Vail Pro® Designation

Become a Vail Pro Today!

Who is it for?
The Vail Pro Designation is an educational program created exclusively for the Vail Board of REALTORS® members (REALTOR® or Affiliate) who want to increase their local knowledge in the real estate industry to become a local expert.

What is the Purpose?
The purpose of the Vail Pro Designation is to raise the professionalism within our membership with industry knowledge, local history, and current events affecting our community.

What You Gain:

Increased local knowledge to share with clients.
Recognized as a local expert.
Honored with a plaque and recognition at the Annual Installation celebration.
Announcements will be marketed each year to the public.
Listed on the website as Vail Pro.

How to Earn it:

Scheduled courses are found on VBR's classes calendar. There is no mandatory time frame to complete the designation. You can take two years, or longer to complete at your own pace. Click below to see requirements for REALTORS® and Affiliates.

REALTOR® Member

Complete the four required courses for the designation.
Select from elective classes and complete 80% of total classes to obtain the designation.
Earn 46 hours total (of required and electives) to earn Vail Pro Designation
Council of Residential Specialist (CRS) or Resort & Second-Home Property Specialist (RSPS) courses completed previously can be applied toward obtaining the Vail Pro Designation.
Must complete Vail Pro Annual Update to maintain the designation.
Download this spreadsheet to help you keep track of classes you've taken.
Once you've reached the required 46 hours, make sure to submit your application!

Required Classes (Four required) and Vail Pro credit hours.

Vail Pro Annual Community Update: 4 hours
Vail Valley/ Eagle County History: 2.5 hours
REALFire Program: 2 hours
Eagle County Schools Update: 2 hours

Electives and Vail Pro credit hours.
Take any combination, in addition to the four classes above, to reach 46 hours.

Title, Closing & Survey: 4.5 hours
Impact of Natural Resources: 2 hours
Legal & Tax Accounting: 3 hours
Appraisal, Lending & Affordable Housing: 4 hours
Breakthrough Business Planning & Goal Setting: 4 hours
Inspection & 4 Scary Words: Radon, Mold, Asbestos & Lead: 2 hours
Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy: 2 hours
Disclosure & Handling Material Defects: 2 Hours
Intermediate Flexmls/ Regulations: 2 hours

*Special NAR designation classes:
Council of Residential Specialist (CRS): Earns 8 max hours
Resort & Second-Home Property Specialist (RSPS): Earns 8 max hours
At Home With Diversity (AHWD): Earns 8 max hours
Accredited Buyer's Representative (ABR): Earns 8 max hours

*Note: Each class earns 8 Vail Pro credits, but you can earn a MAX of 24 hours that count toward Vail Pro. We encourage you to take them all, but we can only count three. More info on CRS, ABR, RSPS, and AHWD designations can be found here.

Some Vail Pro courses also offer state CE (credit through DORA). Please check each individual class offering to see if state CE is also included. Special courses may also be offered for Vail Pro credit.

Affiliate Member

Complete the four required courses for the designation.
Select from two elective classes and complete to obtain the designation.
Must complete Vail Pro Annual Update to maintain the designation.
Download this spreadsheet to help you keep track of your classes.
Once you've completed your classes, please submit this application.

Required Classes (Four required) and VailPro Hours

Vail Pro Annual Update: 4 hours
Vail Valley/ Eagle County History: 2.5 hours
REALFire Program: 2 hours
Eagle County Schools Update: 2 hours

Electives (Choose two classes)

Title & Survey: 4.5 hours
Impact of Natural Resources: 2 hours
Legal & Tax Accounting: 3 hours
Appraisal, Lending & Affordable Housing: 4 hours
Breakthrough Business Planning & Goal Setting: 4 hours
Inspection & 4 Scary Words: Radon, Mold, Asbestos & Lead: 2 hours
Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy: 2 hours

Vail Pro Graduates

Patricia Aubel
Heidi Bintz
Tina Berg
Mike Budd
Janice Ciampa-Bauer
Kathrine Cole
Jennifer Coulson
Ellyn Courtois
Matt Dannals
Delfina Darquier
Kevin Denton
Kyle Denton
Didi Doolittle
Eileen Duke
Dana Erickson
Brooke Gagnon
Debbie Gibson Curtis
Leslie Grooters
Kim Hefty
Sara Hoodicoff
Listle Isaacs
Joanna Kerwin
Cynthia Kruse
Kevin Kuebert

Carrie Larson
Teri Lester
Kristie Long
Tiffany McCracken
Eric Meyer
Dawn Mullin
Natalie Murray
Nina O’Kelley
Jay Peterson
Julie Retzlaff
Kathleen Sedillo
Mike Seguin
Meg Sierant
Judy Stein
Lyndsey Stevens
George Streeter
Elizabeth Sullivan
Trevor Theelke
Cynthia Thrall
Marla Weingast
Roger Wilkinson
Matt Wilson
Bill Wilto
Sasha Windisch

Vail Pro Class Descriptions

Below are overviews of the Vail Pro courses offered through the VBR.

This list doesn't include Certified Residential Specialist (CRS), At Home With Diversity (AHWD), and Resort & Second-Home Property Specialist (RSPS) courses that are also part of the Vail Pro Designation for Realtors®. Click here for information on those designations and certification classes.

Vail Pro Annual Community Update - Required

A community update from leaders of several key local organizations, usually including the following organizations

Eagle River Watershed Council
Vail Health
Vail Resorts
Vail Valley Foundation
Vail Valley Partnership

Presentations include time for Q & A. This course is not accredited with the Colorado Dept. of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), however it earns you 4 credits for the Vail Pro Designation. This course is mandatory to earn and to maintain the Vail Pro Designation.

