Our instructors
Get to know our top-notch instructors! Read more about each of them before your classes begin.
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Review our REALTOR® Fest FAQ
Get to know our top-notch instructors! Read more about each of them before your classes begin.
Review our REALTOR® Fest FAQ
Ms. Adams opened her solo firm, M. J. Adams Law in 2023 where her primary focus is on foreclosure defense, loss mitigation and other debt solutions. Michelle was introduced to real estate law in 2008 when she first began representing homeowners facing foreclosure. She has practiced law in both Maryland and DC for 28 years, is a member of the Foreclosure Prevention Project and an active member of the Montgomery County Bar Association’s Real Estate and Small Firm sections. This is Michelle’s 11th year as an instructor for GCAAR.
Class:
Foreclosures (3.0 ELECTIVE hours for MD, DC, VA licensees)
> Wednesday, June 5, 9:00 a.m. – noon.
Thom Brockett is an associate broker with Long & Foster, an adjunct professor at Montgomery College, and has been involved with training, education, and business coaching all his life. Thom is a professional photographer, an Ombuds for GCAAR and Maryland REALTORS, serves on Professional Standards, and is a past director on the GCAAR Board.
Classes:
D.C. Ethics Update (3.0 REQUIRED hours for D.C. licensees; NO ELECTIVE CREDITS)
>Tuesday, June 4, 9:00 a.m. – noon.
Comparison of Real Estate Sales Contracts (3.0 ELECTIVE hours for MD, DC, VA licensees)
> Thursday, June 6, 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
MREC Brokerage Relationships and Disclosures (3 REQUIRED hours for MD licensees-Topic H, NO ELECTIVE CREDITS)
> Friday, June 7, 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Deirdre P. Brown is the president of Lexicon Title Services. She has over 20 years of experience in the local real estate market. She earned her Juris Doctorate from the David A. Clarke School of Law. She serves on the District of Columbia Association of REALTORS® (DCAR) Public Policy Committee and has been instructing at GCAAR for seven years.
Class:
D.C. Legislative Update (3.0 REQUIRED hours for D.C. licensees; NO ELECTIVE CREDITS)
>Wednesday, June 5, 9 a.m. – noon
Mary Chieppa is an Associate Broker where she specializes in land and the military market. She has 40 years of experience including sales, mentoring, group coaching, course creation and managing. She has earned the ABR, AHWD, C-RETS, GRI, PSA, MRP, RSPS, SRES and SRS and is a contributing editor for MD and VA law textbooks as well as online CE classes for MD, DC and VA.
Classes:
When Price Meets Preparation (2.0 ELECTIVE hours for MD, D.C. and VA licensees)
> Friday, June 7, 10 a.m. – noon
D.C. Ethics Update (3.0 REQUIRED hours for D.C. licensees; NO ELECTIVE CREDITS)
> Monday, June 8, 1:30 – 4:30 p.m.
A native of the Washington area, Christopher B. Darby entered into the title business in 1998 after receiving his law degree from the University of South Carolina. He is a member of the District of Columbia and Maryland Bar Associations and enjoys regularly teaching continuing real estate education courses for local REALTORS® as well as a Real Estate Transactions Law class at the Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law.
Chris is also an active member of the local real estate community with service to and membership in DC Land Title Association and GCAAR where he has served on the Forms Committee (formerly Contract and Clause Committee) since 2001. Chris was honored by GCAAR as its 2007 Affiliate of the Year for his service to the real estate community. He is experienced in residential and commercial real estate transactions and the resolution of contract issues. Licensed to conduct closings in DC, MD and VA, Chris specializes in DC specific matters including; land development, condominium conversions and TOPA.
Class:
D.C. Legislative Update (3.0 REQUIRED hours for D.C. licensees; NO ELECTIVE CREDITS)
> Tuesday, June 4, 1:30 – 4:30 p.m.
Ms. Davis is a Sales Associate licensed in Maryland and the District of Columbia, a trainer with Coldwell Banker, instructor with GCAAR, and an adjunct professor at Montgomery College in Rockville, Maryland. For Renee, it is personal that everyone walks away richer in knowledge after taking one of her classes. She has been a leader and advocate for students seeking to get a real estate license since becoming a pre-licensing instructor in 2009. She has earned her Graduate of Realtor Institute (GRI) credential and has served on the Grievance Committee with GCAAR.
Class:
D.C. Property Management (3.0 REQUIRED hours for D.C. Broker and D.C. Salesperson licensees. NO ELECTIVE CREDITS)
> Monday, June 3, 9 a.m. – noon.
Greg Flynn is a founding member of Flynn Title Group, which handles settlements throughout Maryland, DC and Virginia. He began his legal career as a law clerk to the Honorable James L. Ryan, Judge of the Circuit Court and then became a Senior Litigation Associate with one of the area’s largest law firms before founding Flynn & Rismiller, LLC.
