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High Proficiency in Land Brokerage: The Accredited Land Consultant (ALC) Designation
We’ve been sharing a lot of information on our social media pages lately about the ALC designation and it seemed appropriate to write an article that explains what this means and why it is important for you! One of our brokers, Julie Piland, recently obtained her ALC and we could not be more proud of her! It is a prestigious accomplishment and will help Julie assist her clients in an even more impressive way!
What Does “ALC” Mean?
The acronym “ALC” stands for Accredited Land Consultant. The designation is awarded by the REALTORS® Land Institute (RLI), which is a branch of the National Association of REALTORS®. While there are over 1.5 million members of the National Association of Realtors (the largest trade organization in the United States,) only about 750 of those have their ALC. To break that down further, there are approximately 50,000 Colorado real estate licensees, and around 50 hold their ALC in the state. The designation is highly sought after and is considered the highest achievement for land real estate professionals. This is not just letters after a name. The ALC designation is a mark of expertise, commitment and professionalism in land brokerage.
Who Are Members of the REALTORS® Land Institute?
The Realtors Land Institute (RLI) is an association of specialized real estate professionals who focus on land transactions. Its members include brokers who excel in farms, ranches, recreational properties, investment lands, hunting grounds, mountain retreats, transitional lands, and other unique real estate niches. An ALC is a specialized real estate broker with additional training and experience to handle some of the most intricate land deals.
Why Is The ALC Designation One of the Most Prestigious?
In the world of real estate, there are numerous designations brokers can earn, ABR the Accredited Buyer’s Representative, the CRS Certified Residential Specialist, Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist, Resort and Second-Home Property Specialist, the SRS Seller Representative Specialist, and many, many more. All of which offer some amount of additional training, but most don’t take quite the dedication and production levels to obtain as the ALC.
Here’s a quick overview of the process:
- 104 hours of specialized classroom hours are required through the REALTORS® Land Institute’s LAND University (LANDU) program. Candidates must complete in-depth classes on topics such as land brokerage, investment analyst, and land development.
- Required Courses include: (56 hours)
- Land 101: Fundamentals of Land Brokerage (16 hours)
- Land Investment Analysis (24 hours)
- Transitional Land Real Estate (16 hours)
- Specialty Courses: Candidates must choose 2 of the following:
- Recreational Land Real Estate
- Land Real Estate Site Selection
- Tax-Deferred 1031 Exchanges
- Agricultural Land Brokerage and Marketing
- Subdivision Land Development
- Elective Courses: (48 hours)
- Candidates may select from topics like real estate mapping technologies, timberland real estate, or energy and environmental asset valuation, recreational land real estate, land real estate site selection, tax-deferred 1031 exchanges, agricultural land brokerage and marketing and subdivision land development.
- Exam:
- All ALC designation applicants must successfully complete an exam that covers the core components of the Land University curriculum and score 70% or better.
- Work Experience, Volume Requirements, Letters of Recommendation and Portfolio:
- All applicants must hold a current real estate license, and have a minimum of 2 years experience in land sales or brokerage or have at least 3 years of comparable real estate experience in auctions, leasing, development, farm management, consulting, brokerage management or related services in land. They are looking for hands-on, active experience as a jumping off place. Add to that the volume requirement of at least $10million in land sales where the value of the land was at least 51% of the total sale of the transaction. Applicants must also provide 2 letters of recommendation from current ALCs, one of which should be from the applicant’s local market. A formal portfolio must be submitted along with a resume, essay, volume requirements spreadsheet, a transaction narrative form for each transaction in the portfolio, along with two supporting documents for each transaction. It’s a hefty amount of paperwork to assemble.
The application is then peer-reviewed by a member accreditation committee and the REALTORS® Land Institute Board of Directors.
This is no small undertaking and can span several years to accomplish, not only to achieve the volume requirements but also the classroom hours. All in ALC designees will also shell out nearly $4000 and must pay annual dues to maintain their status as an ALC.
Why Clients Benefit From ALC Expertise
The ALC designation isn’t just about academic knowledge - it’s about practical, real-world experience. ALC designees complete more transactions at a higher level of complexity than the average broker. One of the the most significant benefits of working with an ALC is access to their incredible professional network. ALCs frequently collaborate, share strategies, and leverage their collective knowledge to deliver better outcomes for their clients. Whether it’s understanding water rights, structuring a 1031 exchange, or marketing a unique property, ALCs bring unmatched expertise to the table.
A Great Place to Network - RLI the REALTORS® Land Institute
RLI is a nationwide membership base and members network with each other every single day. It is the largest network of land professional in the country, with approximately 2,000 members. The country is split into different chapters based on region. Colorado has a strong RLI chapter with several meetings a year, and has won “Chapter of the Year” several times. Not all members of RLI are ALCs, but they are all land-centric brokers. These meetings provide an excellent opportunity for land brokers network and pitch properties and buyers. Another great benefit and reason to list your land with an ALC or member of RLI.
While Julie Piland is our only office broker (so far!) with the ALC designation, several of our brokers are members of RLI and regularly participate in the meetings, tours and networking opportunities.
Give us a call today if you have land real estate needs. One of our friendly and knowledgeable brokers is ready to help you - we will guide you every step of the way with expertise and integrity!
Julie can be reached at (970) 985-0913 or juliepilandproperty@gmail.com or you can reach our warm and friendly front desk at (970) 256-9700 to get help finding the right United Country Real Colorado Properties broker for you!
We serve all of Western Colorado and beyond with office locations in Grand Junction HQ, Craig, Delta, Montrose and Rifle and a growing team of dedicated brokers! Our marketing efforts reach far and wide and we'd love to show you how we can work for YOU!