CAREER ADVANCEMENT COURSES

Enhance your Five Star Conference experience by adding one of our high-impact educational opportunities to your registration.

Elevate your expertise through industry certifications and professional development courses offered by The Five Star Academy. Whether you're looking to deepen your knowledge, sharpen your skillset, or stay ahead of regulatory changes, our curriculum offers targeted training led by seasoned professionals designed to deliver immediate impact and unlock new opportunities in your field.

Invest in your future. Expand your credentials. Stand out in a competitive market.


Select the add-on option during registration or when modifying your registration to purchase a Certification or Class Pass. 
Advance purchase is required for admittance. No prerequisites required. 

*Five Star Member email addresses will trigger special member pricing.

CERTIFICATIONS And Classes

Certifications are open to all professionals; however, some content may be tailored to specific roles or industries. 

Upon completion of the coursework, participants will take an online assessment. A passing score of 70% or higher is required to earn certification. Certified individuals will receive a digital certificate and badge to showcase their achievement on LinkedIn or in email signatures.

REO CERTIFICATION
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 28 | 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

     - Five Star Members | $750 Add-on*
     - Non-Members | $1,200 Add-on

This REO Certification will provide the highest education that real estate agents can learn from an experienced agent and instructor. The content will cover the important markets for agents to know and opportunities for success: Short Sales and REO listings. By learning the lifecycle of a foreclosure, you prepare yourself not just for additional opportunities but to understand the REO process from start to finish. 

NOTE: Occurs prior to the start of the conference.
Check-in between 7:15-7:45 AM.
Lunch break from 12:00-1:00 PM (Lunch not included).

DEFAULT INSIGHTS - A COLLABORATIVE CLASSROOM SERIES
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1 | 8:00 AM - 11:30 AM

SCHEDULE FOR CLASSES

Receivership Offensive Tactics
  8:00 AM - 8:40 AM

Featured Speakers:

  • Reneau Longoria of Doonan Graves & Longoria
  • January Taylor of McMichael Taylor & Gray

Receiverships are more than just a fallback option. When used alongside foreclosure, they provide powerful tools to preserve assets, shorten timelines, and accelerate recoveries. This session will walk through how receiverships can increase leverage, help resolve cases, and in some instances, move properties to sale faster than the foreclosure process alone.

CWCOT in Practice 
  8:40 AM - 9:20 AM

Featured Speakers:

  • Caren Castle of The Mortgage Law Firm
  • Clayton Gordon of Carrington

HUD’s recent clarification of CWCOT bidding requirements may appear subtle, but the impact is anything but. When fair market value exceeds total debt, servicers must now open at the higher amount—creating new challenges around cash advances, surplus handling, and third-party bidding. Join us as we explore the evolution of CWCOT, its history, and the real-world implications for today’s foreclosure environment.

Bankruptcy Roadblocks & Alternative Strategies  
  9:20 AM - 10:00 AM

Featured Speaker:

  • Steven Eisenberg of Stern & Eisenberg

Bankruptcy doesn’t have to derail recovery. Join this session to explore practical strategies for creditors facing tactical filings, learn how to minimize delays, and discover ways to keep your cases and recoveries on track even when litigation and bankruptcy intersect.

Advocacy in Trial & Appeal  
  10:10 AM - 10:50 AM

Featured Speakers:

  • Curtis Wilson of McCalla Raymer Leibert Peirce, LLP
  • Clayton Gordon of Carrington

A Master advocacy from start to finish. This session takes you through trial preparation, record-building, and appellate strategy, sharing practical tips and real-world insights to help you anticipate challenges and deliver the strongest possible outcomes for your clients.

From Default to Eviction: Key Decision Points 
  10:50 AM - 11:30 AM

Featured Speakers:

  • Carl Emmons of Bell Carrington Price & Gregg

A Master advocacy from start to finish. This session takes you through trial preparation, record-building, and appellate strategy, sharing practical tips and real-world insights to help you anticipate challenges and deliver the strongest possible outcomes for your clients.

five star academy class pass

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 | 8:30 AM - 11:30 AM
     - Five Star Members | $150 Add-on*
     - Non-Members | $300 Add-on

Courses are designed for agents and brokers, but they are open to all professionals.

Six courses powered by the FORCE are included in the Class Pass. Two courses will be held concurrently during each time slot providing an opportunity to attend three classes total.

 

8:30 AM - 9:30 AM

Probate to Profit

Understanding the probate process is just the first step, assets like these require not just your expertise but a compassionate approach. This class will give you the strategies and knowledge to change unfortunate events into opportunities for all parties. Join us for a thorough examination of probate before you add these skills to your arsenal of revenue streams.

Open only to those who purchase the Conference Registration + Class Pass add-on package.

 

Robert Forster

Short Sales

Learn to tackle the complex but essential Short Sale, an invaluable skill every REO agent should master. Gain a better understanding of the process from a seasoned professional who has tackled hundreds of short sales. With so many variables Short Sales can be a difficult and imposing topic. This class will guide you through every step so agents can equip themselves with the knowledge and expertise necessary to offer a full suite of services to their clients and enhance their earning potential.

Open only to those who purchase the Conference Registration + Class Pass add-on package.

 

Jennifer Kuhn
9:30 AM - 10:30 AM

Title Issues

Originally part of the Legal League Default Servicer Certification Level 2, we released this session separately since the content is helpful for professionals who may not be eligible for the full certification. This class contains information on key terms, title policy flow, common title issues, resolutions, and key tips.

Open only to those who purchase the Conference Registration + Class Pass add-on package.   

  

Patrick O'Brien

How to Get in Front of Asset Managers

Whether you are new to REO or looking to expand your connections, creating relationships with Asset Managers is paramount. This class will breakdown the avenues for creating those connections with intentionality. You will learn the tips and tricks you need for the long game of building your books of clients.

Open only to those who purchase the Conference Registration + Class Pass add-on package.

 

Keith Stone
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM

Tax Lien REO

A great option for REO agents interested in expanding their lines of business, come join us to learn more about Tax Lien REO, from the COO of a tax lien company. The session will begin with how to find and retain REO clients, then transition to how to tap a new source of revenue, Tax Lien REO.

Open only to those who purchase the Conference Registration + Class Pass add-on package.

 

Gregory Jacovini

Bankruptcy

Originally part of the Legal League Default Servicer Certification Level 1, we released this session separately because the content is helpful for professionals who may not be eligible for the full certification. This module covers the essentials of understanding the Bankruptcy laws, as well as the essentials of the Bankruptcy process, particularly when a mortgage is involved. 

Open only to those who purchase the Conference Registration + Class Pass add-on package.

 

Nicole Noel