Vail Valley/ Eagle County History - Required

Presented by Kathy Heicher from the Eagle County Historical Society (ECHS), class is a general overview of Eagle County history from Ute tribal history to the development of the Vail ski resort. It includes a PowerPoint slide show featuring photos from the ECHS archives, followed by either a walking tour of Eagle or a tour of the Chambers’ Park Local Historical Museum.

Presentations include time for Q & A. This course is not accredited with the Colorado Dept. of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), however it earns you 2.5 credits for the Vail Pro Designation. This course is mandatory to earn the Vail Pro Designation.

REALFire/ Wildfire Awareness - Required

This class is geared to help Realtors® understand the REALFire® Program (realfire.net) and how it benefits property owners. Wildfire experts will share action items to reduce wildfire hazards and the benefits of the program, which include an in-depth, on-site assessment conducted by experienced fire professionals, a detailed mitigation report and the opportunity to earn a REALFire® certificate which may be used to enhance real estate transactions and possibly lower insurance costs.

Course offers 2 CE credits through the Colorado Dept. of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), and earns you 2 credits for the Vail Pro Designation. This course is mandatory to earn the Vail Pro Designation.

Annual Schools & Education Update - Required

A community update from public and private educators, usually including the following organizations

Eagle County Schools
Eagle County Charter Academy
St Clare of Assisi Catholic School
Stone Creek Charter School
Vail Christian High School
Vail Mountain School
Vail Ski & Snowboard Academy

Presentations include time for Q & A. This course is not accredited with the Colorado Dept. of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), however it earns you 2 credits for the Vail Pro Designation. This course is mandatory to earn the Vail Pro Designation.

Title, Closing & Survey

This class covers title insurance, closing process and survey. Topics include sections of the Title Report, Ownership and Encumbrance Reports, understanding the Closing process, types of Surveys, what to expect, etc...

Instructors: Sarah Dorman and Katie Kuchler of Land Title Guarantee Company and Ted Archibeque of Archibeque Land

This course earns you four and a half (4.5) Vail Pro Designation credits and two (2) CE credits with the Colorado Dept. of Regulatory Agencies (DORA)

Appraisal, Lending & Affordable Housing

Course topics include, but aren't limited to

Appraisal Process: Determining value, what happens if property doesn't appraise, appraisals for different loan types, and more.
Understanding the Lending Process: Conventional Loans, USDA, FHA, qualifying, credit, and assets.
Affordable Housing in Eagle County: Housing guidelines, deed restriction, Down Payment Assistance Loan Program.

Instructors: Todd Serwatt of Colorado Appraisal Group, Cris Nelson of Guaranteed Rate & Kim Williams of the Eagle County Housing Department

This course earns you four (4) Vail Pro Designation credits. It is worth two (2) CE credits with the Colorado Dept. of Regulatory Agencies (DORA)

Inspection & 4 Scary Words

Course covers (but not limited to) the four scary words in inspection: Radon, Mold, Asbestos and Lead. Services provided by Inspectors – above and beyond the 4 scary words. Setting expectations for buyers and sellers. Timelines for an inspection and related tests.

Instructor: Ron Amass of True Perspective Home Consultants.

This course earns you two (2) Vail Pro Designation credits. It is also certified for 2 CE credits with the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies.

Taxes for Real Estate Professionals

Vail Pro Legal Update

Breakthrough Business Planning

Have you ever set goals you didn’t reach? There are three steps to move from goal setting to goal getting. If you don’t know the three steps, odds are you haven’t reached your goals. Instructor Jim Dague will explain the science behind the steps and help you to reach GOAL GETTING.

This course earns you four (4) Vail Pro Designation credits. It is not accredited for CE credits with the Colorado Dept. of Regulatory Agencies (DORA)

Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy

Prioritizing energy efficiency features of a home represents an opportunity for REALTORS® to expand their business as well as appraisers to increase their fee per home. This 2-hour class provides background on the Green MLS and how it was developed in conjunction with the real estate industry over the last five years. Also, how the Home Energy Score and better financing options are the final pieces of the Green MLS puzzle.

Instructor: Nikki Maline, Walking Mountains Science Center.

Also discussed:

Basics of energy efficiency
Home asset ratings
Energy audits
How to list an efficient property in the MLS
Local government and utility rebates
Incentives, and programs for high-performing homes and/or time of sale upgrades
Energy Efficiency mortgage options from FHA/Fannie/Freddie

This course earns you two (2) Vail Pro Designation credits. It is also certified for 2 CE credits with the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies.

Impact of Natural Resources

This course covers water law, water rights and restrictions in Geologically Sensitive Areas. Topics may include:

History of Water Law
American & Colorado Water Laws
Types & Description of Water Rights
Wells, Springs, Ponds & Ditches
Wetlands and Clean Water Act section 404 permits
The Importance of Due Diligence
Conveying Water Rights
Jurisdictional Issues
County Code Issues
Flood Plain Problems
What is a GSA
What types of GSA’s are there?
How are they shown on the online mapping tool?
What additional requirements are there for properties impacted by a GSA?
At what point in the development review process are additional materials required?
Who is authorized to prepare the required materials?
What work is exempt?
Notice Requirements for owners and real estate professionals
Appeal procedure: dispute vs map addition

This course earns you two (2) Vail Pro Designation credits. It is also certified for 2 CE credits with the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies.

Intermediate Flexmls, Rules & Regulations

NAR Implicit Bias Override

Disclosure & Handling Material Defects

Vail Pro® Designation

Become a Vail Pro Today!

Vail Pro Graduates

Vail Pro Class Descriptions

"Bringing You Home” to the Vail Valley