Mann Report
September, 2000

In the past five years the Academy for Continuing Education (ACE), a
leading institution for Real Estate education in New York City has becoming the leading choice for the Real Estate professional. To accomplish this, Esther Muller, President of the Academy, orchestrated a curriculum and venue that reflected the professionalism of her students. ACE classes are taught in the beautiful ambiance of the Empire Hotel, across the street from Lincoln Center.

The diverse curriculum focuses on practical information, including the latest marketing technologies, landmark criteria, architecture, financing, investing and management of properties. Moreover, the topics are taught by such leading industry figures as Neil Binder, Principal/Owner, Belmar Realty; Kate Coburn, Principal Consultant, Economics Research; Faith Hope Consolo, Vice-Chairman, Garrick Aug Worldwide; Barbara Corcoran, Chairman & CEO, The Corcoran Group; Ian Bruce Eichner, Chairman, The Continuum Company; Andrew Farkas, Chairman & CEO, Insignia Financial Group; Igal Feibush, President, Citihabitats; Barbara Fox, President, Fox Residential Group; Sharri Goodstein, Executive Vice President, Goodstein Equities; Melissa Green, Executive Vice President, The Continuum Company; Dexter Guerrieri, President, Vandenberg; Jeffrey Jackson, President, Mitchell, Maxwell & Jackson; Lenore Janis, President, Professional Women in Construction; Lewis B. Kaye, Chairman, Kaye L.B. International Townhouse Group; Marilyn Harra Kaye, President, Prudential M.L.B. Kaye International; Joanne Kennedy, President, Coldwell Banker Hunt Kennedy; Robert Knakal, President, Massey Knakal Realty; David J. Knight, President, D.J. Knight; David Kuperberg, President, Cooper Square Realty; Peter Marra, President, William B. May Company; Glenn McDermott, President, GDM Projects; Frederick Peters, President, Ashforth Warburg; Alan Rogers, Chairman & CEO, Douglas Elliman; Fred Rudd, President, Eichner Rudd; Lewis Rudin, Co-Chairman, Rudin Management; Alan Simon, President, Goodstein Commercial; Elizabeth Stribling, President, Stribling & Associates; John Venekamp, Director, Brown Harris Stevens; Lala Wang, President, MLX.com; Lois Weiss, Real Estate Journalist; Michael J. Wolfe, President, Midboro Management; and many other industry experts as guest lecturers. It is not surprising that the majority of the “students” who fulfill their brokers license
or required two-year re-licensure requirements at the Academy generally comprise the city’s top moneymakers.

“Most Real Estate agents are required to take continuing education courses every two years to renew their licenses, so they are reluctant students,” says Muller. “I know, because I used to feel the same way. But I knew that if the agents were offered a curriculum which was informative, instructive and interesting taught by their peers and other industry luminaries, they would be responsive. This has been the key to ACE’s success and it is why the agents return to us, as well as refer their colleagues.”

Muller’s understanding of the types of time constraints and busy schedules that brokers and sales agents are subject to resulted in the development
of www.RealEstateAcademy.com, ACE’s on-line continuing education course. With this innovation, the school has successfully entered the world of virtual education.

ACE has received New York State approval for its on-line curriculum and students will have up to six months to complete the 22.5-hour requirement. The course may be completed at home or on the beach and is meticulously monitored through log-in times.

Clearly, Esther Muller’s passion over the past 20 years has been the education of real estate brokers and sales agents; first as a Real Estate Broker, Developer, Investor, then as a teacher and now President of the Academy for Continuing Education. Her vision and mission is to have “Every Real Estate Sales Agent become a Broker”. It is clear that we must enter the new century with more knowledge, faster information, and highly trained Agents who understand their fiduciary responsibilities to their clients which too often is confusing. “Getting a Broker’s license is another step towards enhancing our professional standards,” says Muller. “Both for the Broker/Owner and the protection of the public.”

It is a win/win for each Real Estate Company to have more educated agents and certainly the public’s view of trust and confidence in our professionals becomes a must in today’s technological age.

For years, Esther Muller has been one of the industry’s leading advocates
for higher professional standards through education and has developed an educational curriculum that is exciting. At the same time, she has provided a first class environment for Real Estate professionals to network and enjoy learning in a first class style.

The Academy for Continuing Education can be reached via www.RealEstateAcademy.com or 212-262-2662.