The Graduate, REALTOR® Institute (GRI) symbol is the mark of a real estate professional who has made the commitment to provide a high level of professional services by securing a strong educational foundation.

Buying property is a complex and stressful task. In fact, it's often the biggest single investment a person will make in their lifetime. At the same time, real estate transactions have become increasingly complicated.

New technology, laws, procedures and the increasing sophistication of buyers and sellers requires real estate practitioners to perform at an ever-increasing level of professionalism

The GRI Designation from the National Association of Realtors focuses on building a solid foundation on technical subjects as well as the fundamentals of real estate.

Earning a GRI can make a difference in your business and potentially boost your income. REALTORS® with at least one designation:

Earned a median of $61,000 while those without the designation earned a median income of $33,500, a difference of $27,600. (Source: 2013 NAR Member Profile)
Reported that they were better able to serve and protect their increasingly sophisticated clients because of their understanding of new technology, laws, and procedures.

How do I complete the GRI?

The state of Hawaii curriculum consists of 54 credit hours of required courses, 6 credit hours of elective courses, field work and a $55 GRI processing fee.

Required Courses

The following required courses provide a basic foundation in law, professional standards, finance, sales, property management, business planning and technology:

Run Your Business Like a Business (6 credits)
Legal Issues (6 credits)
Representation, Practical Ethics & Fair Housing (6 credits)
Strategies of Listing: Getting the Listing (3 credits)
Strategies of Listing: Establishing Market Value (CMA) (3 credits)
Strategies of Finance, Know the Borrower (Basics) (3 credits)
Strategies of Finance, Loan Choices (Advanced) (3 credits)
From Contracts to Closing (6 credits)
Condominiums & Planned Communities (6 credits)
Property Management & Landlord/Tenant (6 credits)
Residential Tax Rules, 1031 Exchange & Foreign Investors (6 credits)

Elective Courses

Students are required to take 6 credit hours of approved electives from any NAR designation or certification courses; OR Strategies of the Purchase Contract. For the Strategies of the Purchase Contract, GRI credit will only be given to students who have taken the course after December 31, 2019.

Below are courses that are readily available as electives to GRI students:

Analysis of Investment Real Estate (6 credits)
Accredited Buyer’s Representative Designation / ABR® (12 credits)
At Home With Diversity Certification / AHWD® (6 credits)
NAR’s e-PRO® Day 1 OR Day 2 (live or online version) (6 credits each)
NAR’s Green Designation / GREEN (12 credits)
Military Relocation Professional Certification / MRP (6 credits)
Pricing Strategy Advisor: Mastering the CMA Certification / PSA (6 credits)
Seller’s Representative Specialist Designation / SRS (12 credits)
Seniors Real Estate Specialist Designation / SRES® (12 credits)

Field Work

Documentation of the following is required:

Completed and signed Listing Agreement of copy of your active MLS Listing OR Completed and signed Purchase Contract
CMA, a market analysis
Signed acknowledgement of field work on GRI Application by your Principal Broker

Processing Fee

A one-time $55 processing fee is required at completion of the required courses and field work. There are no annual GRI designation fees.

GRI classes are offered through HBR and reported to HAR. HAR tracks completion of requirements for the GRI designation. Contact HAR's Education Administrator at 733-7060, ext. 103 for a report of GRI credits completed and to confirm if you have completed the requirements for the GRI designation.

View GRI Course Descriptions

There are many benefits to earning REALTOR® designations, including enhanced professionalism for both the agent and the agent's brokerage, an opportunity for distinctive marketing that emphasizes an agent’s specialized training, and, of course, increased income potential.

Earning a professional designation allows agents to increase their knowledge and sharpen their skills, as well as to expand their network of real estate professionals through course contacts to generate more leads and referrals.

NAR Family Designations

NAR Family Certifications

View a complete list of all designations and certifications NAR offers.

Click here to check your Code of Ethics & Fair Housing training statuses.

Two mandatory training requirements must be completed by agents (R), brokers (PB, BIC), and appraiser members every three years (by December 31st of the third year) for National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) membership:

CODE OF ETHICS REQUIREMENT - Current cycle: Begins January 1, 2025, and ends on December 31, 2027.
FAIR HOUSING REQUIREMENT ^NEW - Current cycle: Begins on January 1, 2025, and ends on December 31, 2027. More information about this requirement is provided here.

