The Professional Institute for Real Estate Training (PIRT) is a licensed and accredited real estate proprietary school in New York State, based in Watertown, NY. The main focus of PIRT is to teach real estate pre-licensing courses to those interested in becoming real estate salespersons and brokers in New York. As well, PIRT also designs and teaches many continuing education courses for licensees in New York.

PIRT is a sole proprietorship owned and operated by Patrick F. Fields but his principal instructor is his wife, Lin. Lin teaches all courses, but PIRT has a group of guest instructors including, for construction – Pat Fields. Pat is the President of P.S.G. Plumbing, Heating and Air-Conditioning, and has had over 45 years plumbing/HVAC experience.

Lin’s background is extensive. In 1980, after several occupations and educational degrees (including an A.A.S. in Science, Bachelor of Science degree in Biology, Master of Science degree in Genetics, a paralegal degree with honors in 1998, and a nursing degree), Lin entered the real estate field. Having had some experience in selling, she became a licensed real estate salesperson in Rochester NY. Along with her part time position in sales, she continued to be employed as a private duty nurse — you can’t jump into real estate in the ’80’s without a back-up job! For 2 years she worked in both fields – successfully we might add – until she entered real estate full time. During this time, she was involved with residential real estate and began to learn the commercial end of the business as well. At the urging of a friend, and a strong belief in Fair Housing, Lin accepted a part time position as an instructor with the Real Estate Training Center in Rochester in 1982, teaching Fair Housing. She continued to teach for RETC until 1986, when she moved to Watertown NY. Realizing that Watertown had no hands-on real estate education, she began to teach through the Professional Education Association. In 1990 she married the plumber (shouldn’t everyone 🙂) and in 1991, she and her husband formed PIRT and has been teaching real estate courses in Northern NY ever since. Currently, Lin is a member of the Greater Syracuse Association of REALTORS®. Because Lin is now venturing out in to the world of teaching for the New York State Association of REALTORS®, she no longer owns the school but is the principal instructor for it. Lin has been the Chairperson of the Jefferson Lewis Board of REALTORS® Education Committee from 2007 to 2020 and now is teaching for not only PIRT but also for the Columbia-Greene Board of REALTORS®, the Dutchess County Association of REALTORS®, the New York State Association of REALTORS® and the National Association of REALTORS®. In 2015 she was appointed to Chair of the NYSAR Cultural Diversity and Fair Housing Committee, has been Chair of the Equal Opportunity Committee, the Faculty Development Subcommittee, and the Chair of the Education Management Committee — in 2016 she became an instructor with the New York State Association of REALTORS® and is an active member on many committees with the New York State Association of REALTORS® – way too many to mention here. Her first love is Fair Housing, Agency, License Law and Education, as you can probably guess. Oh, and she does sleep from 2-4 in the morning, although that is a disputed item!!