West Virginia real estate course outline
What Do You Learn in Real Estate School? West Virginia Course Outline
Start seeing real estate differently.
What you own. Who you represent. How a deal comes together. This is what you learn in real estate school, and the course that helps you connect it all.
Explore what you’ll learn Is real estate school hard? Read the honest answer
On your schedule.See how the online classes work
Not just a list of topics.
A look at what you’ll learn to do.
The short answer
What you learn in real estate school, in plain words
In real estate school you learn how property is owned, described, and transferred; how West Virginia license law works; who an agent represents; how contracts, loans, and closings come together; how value is estimated; and the rules for leases, fair housing, land use, and the environment. Then you practice the math behind all of it.
The West Virginia Real Estate Commission requires 90 clock hours, and every approved school follows the Commission’s salesperson course outline. Here is how those hours are split:
You need 70% or higher in each subject area before you can sit for the state exam. At Spruce, those 90 hours are 22 units in one self-paced online course. Below is every unit, opened up, so you can see exactly what you will learn before you enroll.
Hours and passing score: WVREC, Education Requirements for Licensure.
Big ideas. Clear next steps.
The real estate course outline,
unit by unit.
Here is what you learn in real estate school, one unit at a time. Start with the basics, then connect the pieces. Choose an area below and open any unit.
Units 01–07
See beyond the front door.
A home is more than a building. Learn what can be owned, where the rights begin and end, and how ownership changes hands.
01Unit 1: Introduction to the Real Estate Business
Discover the roles, markets and possibilities in real estate.
What you’ll learn to do
- List the various careers available in the real estate industry;
- Describe the different classifications and characteristics real property;
- Describe the types of housing available for purchase or rental;
- Explain the factors of supply and demand in the real estate market;
- Identify the advantages and disadvantages of investing in real estate; and
- Describe the objectives and financial concepts involved in the investment process.
Key terms to know
associate licensee, broker, code of ethics, market, real estate licensee, sales associate, sales person, supply and demand
02Unit 2: Real Property and the Law
Understand what comes with a property, and what does not.
What you’ll learn to do
- Discuss the concepts of land and ownership rights in real property;
- Distinguish between real and personal property;
- Explain the basic economic and physical characteristics of real property; and
- Discuss the limitations of the real estate professional under the law.
Key terms to know
accession, accretion, air rights, annexation, appurtenance, area preference, avulsion, bundle of legal rights, chattel, emblements, erosion, fixture, improvement, land, littoral rights, manufactured housing, nonhomogeneity, personal property, prior appropriation, real estate, real property, riparian rights, severance, situs, subsurface rights, surface right, trade fixture, water rights
You already know part of this
- Gas and mineral rights in WV Subsurface rights
- The swing set in the yard Fixture vs. personal property
03Unit 3: Interests in Real Estate
Recognize ownership rights, limits and competing interests.
What you’ll learn to do
- Identify and describe the various types of estates;
- Explain the difference between liens and other types of encumbrances; and
- Explain the limitations on private property rights for the welfare of the public.
Key terms to know
condemnation, covenants conditions and restrictions, deed restrictions, easement, easement appurtenant, easement by necessity, easement by prescription, easement in gross, eminent domain, encroachment, encumbrance, escheat, estate in land, fee simple, fee simple absolute, fee simple defeasible, fee simple determinable, fee simple subject to a condition subsequent, freehold estate, future interest, homestead, inverse condemnation, legal life estate, license, lien, life estate, police power, pur autre vie, remainder interest, reversionary interest, taking, taxation
You already know part of this
- A speeding ticket Police power
- The neighbor’s fence over the line Encroachment and survey
- HOA rules about paint colors Deed restrictions and CC&Rs
04Unit 4: Forms of Real Estate Ownership
See the different ways people and businesses hold property.
