Are you a Land Professional who’s been thinking about becoming an Accredited Land Consultant (ALC)? If so, then you may have some questions about what it takes to get the designation like: What’s the whole process look like? Do I have time for it? Is this the next move I should make in my career?

We sat down with Tommy Stroud, Jr., NLR Land Professional, who earned the ALC designation in October of 2015, to ask him some of these questions and get the story on his journey to becoming an ALC.

Q: What does the process to become an ALC include?

A: The process includes three core classes, and electives totaling 104 Land University hours. These classes can be completed in a live classroom, online and through the hybrid program. You must also submit a portfolio, which includes a volume requirement of over $10,000,000 in sales or 25 separate land transactions. You must also pass a two-hour online comprehensive exam.

I drove 6.5 hours down to south Florida to take a two-day live course. I really enjoyed that and got a lot more out of it compared to the online courses. I would encourage others to take a look at the list of live courses and put them on their schedules when they are offered close by. The local (state) chapters of the REALTORS Land Institute (RLI) do a good job of scheduling these, which also count toward your states continuing education requirements.

I think my portfolio ended up being over 100 pages once it was submitted.

Q: How long did it take you?

A: Fortunately, with my master’s degree, I was able to get on the fast track program, which allowed me to bypass the electives and just take the core classes. I had these completed within 4 months but then had to wait the allotted time of 6 months in order to submit my application. I have since been told that I was the reason they have now done away with the 6-month requirement. Once I commit myself to something, I’m going to achieve it as fast as I can.

Q: How does being an ALC set you apart from other Land Professionals?

A: It has really allowed me to build confidence in my profession. There is certainly a higher level of trust from clients when they recognize everything you have done to earn this designation and really sets you apart from the competition.

Q: What does being an ALC mean to you?

A: It’s a symbol of experience, education, and trust.

Q: How has it helped you in your career?

A: The designation has certainly helped with networking. I would encourage others to attend the annual RLI conference and see for yourself. It has also made me more confident in my day-to-day decisions in the land brokerage industry. However, if there is a challenge in front of me, I know I can bounce ideas or questions off of other Accredited Land Consultants and get honest answers.

Q: What would you tell others that are thinking about becoming an ALC?

A: I would highly encourage them to go ahead and set a goal of earning this designation. It is going to take a major time commitment and the courses are going to challenge you, but once completed you will get the satisfaction and a higher level of confidence knowing you have achieved the highest designation in the land brokerage industry.

Another way to look at it is understanding that your state real estate license requires you to complete several hours of continuing education anyway. Instead of taking a boring class that might only relate to residential realtors, through the RLI courses, you can now take a class that relates to your specific field and sparks your interest, allowing you to really engage yourself in the class and get a lot more out of it.