Code of Ethics Training Requirement

The current NAR REALTOR® Code of Ethics training requirement must be taken and completed during the period of Jan. 1, 2025 to Dec. 31, 2027 (a three-year cycle). Failure to do so will result in suspension of membership.

Existing HBR members (R, PB, BIC, and REALTOR® appraiser members) will need to complete the NAR Code of Ethics Training by Dec. 31, 2027 except for members that meet one of the following conditions:

New members: If you attended New Member Orientation between Jan. 1, 2025 - Dec. 31, 2027, then you've completed the requirement for the current training cycle during Orientation.
NAR Emeritus members: You are not required to take Code of Ethics training, however, you are welcome to take an approved ethics course if you would like to remain current with the latest ethics training. Note: HBR or HAR only emeritus are still required to complete the Code of Ethics requirement as well the Fair Housing requirements.

For all other HBR members: Ways to Fulfill your Code of Ethics Requirement

APPROVED COURSES: HBR will only accept the following ethics courses to fulfill your mandatory NAR Code of Ethics (COE) training requirement:

NAR’s Center for REALTOR® Development Code of Ethics Online Training course – Free, no CE
HBR’s forthcoming Code of Ethics course - ETA to be announced*
The CE Shop: Course title Ethical Excellence: Raising the Bar (NAR Ethics)

Note: NAR’s Commitment to Excellence (C2EX) endorsement (valid for three years, then renewal is required to maintain the endorsement) is a Code of Ethics training equivalency that will satisfy the NAR ethics training requirement for existing members. Click here for more info.

*HBR's forthcoming Code of Ethics course will be offered via:

Live Zoom webinar (3 CE)
Self-paced course via the HBR REALTOR® Academy (3 CE)

**Ethics courses offered by other providers can still be taken for Hawaii CE credits (if the course has been approved by the state). However, these courses will not qualify for HBR's NAR Code of Ethics requirement.

Fair Housing Training Requirement ^NEW

Beginning January 1, 2025, NAR requires REALTORS® (R, PB, BIC, and appraiser members) to complete fair housing training with each three-cycle ending on December 31^st of the third year. The Fair Housing training requirement will follow the same timeline as the NAR Code of Ethics training requirement.

The current Fair Housing training requirement must be taken and completed during the period of Jan. 1, 2025 to Dec. 31, 2027 (a three-year cycle). Failure to do so will result in suspension of membership.

Take one of these acceptable courses to fulfill the Fair Housing training requirement - click on a course title to register:

NAR Fairhaven 2.0 - A Fair Housing Simulation (self-paced) offered by NAR Center for REALTOR® Development, free | no CE
At Home With Diversity - offered by HBR, $90 | 6 CE
Bias Override: Overcoming Barriers to Fair Housing - offered by HBR, 3 CE; Note: please check back as this course is not yet scheduled on the HBR course calendar

Note:

NAR Emeritus members are not required to take Fair Housing training, however, you are welcome to complete the Fairhaven 2.0 simulation to stay current with fair housing. Note: HBR or HAR only emeritus are still required to complete the Code of Ethics requirement as well the Fair Housing requirements.

Members who complete At Home With Diversity or Fairhaven 2.0 as part of their C2EX coursework after January 1, 2025, will satisfy their Fair Housing requirement.

STATUS CHECK: Have You Completed Your Requirements for 2025-2027 Required Training?

Three ways to check whether you have completed the REALTOR® 1. Code of Ethics and 2. Fair Housing training requirements for the current three-year cycle:

Click here - Updated list coming soon. Our page updates on Thursdays.
Check your NAR profile
Login to your member account, select "Education, then "My Courses" to confirm the date that your last Code of Ethics and Fair Housing training classes were completed.

If you have completed your requirement by taking HBR's ethics class or the NAR Center for REALTOR® Development ethics course for the 2025-2027 training, your record will display either NAR Ethics (Online)-Cycle 8 or NAR Ethics (Live)-Cycle 8.
If you attended New Member Orientation between Jan. 1, 2025-Dec. 31, 2027, then you've completed the Code of Ethics requirement for the current training cycle.
- You will need to verify whether your Fair Housing requirement has been fulfilled.
If you are an NAR Emeritus member, then you are not required to take the Code of Ethics or Fair Housing training. Note: HBR or HAR only emeritus are still required to complete the Code of Ethics requirement as well the Fair Housing requirements.