Information if you are interested in applying for our panel

We seek experienced mediators with significant real estate dispute expertise.  Mediators are required to be either attorneys in good standing or real estate licensees with a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or college.  Center mediators must have received 32 hours of general mediation training and attend C.A.R. real estate focused training.  This course is currently under revision. Mediators interested in applying for the Center panel should email their request to [email protected].

Almost any type of dispute between or among buyers, sellers, landlords, tenants and other parties to a real estate transaction can be mediated by the Center. These include, among other common disputes, those related to earnest money deposits, cost of repairs where there is an allegation of a failure to disclose a known defect and claims for damages associated with a claim of misrepresentation about the condition of the property. 

In addition to compliance with all Center Rules and Regulations for Mediators, mediators are required to provide the following services as part of their participation in the Center program:

• All invoicing and collection of mediation fees ($200 for each of the first two hours and mediator’s hourly rate thereafter), including any required deposits.

• All scheduling matters with the parties and participants to the mediation.

• Any notices, forms and policies beyond the Rules and Policies for Consumers provided by the Center (templates are provided by the Center as a courtesy, but mediators are permitted to use their own substantively equivalent forms).

• Identifying and securing a suitable facility to host the mediation for in-person mediations.

• Ability to conduct online (e.g., Zoom) mediations for full and/or partial online mediations.

• Maintain professional liability insurance coverage for their mediation activities.

• Participate in annual training and teleconferences as requested by the Center.

What Parties May Expect From our Panel Mediators

Once the parties have mutually agreed to the mediator, the matter is referred to the mediator, who will have up to two business days to accept/decline the mediation.  Once accepted, the mediator will reach out to the parties to begin coordinating the mediation.  The mediator typically has 20 days to schedule the mediation.  With the cooperation of all parties, mediations are generally held within 60 days of their assignment to the mediator.

There is a non-refundable filing cost to the parties to the mediation of $500 to be paid directly to the Center to initiate the process.  Center mediators agree to a mediator fee of $200 per hour for the first 2 hours of hearing time.  Thereafter the parties will be charged for hearing time at the mediator’s published hourly rate or as otherwise agreed to in writing by the mediator and parties.  The parties are required to commit to four hours of mediation time, except as otherwise noted in the mediator fee and policy schedule.  All mediator fees are billed by the mediator and paid directly to the mediator by the parties.  Except as noted above, each mediator establishes their own rates.

In almost all cases with the cooperation of all parties, the mediation conference will be held within 60 days from the date the mediator accepts the parties request to mediate.  The parties are required to commit to a minimum of 4 hours of mediation time, unless as otherwise noted in the mediator fee and policy schedule.