What you’ll learn to do
- Explain the distinction between ownership in severalty and co-ownership;
- Describe the various forms of co-ownership in real estate;
- Describe the key elements of trusts, partnerships, corporations, and LLCs; and
- Identify the types of property ownership for common-interest properties.
Key terms to know
common elements, community property, condominium, cooperative, coownership, corporation, general partnership, joint tenancy, Limited Liability Company, limited partnership, partition, partnership, PITT, right of survivorship, separate property, severalty, tenancy by the entirety, tenancy in common, timeshare, townhouse, trust
You already know part of this
- Getting married Tenancy by the entirety
- Breaking up and splitting things Tenancy in common and partition
- Grandma’s house, four grandkids Right of survivorship
05Unit 5: Land Description
Understand how property boundaries are described.
What you’ll learn to do
- Identify and explain the methods used for describing real estate; and
- Explain the process involved in identifying and measuring property rights including those above and below the surface.
Key terms to know
Air lots, base lines, benchmarks, datum, legal description, lot-and-block (recorded plat) system, metes- and- bounds description, monuments, plat map, point of beginning (POB) point of ending (POE), principal meridians, ranges, rectangular (government) survey system, sections, survey, township lines, townships, township tiers, useable square feet, rentable square feet, liveable square feet
06Unit 6: Transfer of Title
Follow how ownership moves from one person to another.
What you’ll learn to do
- Describe the fundamental concepts of title as it relates to the ownership of land, and the processes and instruments used to apply these concepts;
- Describe the circumstances and conditions which may provide for the involuntary transfer of title; and
- Explain testate, intestate, wills, and the probate process.
Key terms to know
Acknowledgement, adverse possession, bargain and sale deed, deed, deed of trust, devise, general warranty deed, grantee, granting clause, grantor, habendum clause, heirs, intestate, involuntary alienation, probate, quit claim deed, reconveyance deed, special warranty deed, testate, testator, title, transfer tax, trustee’s deed, voluntary alienation, will.
You already know part of this
- Who gets the house someday Wills, probate, and heirs
07Unit 7: Title Records
See why a property's ownership history matters.
What you’ll learn to do
- Explain the public recordation system and its importance to the title insurer; and
- Explain the benefits of title insurance and the difference between an owner’s policy and a lender’s policy.
Key terms to know
abstract of title, action to quiet title, actual notice, attorney’s opinion of title, certificate of title, chain of title, constructive notice, marketable title, priority, recording, subrogation, title insurance, title search, Torrens system
Units 08–11
Know who you represent. And why it matters.
Connect West Virginia licensing rules with agency, client agreements and contracts. Learn to recognize the responsibilities behind the paperwork.
08Unit 8: Real Estate Brokerage + West Virginia Real Estate License Act & Regulations
Connect professional practice with West Virginia's rules.
What you’ll learn to do
- Describe the fundamentals of real estate brokerage and licensing laws;
- Describe the purpose and basic elements of antitrust laws including price fixing, boycotts, and allocation of markets;
- Discuss the services provided to real estate practitioners by professional organizations, including the creation and enforcement of ethical codes; and
- Explain how real estate professionals should use technology in real estate practice to comply with laws and ethical standards.
- Explain the purpose and regulatory outline of the West Virginia Real Estate License ACT; WV Code §30- 40, WV CSR§ 174-1- Requirements in Licensing Real Estate, WV CSR§ 174-2- Schedule of Fees, WV CSR§ 174-3- Requirements in Approval and Registration of Real Estate Courses. Course Providers and Instructors and WV CSR§ 174-4- Procedure for the Investigation and Resolution of Complaints and Contested Case Hearings
Key terms to know
Antitrust laws, boycott, brokerage, commission, disclaimers, electronic contracting, Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (E-Sign), employee, independent contractor, internet data exchange policy, minimum level of services, National Do Not Call Registry, price-fixing, procuring cause, ready, willing, and able buyer, Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA), Vicarious Liability
You already know part of this
- Hourly pay vs. commission Commission and procuring cause
- W-2 or 1099 Employee vs. independent contractor
09Unit 9: Real Estate Agency
Understand whom an agent represents and the duties that follow.