Mr. Flynn is a member of the Maryland Bar Association, the Montgomery County Bar Association, Maryland Trial Lawyers Association, Federal Bar Association, Catholic University Lawyering Skills Program, District Court Mediation Program (State Certified Mediator), Montgomery County Lawyer Referral Service — Past Chairman, Fee Dispute Resolution Committee, Maryland Land Title Association, and the Judicial Selections Panel. Greg regularly instructs for GCAAR and has developed many continuing education classes for REALTORS®. Greg is also active in the GCAAR community having served, and currently serving, on the Forms Committee.
Class:
Most Common Mistakes That Delay Settlement (2.0 ELECTIVE hours for MD, D.C. and VA licensees)
> Monday, June 3, 10:00 a.m. – noon.
Born and raised in Smithtown, New York, Melissa received her B.A. in Political Science and Political Philosophy from Duke University. She then attended Washington & Lee University School of Law, where she received her Juris Doctor in 1991. Melissa began her legal career as a trial attorney at the Baltimore Law Firm of Tydings and Rosenberg, LLP, where she primarily handled trials in the areas of products liability, corporate and commercial litigation, and products liability. Melissa is now a Vice President at KVS Title, where she is an integral part of their residential and commercial title divisions. Melissa is a member of the Maryland State and Montgomery County Bar Association, and an affiliate member of GCAAR. In her free time, Melissa enjoys spending as much time as possible with her two adult children and their dogs.
Class:
Maryland Legislative Update (3.0 REQUIRED hours for MD licensees-Topic A; NO ELECTIVE CREDITS)
> Monday, June 3, 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Dana Hollish Hill is a REALTOR®, broker and coach at JPAR Stellar Living in Gaithersburg, MD. Dana leads the Hollish Hill Group, which is committed to honesty, integrity and service. She proudly serves the communities in D.C., Maryland and northern Virginia, where she holds her broker license. She has been a full time REALTOR® for over 20 years. Dana has earned her Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR®), Housing Opportunity Certification (HOC), and Graduate, REALTOR® Institute (GRI) designations, the At Home With Diversity® (AHWD) certification and is a GCAAR DEI Champion. Dana currently serves on GCAAR’s Professional Standards Committee and has served on the Education, Form and Grievance committees as well. She has been instructing for GCAAR since 2014.
Classes:
Maryland Code of Ethics (3.0 REQUIRED hours for MD licensees – Topic D)
> Tuesday, June 4, 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
> Friday, June 7, 9 a.m. – noon
Maryland Fair Housing (1.5 REQUIRED hours for MD licensees – Topic C)
> Wednesday, June 5, 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Bill Horan is President of Realty Exchange Corporation, where he specializes in being a Qualified Intermediary for 1031 Exchanges. He has over 22 years of experience, including active participation in the 1031 exchange industry and lobbying Congress to retain 1031 exchanges. He has earned the prestigious industry Certified Exchange Specialist designation, served as President, and served many years as a board member of the Federation of Exchange Accommodators, the national trade organization for qualified intermediaries. Bill has been instructing about 1031 exchanges for 20+ years.
Class:
How to do a 1031 Like-Kind Exchange (3.0 ELECTIVE hours for MD, D.C. and VA licensees)
> Tuesday, June 4, 9:00 a.m. – noon.
Tara Furges Houston is an associate broker with eXp Realty, LLC where she specializes in global luxury real estate. She has over 18 years of experience, including being the founding broker of eXp Realty, D.C. She has earned the Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS) and Certified International Luxury Home Marketing Specialist (CLHMS) designations, as well as the At Home with Diversity® and Pricing Strategy Advisor (PSA) certifications. She serves as an advisor for the Distinguished Women in Leadership Certificate Program at the University of Richmond and was the 2019 President of the Women’s Council of REALTORS® NOVA Metro. She has been instructing for over 20 years, including having served in roles as a college professor and public-school administrator.
Classes:
Virginia Mandatory Contracts Review (1.0 REQUIRED hour for VA licensees; NO ELECTIVE CREDITS)
> Monday, June 3, 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Virginia Agency (1.0 REQUIRED hour for VA licensees; NO ELECTIVE CREDITS)
> Monday, June 3, 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Virginia Legal Update (1.0 REQUIRED hour for VA licensees; NO ELECTIVE CREDITS)
> Wednesday, June 5, 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Maryland Legislative Update (3.0 REQUIRED hours for MD licensees-Topic A; NO ELECTIVE CREDITS)
> Thursday, June 6, 9:00 a.m. – noon.
