TERMS OF SERVICE
By interacting with the Real Estate Apprentice Foundation (“Foundation”), including but not limited to visiting the site, www.realestateapprentice.com, making a donation, applying for a grant, and/or serving as, or interacting with, a Board member, an employee or independent contractor, you are engaging with the Foundation. You, therefore, may only do so if you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service (“Terms”).
Foundation Purpose
To support underrepresented and underprivileged people in developing a successful real estate career and to create a more diverse residential real estate brokerage industry. The national and widely supported Real Estate Apprentice program offers grants, scholarships, products, and services (“Grants” and “Services”) intended to have a long-lasting impact on helping improve the overall diversity in residential real estate. The Foundation strives to provide education, mentoring, coaching, business resources, software, lead generation and management tools, Association membership, MLS access, internet and software tools, and career opportunities.
Tax Purposes
The Real Estate Apprentice Foundation (“Foundation”) is a designated public charity and is registered by the IRS as a 501(c)(3).
Founded and Managed
The Real Estate Apprentice program and the Apprentice Foundation were founded by Stefan Swanepoel and were initially funded by him and T3 Sixty LLC. T3 Sixty has, and continues to serve, as the management company until such time as the Foundation can create and fund its own infrastructure. The day-to-day activities are managed by a full-time Executive Director who reports to an outside Board of Governors. The first, and current, Executive Director is Kenya Burrell-VanWormer.
Participation
Real Estate Apprentice Foundation is open to all United States citizens and legal US Residents regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or expression, marital status, status about public assistance, status as a disabled veteran and/or Veteran of the Vietnam Era, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.
Fees for Participation
No applicant shall be charged fees for their participation. The Apprentice Foundation will provide no compensation to any employee or Member of the Board in assisting any applicants.
Donors
Donations are largely from brokers and agents from the real estate industry, Realtor Associations, MLS organizations, coaches, training companies, software companies, and other successful vendors that wish to pay it forward to help the next generation brokers and agents. It is anticipated that financial institutions, banks, title companies, and other leading participants in the industry will become regular donors once the program becomes more widely known.
Donations
Donations may consist of cash, securities, real property, personal property, non-liquid securities, and other products and services. In-kind services will be at the discretion of the Foundation.
Payments
Donations can be made via cash, wire transfer, ACH, or by credit card directly to the Foundation’s bank account with Bank of America. Credit card information input into the Foundation’s website is encrypted before the transfer over networks.
Donor Anonymity
Most donations over $250 are recorded on the Foundation’s website, but the Foundation will respect donors wishing to remain anonymous.
Third-Party Commissions
The Foundation will not compensate, whether through commissions, finders’ fees, or other means, any third party for directing a gift or a donor to the Foundation.
Tax Advice
The Foundation does not provide any tax advice, and donors are encouraged to seek guidance on their specific tax situation. The Foundation will provide written acknowledgment for monetary contributions exceeding $250. No particular value will be ascribed to in-kind gifts, and the value used for tax purposes will be at the donor’s discretion.
Work Requirements
There shall be no requirement for any grant recipient to work for any specific real estate brokerage firm, company, or individual. No Foundation employee, donor, or Board of Governor member shall influence anyone to work for any specific brokerage firm, company, or individual. It always remains the decision of all recipients where they shall work or what products or services they use.
Issuing of Grants
Grants are given at the Foundation’s discretion and for the purpose of the Foundation and in the best interests of the Foundation. Grants are not guaranteed, and neither does the Foundation represent or warrant that the Grants or Services will not be uninterrupted, timely, secure, or error-free. The Foundation reserves the right to refuse service or grants to anyone, for any reason, at any time.
Misusing of Grant Funds
No self-dealing, preferential granting, or any other type of special treatment for family, friends, colleagues, or associates will be allowed in any way whatsoever. The Foundation retains the right to cancel, withdraw, and even request repayment if any special treatment is discovered. Grants may also not be regranted, reproduced, duplicated, copied, sold, or exploit in any way, for any other reason, to any other person than the original intended recipient.
Trademarks and Brands
The Real Estate Apprentice® is a registered service mark issued by the US Patent and Trademark Office Reg. No. 5,316,134. You may not use the Foundation’s trademarks, service marks, brand, or reputation for any other purpose than acknowledging your donation to the Foundation.
Prohibited Uses
In addition to any other prohibitions outline under these Terms, the following is expressly prohibited: (a) any unlawful purpose; (b) to solicit others to perform or participate in any unlawful acts; (c) to violate any international, federal, provincial or state regulations, rules, laws, or local ordinances; (d) to infringe upon or violate our intellectual property rights or the intellectual property rights of others; (e) to harass, abuse, insult, harm, defame, slander, disparage, intimidate, or discriminate based on gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, race, age, national origin, or disability; (f) to submit false or misleading information; (g) to upload or transmit viruses or any other type of malicious code that will or may be used in any way that will affect the functionality or operation of the service or of any related website, other websites, or the internet; (h) to collect or track the personal information of others; (i) to spam, phish, pharm, pretext, spider, crawl, or scrape; (j) for any obscene or immoral purpose; or (k) to interfere with or circumvent the security features of the Service or any related website, other websites, or the Internet.
Limitation of Liability
While the Foundation, its directors, employees, donors—or any other person that acts on behalf of, and in good faith for, the Foundation—shall strive to operate and present an objective, unbiased and reasonable view of the industry, the Foundation makes no warranties and expressly disclaims any implied warranties. Specifically, any references to any brokerage or company, including but not limited to any product, service, technology, coach, training program, consultant, brokerage company and/or franchisor, should be seen as an endorsement or a requirement to accept work or use the product or service. Neither is any reference, or absence of reference, intended to harm, place at a disadvantage, or in any way positively or negatively impact any brokerage, company, or person.
Grants and Services offered by the Foundation are provided “as is” (or as received from a donor). They are “available” for your use, without any representation, warranties of any kind, either expressed or implied, including all implied warranties or conditions of merchantability, merchantable quality, fitness for a particular purpose, durability, title, and non-infringement.
In no case shall the Real Estate Apprentice Foundation, our directors, board of governors, employees, donors, contractors, or applicants be liable for any injury, loss, claim, or any direct, indirect, incidental, punitive, special, or consequential damages of any kind, including, without limitation: lost profits, lost revenue, lost savings, loss of data, replacement costs, or any similar damages, whether based in contract, tort (including negligence), strict liability or otherwise, arising from your interaction with the Foundation, including, but not limited to, any errors or omissions in any content, or any loss or damage of any kind incurred as a result of receiving, or not receiving, a grant and/or making, or not making, a donation. Because some states or jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or the limitation of liability for consequential or incidental damages, our liability shall be limited to the maximum extent permitted by law in such states or jurisdictions.
Updates to the Terms
The Foundation retains the right to update, change, or replace any part of these Terms of Service at any time.
Contact Information
If you have questions about the Terms of Service, please contact us.
Real Estate Apprentice Foundation
9600 Great Hills Trail, Suite 150W, Austin, TX 78759
info@realestateapprentice.com