What you’ll learn to do
- Explain agency concepts and terminology;
- Explain the difference between express and implied agency;
- Define the types of agency and identify which, if any, are involved in real estate practice; and
- Describe and explain an agent’s duties to third-party customers, especially regarding misstatements, misrepresentation, and potential fraud.
Key terms to know
Agency, agent, buyer's agent, client, customer, designated agent, designated agency, dual agent, express agency, express agreement, fiduciary, fiduciary relationship, fraud, general agent, implied agency, implied agreement, latent defect, law of agency, listing agreement, negligent, misrepresentation, nonagent, principal, puffing, special agent, universal agent
*UPDATES ADDED of 2025 new Notice of Agency form and applying the key terms to that form.
You already know part of this
- Hiring a babysitter Agency and fiduciary duty
- Keeping a customer’s secret Confidentiality and loyalty
10Unit 10: Client Representation Agreements
Know the purpose of listing and buyer representation agreements.
What you’ll learn to do
- Describe the different types of listing agreements and how they may be terminated;
- Describe the listing presentation and the information needed for a listing agreement;
- Identify the listing agreement terms and the responsibilities of both parties; and
- Describe the types of buyer representation agreements and how they may be terminated.
Key terms to know
buyer representation agreement, comparative market analysis, exclusive agency listing, exclusive buyer representation agreement, exclusive right to sell listing, multiple listing service, net listing, open listing
11Unit 11: Real Estate Contracts
See what makes an agreement a contract.
What you’ll learn to do
- Describe the essential elements of a contract;
- Explain the various means by which a contract may be enforced, terminated, assigned, or replaced; and
- Describe the primary written agreements and forms used in real estate sales and leasing.
Key terms to know
Addendum, amendment, assignment, bilateral contract, breach of contract, consideration, contingencies, contract, counteroffer, disclosure, earnest money, equitable title, executed contract, executory contract, express contract, implied contract, land contract, liquidated contract, novation, offer and acceptance, option, rescission, statute of frauds, suit for specific performance, "time is of the essence", unenforceable contract, unilateral contract, valid contract, void contract, voidable contract.
You already know part of this
- Bedtime negotiations Offer and counteroffer
Units 12–16
Make the numbers part of the story.
Follow financing, closing costs, taxes and value. See how the financial pieces fit together in a real estate transaction.
12Unit 12: Real Estate Financing
Understand loans, security instruments and borrowing.
What you’ll learn to do
- Describe the factors that contribute to housing affordability, including mortgage terms and ability to pay;
- Describe the terms, conditions, and use of the promissory note;
- Explain the elements and use of security instruments, and describe the mortgage and deed of trust and the roles, rights, and obligations of the parties involved in each;
- Describe the various types of real estate financing;
- Explain the distinction between a judicial foreclosure and a non-judicial foreclosure, and the process involved in each; and
- Describe the various consumer protections related to homeownership.
Key terms to know
alienation clause, amortized loan, assumption of mortgage, balloon payment, beneficiary, comprehensive loss underwriting exchange, debt to income, deed in lieu of foreclosure, deed of reconveyance, deed of trust, defeasance clause, deficiency judgment, discount points, equity, foreclosure, growing equity mortgage, homeowners insurance, hypothecation, index, interest, interest only loan, lien theory, loan origination fee, loan to value ratio, margin, mortgage, mortgagee, mortgagor, negative amortization, negotiable instrument, note, novation, PITI, prepayment penalty, promissory note, release deed, reverse mortgage, satisfaction of mortgage, short sale, straight loan, subject to, swing loan (bridge loan) title theory, trustor, usury
You already know part of this
- Buying a car on payments Promissory note and lien
- A credit card statement Interest, principal, and amortization
- Your take-home pay Debt-to-income ratio
13Unit 13: Government Involvement in Real Estate Financing
Compare financing programs and consumer protections.
