Spotlight On: Rita Santamaria, Founder & CEO, Champions School of Real Estate LTD

Key points:

• • A more balanced real estate market is increasing demand for practical, market-aligned education.
• • Curriculum is evolving to include AI, compliance, and advanced skills like negotiation and specialization.
• • Growth strategy focuses on national expansion while maintaining quality and flexible learning formats.

April 2026 — In an interview with Invest:, Rita Santamaria, founder and CEO of Champions School of Real Estate LTD, discussed how Texas is moving into a more balanced real estate market and what that means for professional training. “The education has to parallel what’s happening in the marketplace,” Santamaria said.

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How would you describe the overall real estate market in Texas, and especially Houston? How is that environment shaping demand for real estate education?

The market is moving into a balanced market, not just in Texas but across the United States. We follow the data closely, especially from the National Association of Realtors and research sources such as Texas A&M University, because those signals help us anticipate what kind of education professionals will need. The expectation for 2026 is that we will see an appreciating market, with median home prices moving up, but in a healthier, more realistic environment than what we saw immediately after COVID.

For the last few years, the industry has been adjusting after an unusually robust period. Many licensees entered the business during a time when homes sold quickly and demand was extremely strong. Moving from that kind of peak activity into a more normal environment has been difficult for some. In reality, though, a balanced market is a good thing. Historically, it could take around 180 days to sell a residential home. Before 2024, many people got used to homes moving in 30 to 60 days, but that was not a balanced market.

Texas has remained relatively resilient compared to other states. It continues to be an attractive place to live and do business, and that supports the real estate sector. On the commercial side, there is still office space being absorbed after the shift to remote work, but that also creates opportunities because companies can find attractive lease terms in Texas.

As the market becomes more balanced and more positive, professionals want to become better informed. They want to know how to advise buyers and sellers in today’s environment, not in the market conditions of a few years ago. That is where education becomes even more important. The education has to parallel what’s happening in the marketplace.

How has your curriculum evolved to prepare students and professionals for changes in brokerage models, commission practices, and technologies like AI?

Our curriculum is always changing because the market is always changing. One of the newest areas we have focused on is AI and ChatGPT. Just a year ago, many people in real estate were still unsure about AI and somewhat apprehensive about it. Today, it is much more widely accepted as a tool that can help professionals work more efficiently and present themselves more effectively.

For example, when an agent is writing descriptive advertising copy or preparing a listing presentation, AI can help create more polished language. That can be valuable, especially for newer professionals who may not yet feel confident in how they market a property. At the same time, we emphasize that AI is a tool, not a substitute for judgment. Professionals still need to review everything carefully, make sure it reflects their own voice, and ensure it is accurate and compliant.

That compliance piece is critical. Our courses are designed not only to introduce students to what is new and useful, but also to remind them where they can get into trouble. Real estate is highly regulated, and laws are active and evolving. Whether we are discussing advertising, contracts, negotiations, or technology, we want our students to understand both the opportunity and the responsibility that come with those changes.

We are also seeing strong demand for courses tied directly to today’s realities. Our negotiation classes, for example, are attracting experienced agents who recognize that the skills needed in a more balanced market are different from the skills needed during a frenzy. We also offer coursework on working with international buyers, understanding AI, and serving clients in more specialized ways. The common thread is that education must reflect the market that professionals are actually working in right now.

What can you say about Champions’ growth beyond Texas and how you are approaching expansion?

Champions already has a national presence in several areas. On the mortgage side, our education supports students pursuing loan officer licensing, and that is national in scope. On the appraisal side, we also operate nationally. In addition, many of our designation and specialty courses are relevant to professionals well beyond Texas and, in some cases, internationally.

Courses such as negotiation, certified international property specialist training, accredited buyer representation, pricing strategy, and working with veteran buyers have broad appeal. In fact, we have become a leader in several of those specialty areas, with more agents taking those courses through Champions than through other providers.

On the real estate licensing side, our core offering remains centered in Texas, but our footprint is expanding. We also provide continuing education in Florida, are moving toward California, and are active in Oklahoma, which is a natural extension because of its proximity to Texas. Our long-term view is that the real estate licensing side of the business will become as robust in other states as our lending and appraisal offerings already are. We are growing deliberately, making sure that quality and consistency remain strong as we enter new markets.

How are you balancing in-person, online, and hybrid learning formats? What does today’s student value most?

We have always believed that education should meet the student where the student is. Our philosophy has long been that it is not about us; it is about the customer. Because of that, we have offered multiple delivery formats for many years. We introduced online interactive learning in 2004, began developing live broadcast capabilities well before the pandemic, and started using Zoom in 2016.

Today, students still value all of those options, but what is especially interesting is that in-person learning remains strong. Many adults genuinely want face-to-face interaction. After COVID, there has been a renewed appreciation for being in a room with other people, exchanging ideas, networking, and learning together. In our larger metropolitan locations, brick-and-mortar classrooms are still slightly ahead of Zoom and online formats in terms of preference.

Looking ahead, what are your top priorities for Champions School of Real Estate?

The first priority is to keep Champions healthy, growing, and front and center in the marketplace. I want that growth to happen organically, through reputation, word of mouth, and the success of our students. When people come through our programs and feel that we helped them build a career, they become our best ambassadors.

The second priority is to remain deeply focused on the customer. That may sound simple, but it is not. Our customer has to stay at the center of every decision we make. If our students succeed, the company succeeds. If we help them become more knowledgeable, more confident, and more effective in their business, we create lasting value.

The third priority is to protect and strengthen the quality reputation of Champions as we continue to expand. My long-term vision is for Champions School of Real Estate to be the number one real estate school in the world. While our focus today remains on growing a healthy company in the United States, that ambition is still there.

At the end of the day, I want people to see the Champions name and immediately think of quality, honesty, professionalism, and success. I want them to know that we are here to help them succeed, and that is the direction we will continue to follow.

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