Alex Jaffe teaches GCAAR’s Advanced Real Estate Finance class and is Branch Sales Manager of First Home Mortgage’s Chevy Chase office. Alex is a loan officer for clients throughout Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia. In his ~17 year career since 2007 Alex has closed over 2,500 loans and has ranked within the top 200 of loan officers in the nation every year since 2015 (by business volume). Alex prides himself on the highest level of service possible and you can read several client reviews here.
Class:
Advanced Real Estate Financing (3.0 ELECTIVE hours for MD, D.C. and VA licensees)
> Thursday, June 6, 9:00 a.m. – noon.
Currently an esteemed educator, Brenda Kasuva leads various courses, including all mandatory continuing education and several elective topics in Maryland, NAR Certification and Designations – AHWD, ABR, PSA, ePro and her favorite Bias Override. She also teaches real estate exam prep to future Maryland salesperson and broker licensees. Brenda’s commitment to professional development is highlighted by her completion of the Distinguished Real Estate Instructor (DREI), GRI designation, Maryland Broker licensing course in 2022, and participation in the 2020 Maryland REALTORS Leadership Academy. Balancing her teaching responsibilities, Brenda remains engaged in the real estate field, assisting buyers and tenants, while also volunteering in several capacities at National Association of REALTORS, Maryland REALTORS, Women’s Council of REALTORS – Greater Baltimore, Real Estate Brokers of Baltimore (NAREB chapter) and Maryland Real Estate Educators Association.
Classes:
MREC Brokerage Relationships and Disclosures (3 REQUIRED hours for MD licensees-Topic H, NO ELECTIVE CREDITS)
> Monday, June 3, 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
DC Fair Housing (3.0 REQUIRED hours for D.C. licensees; NO ELECTIVE CREDITS)
> Wednesday, June 5, 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Dominique Lamb has always had a passion for real estate and educating others about how to leverage real estate to build wealth. At 30, after several years of working as a REALTOR®, Dominique decided to start The Haven Firm to lead a team of Realtors in giving real estate clients outstanding service in the DC Metro area. She is a Project Management Professional (PMP) and holds degrees in Politics, Philosophy and Intellectual Property and Digitization. Dominique is also an author and founder of We Teach Love.
Class:
D.C. Property Management (3.0 REQUIRED hours for D.C. licensees; NO ELECTIVE CREDITS)
>Thursday, June 6, 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Jill Malloy is the National Real Estate Expert with The CE Shop, where she advises on curriculum development in continuing education, as well as pre-licensing courses. She has over 45 years of experience in real estate sales, management and education. She has earned the Gold Standard Instructor certification from the Real Estate Educators Association and is an approved instructor for several designation and certification courses recognized by the National Association of REALTORS®, including ABR®, SRS, SRES® and At Home With Diversity®. She has been instructing for over 35 years.
Class:
MD Fair Housing (1.5 REQUIRED hours for MD licensees; NO ELECTIVE CREDITS)
> Tuesday, June 4, 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
A practicing attorney for over 33 years, John G. Nalls, Esquire is a founding member of Counselors Title, LLC and the Managing Attorney of its Chevy Chase Office. John is a member of the Maryland, DC and Virginia Bar Associations as well as the Greater Capital Area Association of Realtors (Affiliate Member), where he has been instructing for 22 years, and the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors (Affiliate Member), where he serves on the Attorney Roundtable.
Classes:
Maryland Legislative Update (3.0 REQUIRED hours for MD licensees-Topic A; NO ELECTIVE CREDITS)
> Tuesday, June 4, 1:30 – 4:30 p.m.
Contract Contingencies (1.5 ELECTIVE hours for MD and D.C. licensees; 1.0 ELECTIVE hours for VA licensees)
> Wednesday, June 5, 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Bob Pettis is an associate broker with Long and Foster Real Estate, where he specializes in residential brokerage. He has over 38 years of real estate experience, including over 30 years as a licensed structural engineer in Maryland and several other states. He has earned NAR’s Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR®), Certified Residential Specialist (CRS), Graduate, REALTOR® Institute (GRI), and GREEN designations and the At Home With Diversity® certification, in addition to being a GCAAR DEI Champion. He is a lifetime member of the Long and Foster Chairman’s Club Hall of Fame, recipient of GCAAR’s Top Producer Award and recently served as a member of Maryland REALTORS®’ Legislative Committee. Bob is licensed in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia and has been instructing for over 15 years.