What you’ll learn to do
- Explain the primary and secondary mortgage marketplaces, the roles of the parties in each, and the impact on the parties of government influence;
- Describe the difference between conventional, government, and private loan programs available for real estate financing;
- Describe the various alternative and special purpose loan programs which can meet a borrower’s special needs; and
- Explain the primary government regulations which govern real estate lending and provide consumer protection against unfair lending practices.
Key terms to know
blanket loan, buydown, certificate of reasonable value, community reinvestment act of 1977, construction loan, conventional loan, equal credit opportunity act, Fannie Mae, Farmer Mac, FDIC, Federal Reserve system, FHA insured loan, Freddie Mac, Ginnie Mae, government-sponsored enterprises, home equity loan, mortgage insurance premium, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, open end loan, package loan, primary mortgage market, private mortgage insurance, real estate settlement procedures act, regulations Z, sale and lease back, secondary mortgage market, triggering terms, truth in lending act, VA guaranteed loan, wraparound loan
14Unit 14: Closing the Real Estate Transaction
Follow the steps and figures that bring a transaction to closing.
What you’ll learn to do
- Describe the steps involved to achieve conveyance of clear and marketable title, including compliance with all applicable laws;
- Describe closing procedures and the respective roles of all parties;
- Explain the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) and the Mortgage Disclosure Improvement Act (MDIA);
- Describe and explain all buyer and seller charges and credits contained in the closing statement;
- Explain the financial entries and mathematical calculations contained in the closing statement; and
- Review and confirm the accuracy of a closing statement.
Key terms to know
Accrued items, closing, closing statement, credit, debit, escrow accounts, escrow closing, good faith estimate (GFE), impound accounts, Mortgage Disclosure Improvement Act (MDIA), prepaid items, prorations, Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA), survey, Uniform Settlement Statement (HUD- 1).
You already know part of this
- Splitting chores by the day Prorations at closing
15Unit 15: Real Estate Taxes and Other Liens
Recognize how taxes and other liens affect property.
What you’ll learn to do
- Describe the characteristics of statutory and equitable liens;
- Explain general taxes and special assessment taxes; and
- Explain real property liens, including judgments and taxes, as well as the protection and limitations they offer the respective parties.
Key terms to know
Ad valorem tax, assessment, attachment, equalization factor, equitable lien, equitable right of redemption, estate tax, general liens, general real estate tax, inheritance tax, involuntary lien. judgment, lis pendens, mechanic’s lien, mill, mortgage lien, redemption, special assessments, specific liens, statutory liens, subordination agreement, tax liens, tax sale, vendor’s lien, voluntary lien, writ of attachment
16Unit 16: Real Estate Appraisal
Understand how real estate value is estimated.
What you’ll learn to do
- Explain appraisal concepts and the process employed by the appraiser;
- Differentiate between value and price; and
- Describe the three approaches to value.
Key terms to know
Accrued depreciation, anticipation, appraisal, assemblage, broker’s price opinion, capitalization rate, change, competitive market analysis (CMA), competition, contribution, cost approach, depreciation, economic life, external obsolescence, functional obsolescence, gross income multiplier (GIM), gross rent multiplier (GRM), highest and best use, income approach, law of diminishing return, law of increasing returns, market data approach, market value, net operating income (NOI), physical deterioration, plottage, progression, reconciliation, regression, replacement cost new, reproduction cost, sales comparison approach, sales price, substitution, supply and demand, Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP), Value
You already know part of this
- Comparing prices at two stores Sales comparison approach
- Haggling at a yard sale Market value vs. price
Units 17–21
Look after more than a transaction.
Explore leases, fair housing, property management, land use and environmental issues. Learn to notice the questions that deserve a closer look.
17Unit 17: Leases
Read the relationship between a lease, a tenant and an owner.
