What is the REALTOR® Institute?

Developed for members of the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) and offered through State REALTOR® Associations, the REALTOR® Institute program recognizes those who achieve the designation – Graduate, REALTOR® Institute (GRI), as those real estate professionals who have made a commitment to providing a superior level of professional services to better serve and protect their clients.

Why earn the designation?

New technology, laws, procedures and the increasing sophistication of buyers and sellers require real estate practitioners to perform with a higher level of professionalism than ever. The coursework required to earn the GRI designation will give you the tools and knowledge you need to provide your clients superior services. In addition, in a recent NAR Member Survey, those with a designation earned an average of 49% more that those without any designation.

How Do I Earn My Designation?

To earn your Graduate, REALTOR® Institute (GRI) Designation, you must complete Series 100 & 200 for a total of 72 hours. Please note, once you earn the designation, it is essential that the comma always appear between the words "Graduate" and "REALTOR® Institute" as follows: "Graduate, REALTOR® Institute." Each GRI series is offered twice a year through Maryland REALTORS®. Each module is comprised of 6 hours of instructional time; however, different modules offer various continuing education credit hours. Those hours and their applicable categories are contained within each module outlined below. Modules in Series 100 & 200 run from 8:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. in a classroom, hybrid setting with an exam immediately following the session. For modules in Series 300 & 400 (additional broker educational hours), the sessions run from 8:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. with an exam that also immediately follows the session. The time allowed for the exam is 45 minutes.
A passing grade of 70% is required to successfully complete each module. If a person does not successfully pass the initial exam for a particular module, that exam may be re-taken ONE ADDITIONAL TIME, at no charge. After that, the module must be re-taken in order to successfully complete the module/series. The Series (100 through 400) may be taken in any order. However, to obtain the GRI Designation, the 100 & 200 Series must be completed within 5 years. Series 300 & 400 serve as additional hours for those interested in sitting for their Broker/Associate Broker exam. To view student success rates by school, click here.

The Maryland Real Estate Commission dictates that you must be present for the entire class in order to receive continuing education credit/course credit for that class. Arriving late, returning late from a break or leaving early will jeopardize the continuing education credit. Please note, no partial credit can be issued. Photo ID is required for entry. Students attending virtually MUST have their camera on at all times and the session will be recorded. For additional information on Continuing Education, please visit the Real Estate Commission's site and read "What Every Licensee Should Know About Continuing Education".


Regarding registration, when you sign up for classes, you will be asked to select whether you will attend in person or virtually. Please make this decision carefully. Once you have made a selection, you may not change it.

For more information please contact Susan.Yashinskie@mdrealtor.org