), proof of
completion, and related documents must be submitted for consideration. Each equivalency
submission requires an $80 review fee. Equivalency requests must include a complete
course syllabus and proof of completion. Candidates may request no more than 2 elective
equivalencies. Course equivalencies are not accepted in lieu of required courses.]
EXPERIENCE RESUME
Applicants must submit a resume that demonstrates a minimum of 3 years of experience in land sales or brokerage or a minimum of three years of comparable real estate experience in auction, appraisal*, leasing, development, farm management, consulting, brokerage management**, or related services in land.
*Appraiser candidates must be licensed state certified general appraisers.
**Broker managers must have a minimum of 5 years of management experience and manage a minimum of 10 agents.
VOLUME REQUIREMENTS
Applicants must submit a portfolio that substantiates specific levels of volume achieved in land sales or in providing real estate services related to land.
Sales, Brokerage, Development, Consulting
The portfolio must substantiate the applicant's participation and material involvement as a broker, agent, consultant, or employee in at least 5 closed land transactions totaling $10,000,000*, or a minimum of 25 separate land transactions of which no more than 80 percent involve residential lot sales, or a comparable level of volume dependent upon the land specialty and type(s) of real estate services provided. The value of the land must account for at least 51% of the total sale of the transaction in order for the transaction to be eligible.
Effective March 1, 2010, cited transactions and services must have been completed no more than 7 years prior to the submission of the ALC application. (As of January 1, 2014, cited transactions and services will need to be completed no more than 5 years prior to the submission of the ALC application.)
*For volume calculations, the buyer side is equal to the full sales volume, the seller side is equal to the full sales volume, and if both sides of the transaction are handled by one agent, double the volume of the transaction for the purpose of fulfilling the volume requirements. For example, if John Doe is the listing agent on a $1 million dollar sale, count $1 million; for the buyer side, count $1 million; and if both sides of the transaction are handled by one agent, count $2 million for the purpose of fulfilling the transaction requirement.
Substantiation documents include, but are not limited to:
-signed closing or commission statements, contracts, and leases
-approval documents or permits, site/development plans
-recorded and signed deeds
-statements of value or copies of appraisals
-copies of consultant reports or commentaries on consulting
assignments
-letters from employers indicating a principal involvement in land
transactions, development, appraisal, or related services
Appraisal
Appraiser applicants must be licensed state certified general appraisers and submit an appraisal experience log listing all land appraisals performed the previous 3 years, containing the appraisal date, client identification, and total appraised value of the property. The portfolio must substantiate the applicant's completion of no less than 30 agricultural and/or commercial land appraisals, for the 3 years prior to submitting the application, that fully meet all USPAP requirements, with cumulative appraised values exceeding $10,000,000. In addition, the portfolio must include two examples of a complex land appraisal (with signed permission of the client) containing all three approaches to value.
Broker Management
Brokerage manager applicants must submit a portfolio that substantiates management responsibility in a firm with a minimum of 10 agents who have completed at least $30 million in sales volume over a 2-year timetable.
Farm Managers
Farm managers must submit a portfolio that substantiates proof of a minimum of 30 active leases during a 5-year period. (NOTE: Effective March 1, 2010, cited transactions and services must have been completed no more than 7 years prior to the submission of the ALC application. As of January 1, 2014, cited transactions and services will need to be completed no more than 5 years prior to the submission of the ALC application.)
EXAM
All ALC designation applicants must successfully complete a comprehensive online exam that covers the core components of the Land University curriculum. All candidates will be able to take the exam 3 times within a year from the first exam date. If, after the third attempt, the candidate does not successfully pass the course, he/she will be able to retake the exam after completing the Review Course for the ALC Accreditation exam. An additional fee will be required. An additional fee will be required to take the course.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Applicants must submit at least two letters of recommendation, one from an Accredited Land Consultant and one from a local or state board confirming that the applicant is a member in good standing. If the applicant is an Institute Affiliate member or a Fast Track candidate, in lieu of a letter from a state or local board, he/she may submit a letter from an appropriate accrediting body or commission confirming that the applicant is a member in good standing of the accrediting organization.
FORMAL APPLICATION & REVIEW by the ACCREDITATION REVIEW PANEL
Applicants for the ALC Designation must hold a current Candidate Membership in the REALTORS? Land Institute. After completing all requirements, including passing the comprehensive exam, ALC candidates must make a formal application and submit a $350 application fee. The formal application is peer-reviewed by a 5-member Accreditation Review Panel that meets at least two times per year, once in the spring at the Annual Land Conference and once in the fall at the Annual Convention. Applications must be filed at least 45 days in advance of the Review Panel’s meetings. Annual deadlines will be posted online.
The Review Panel will consider each application to determine if all requirements have been satisfied. Members of the Accreditation Review Panel reserve the right to request additional information or an interview (via phone or in person) with any ALC designation applicant should there be questions regarding the candidate's completion of the requirements for the designation. The Chairman of the Accreditation Review Panel serves as the liaison to all applicants. Applicants who are determined not to have satisfied the requirements will be advised of the reasons for that determination so that they may correct any deficiencies.
The Accreditation Review Panel and Chairman are appointed by the RLI officers and Education Steering Chair and serve three-year terms on the Review Panel.
MENTOR PROGRAM (OPTIONAL)
ALC candidates may request to be assigned an ALC mentor to guide them through the Accreditation process. Candidates may either request a specific mentor or may ask to be assigned a mentor.