What you’ll learn to do
- Explain the essential elements of leasehold interests;
- Describe the essential terms of a lease agreement;
- Distinguish the various types of leases; and
- Explain how the lease may be terminated and discharged and the remedies available to the parties for its breach
Key terms to know
Actual eviction, assignment, constructive eviction, estate at sufferance, estate at will, estate for years, estate from period to period, gross lease, ground lease, holdover tenancy, lease, leasehold estate, lease purchase, lessee, lessor. Month-to-month tenancy, net lease, nondisturbance clause, percentage lease, purchase option, renewal option, reversionary right, right of first refusal, sale-and-leaseback, security deposit, sublease.
You already know part of this
- Restaurant rent based on sales Percentage lease
- A roommate agreement Lease terms and security deposit
- Your first apartment Leasehold estate
18Unit 18: Fair Housing
Recognize fair housing duties and prohibited practices.
What you’ll learn to do
- Explain the significance of the Civil Rights Act of 1866 to equal opportunity in housing;
- Describe and explain the various federal laws which protect Americans from unfair housing practices;
- Describe blockbusting, steering, redlining, and other abusive housing practices;
- List the various recourses available to the aggrieved person who believes illegal discrimination has occurred, including acts of real estate professionals; and
- Describe the importance to real estate professionals and the public of understanding and complying with fair housing laws.
Key terms to know
administrative law judge, Americans with Disabilities Act, blockbusting, civil rights act of 1866, conciliation, Department of Housing and Urban Development, fair housing act, fair housing amendments act, housing for older person’s act, redlining, steering, title eight of the civil rights act of 1968
19Unit 19: Property Management
Explore the work of caring for income-producing property.
What you’ll learn to do
- Describe the various property management assignments available in the property management field and the role of the property manager in each;
- Explain the essential elements of the property management agreement;
- List the primary responsibilities of the property manager;
- Describe the various federal laws which the property manager must know and follow in the performance of management duties; and
- Describe the implementation of risk management procedures to insure the safety and security of a managed property’s tenants as well as to protect the landlord from liability and loss.
Key terms to know
Budget comparison statement, cash flow report, corrective maintenance, management agreement, management plan, multiperil policies, operating budget, preventive maintenance, profit and loss statement, property manager, risk management, routine maintenance, surety bonds, tenant improvements, workers’ compensation acts.
20Unit 20: Land-Use Controls and Property Development
See how public and private rules shape the use of land.
What you’ll learn to do
- Explain the concept of police power and the provisions under which it protects the public health, safety, and welfare;
- Explain zoning, ordinances, permits, and property use;
- Define building codes as they relate to the requirements and restrictions placed on construction standards;
- Explain the issues and regulations involved in subdivisions;
- Explain non-governmental (private) land use restrictions: covenants, conditions, and restrictions (CC&Rs); and
- Describe the various laws and agencies which regulate land sales..
Key terms to know
Buffer zone, building code, certificate of occupancy, comprehensive plan, conditional-use permit covenants, conditions, and restrictions (CC&Rs) density zoning, developer, enabling acts, inverse condemnation, Interstate Land Sales Full Disclosure Act, nonconforming use, planned unit development (PUD), plat, restrictive covenants, subdivider, variance, zoning ordinances
You already know part of this
- The zoning sign down the road Land-use controls
21Unit 21: Environmental Issues and the Real Estate Transaction
Recognize environmental concerns and disclosure responsibilities.
What you’ll learn to do
- Identify the basic environmental hazards the real estate professional should be aware of for the protection of client interests as well as the personal risk of liability for nondisclosure;
- Describe groundwater, water table, and the provisions of the Safe Drinking Water Act;
- Describe the issues involved with underground storage tanks, and the associ¬ated legal requirements facing the property owner;
- Explain the regulation involved in the creation and operation of waste dis¬posal sites and in the control of brownfields;
- List the various federal laws which protect the public from uncontrolled hazardous waste, and the liability issues facing those who violate any of these laws; and
- Explain the responsibilities and duties of real estate professionals regarding environmental issues.