Classes:
MREC Required Supervision (3 REQUIRED hours for MD brokers, branch office managers, and team managers -Topic I, NO ELECTIVE CREDITS)
> Monday, June 3, 9 a.m. – noon
MREC Brokerage Relationships and Disclosures (3 REQUIRED hours for MD licensees-Topic H, NO ELECTIVE CREDITS)
> Wednesday, June 5, 9 a.m. – noon
Ned Rich is an associate broker with Washington Fine Properties. He has over 36 years of experience in residential real estate. Ned’s involvement in real estate extends out into the community. He has served two terms on the GCAAR Board of Directors, sat on the GCAAR Grievance & Professional Standards Committee and was a member of the MRIS SAC Committee. Licensed since 1987, he holds associate brokers’ licenses in D.C., Maryland and Virginia and has earned the Graduate, Realtor® Institute (GRI) and Certified Real Estate Brokerage Manager (CRB) designations. Ned has been instructing for over 20 years.
Classes:
Maryland Code of Ethics (3.0 REQUIRED hours for MD-Topic D; NO ELECTIVE CREDITS)
> Wednesday, June 5, 1:30 p.m. – 4:30p.m.
D.C. Fair Housing (3.0 REQUIRED hours for D.C. licensees; NO ELECTIVE CREDITS)
> Thursday, June 6, 9 a.m. – noon.
D.C. Broker Supervision (3.0 REQUIRED hours for D.C. licensees; NO ELECTIVE CREDITS)
> Friday, June 7, 9 a.m. – noon.
Rob Rothstein is president of Paragon Title, where he specializes in contract law and real estate settlements. Rob has over 12 years of experience as a leader of Paragon Title and currently serves on GCAAR’s Public Policy committee. Rob was previously the chair of GCAAR’s Young Professionals Network (YPN) and served for three years on GCAAR’s Forms committee. He focuses his practice on closings in the DMV and further elevating Paragon’s eClosing portfolio. Rob has been teaching for GCAAR for 8 years.
Class:
Avoiding Settlement Pitfalls (1.5 ELECTIVE hours for MD and D.C. licensees; 1.0 ELECTIVE hour for VA licensees)
> Monday, June 3, 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Sandra Stewart is a native Washingtonian and holds a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering degree from The Catholic University of America. She has over 25 years of real estate experience, has earned the At Home with Diversity® certification, the Certified Residential Specialist and Graduate, REALTOR® Institute designations, and has been recognized as a Top Performing Manager in the real estate industry. Sandra served as a GCAAR Director 2020-2021 and continues to be an active leader in the real estate community. She has served on the Forms Committee for GCAAR, the Diversity Committee for NAR, as the Treasurer for the LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance’s DC Chapter, has been a Charter Member of two National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB) Maryland Chapters, and is a past President for the Women’s Council of REALTORS® – Greater Capital Area Network. She has a passion for education and professional growth and has been instructing for 14+ years. Ms. Stewart is also known for bringing her energy and bell to local and national REALTOR® events to show support for the positive contributions that real estate professionals bring to their communities.
Classes:
Virginia Code of Ethics (3.0 REQUIRED hour for VA licensees; NO ELECTIVE CREDITS)
> Tuesday, June 4, 1:30 – 4:30 p.m.
Virginia Fair Housing (2.0 REQUIRED hours for VA licensees; NO ELECTIVE CREDITS)
> Wednesday, June 5, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m.
Maryland Fair Housing (1.5 REQUIRED hours for MD-Topic C; NO ELECTIVE CREDITS)
> Thursday, June 6, 1:30 – 3:00 p.m.
Mr. Teitelman is a home mortgage loan officer with Main Street Home Loans where she specializes in first time homebuyers and down payment assistance programs]. He has over 15+ years of experience including being a loan processor, loan officer assistant and now a loan officer He has served on many committees over the years at GCAAR, this year he serves on YPN and Forms committee. In his free time, he is a passionate fan of the Washington Nationals and loves to travel the world using his airline miles and hotel points.
Class:
First-time Homebuyers’ Financing (1.5 ELECTIVE hours for MD and D.C. licensees; 1.0 ELECTIVE hour for VA licensees)
> Tuesday, June 4, 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Chanin Wisler is a licensed loan officer within Maryland, D.C., and Virginia, with 20+ years of experience. Chanin has lived in the Maryland/D.C. metro area her entire life and is a University of Maryland alumna, and an active investor. She is recognized as a Certified VA Lending Specialist, has her RSC-D certificate (Divorce Mortgage), and is a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Champion. She teaches several finance courses for GCAAR, DCAR and MLTA, and currently GCAAR YPN Chair. She enjoys sharing her knowledge of the lending process, credit, and guidelines so that REALTORS ® can be even more of an asset to their clients.
Class:
Understanding Credit Reports, Scoring Models & Improving Your Credit Score (3.0 ELECTIVE hours for MD, D.C. licensees, and 2.0 ELECTIVE hours for VA licensees)
> Friday, June 7, 1:30 – 4:30 p.m.