Key terms to know
Asbestos, brownfields, carbon monoxide (CO), chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), electromagnetic fields (EMS) encapsulation, environmental impact statement (EIS), environmental site assessment (ESA), formaldehyde, groundwater, lead, mold, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), radon, Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act, Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA), underground storage tanks (USTs), urea-formaldehyde foam insulation (UFFI), water table, Wetlands Protection
Units 22
Turn a page of numbers into a clear next step.
Work through the calculations behind commissions, prorations, financing and closing. Build your understanding one step at a time.
22Unit 22: Real Estate Calculations
Practice the math behind the transaction.
What you’ll learn to do
- Perform calculations using math wheels
- Perform the basic math concepts involving Fractions, Decimals, and Percentages, Measurement, Profit and Loss, Taxation, Equity, Loan-to-Value Ratios, Discount points, Down payment/ amount to be financed
- Perform the calculations for transactions Property Tax calculations, Prorations, Commission and commission splits, Seller's proceeds of sale, Buyer funds needed at closing, Transfer fees, conveyance tax, revenue stamps, PITI (Principal, Interest, Taxes, and Insurance) payment.
Worried it is a lot? Most of what you learn in real estate school is new names for things you already know. The gold notes inside each unit show where you have already lived it.
See the whole mapA look inside Spruce
Online learning.
Human at heart.
A clear place to begin. A course to work through at your own pace. And people to turn to when something needs another explanation, because what you learn in real estate school should make sense to you, not just to the test.
See how the Spruce course worksFind your next step. See how the classroom organizes your course.
Make it fit your life. Learn on your schedule with self-paced online study.
Ask when you need help. Instructor support is part of the learning experience.
The real Spruce student classroom.
Rooted here. Teaching here.
West Virginia isn’t
an afterthought.
It’s where Spruce is based, and the focus of the course. You learn West Virginia licensing rules from the state’s own license act and rules, alongside the property, contracts, and financing ideas that connect the wider picture. In other words, what you learn in real estate school here is built for a West Virginia license.
Meet the school behind the courseAfter the course
What comes after
real estate school.
What you learn in real estate school is step one. Here is where the rest of the road goes, or grab the full after-course checklist.
Questions about what you learn in real estate school
What do you learn in real estate school in West Virginia?
You learn how property is owned and transferred, West Virginia license law, agency and contracts, financing and closing, taxes, appraisal, leases, fair housing, property management, land use, environmental issues, and real estate math. At Spruce that is 22 units in one self-paced online course.
How many hours is real estate school in West Virginia?
The West Virginia Real Estate Commission requires 90 clock hours: 30 hours of principles and practice, 20 of law, 20 of finance, and 20 of appraisal. You need 70% or higher in each subject area before you can sit for the state exam.
Is there a lot of math in real estate school?
Math has its own unit, Unit 22, and it also shows up inside financing, closing, and appraisal. It is everyday arithmetic: percentages, interest, and splitting costs by days. Spruce teaches each problem one step at a time, like our promissory note math lesson.
Do you learn West Virginia law, or only national material?
Both. Unit 8 covers the West Virginia Real Estate License Act and the Commission’s rules, and the required text for every West Virginia course is the state license act and legislative rules, which is what our Law Code Bible contains.
Is real estate school hard?
It takes steady effort, but most of the course is new names for things you already understand from everyday life. We wrote a full, honest answer, with a map of how much of the course you already know.
You don’t have to know it all to begin.
That’s what
we’re here to teach.
Now that you know what you learn in real estate school, take a closer look at the course, what’s included, and how to get started.
See the online classes Keep exploring the outlineThis page presents the Spruce course curriculum. Completing the course is one step in the licensing process, not a guarantee of exam results or a real estate license.