The diversity of designations, which are specified at real estate agents cv to mark their qualifications can mislead everybody. They can mean a variety of things starting from completing several webinars or completing specific courses lasting several months. How to distinguish between this variety and identify the qualified party of your deal? Signature Homes knows the answers and shares them with you through the article below.
First of all let’s see what abbreviations exist to specify communities and organizations, which usually sponsor designations:
- The National Association of Realtors – also shorten to NAR;
- The Council of Real Estate Buyers – shortened to REBC;
- The Council of Seller Agency – SAC.
To become a pretend for any qualification usually means at least to have membership at these organizations and comply with the internal requirements of the abovementioned organizations, which are usually aimed to provide clients with high-quality services and ensure agents are acting in accordance with professional standards.
Accredited Buyer Representative (shorten to ABR)
The REBC qualifies as ABR those applicants, who completed the series of online exams, which are aimed to provide professional guides to agents for representing buyers’ interests during the deal. The completion of abovementioned courses doesn’t bring the obligation to act exclusively like a buyer’s agent, so the choice between deals requiring listing agent or buyers agent still can be made.
These courses completion also requires the pretending agent to prove the following pre-qualifications:
- Membership at the REBC and NAR;
- The list of documented deals within one agency.
Accredited Consultant in Real Estate (shorten to ACRE)
The main point of this designation is to provide information that the agent passed the exam related to changing the working approach from selling to consulting. Agents, who completed the exam don’t get any extra qualifications, although to have the right to use the designation in their cv candidates should pay the special fee.
Accredited Seller Representative (shorten to ASR)
This qualification requires completion of the special course, which is aimed to increase the service’s quality of the listing agents and increase their professional level. The abovementioned course can be learned from either the online source or in-class with the respective type of exam. The additional qualifications required for the right to be granted with this designation are:
- membership at NAR and fee-based membership at SAC;
- The list of documented deals within one agency;
- References from the clients, which participated in the above-mentioned deals.
At Home with Diversity (shorten to AHWD)
First of all, the AHWD is a certification aimed to make the agent more sensitive and competent in relation to the clients with different cultures. The sponsor of this certification is NAR. It allows to select either to apply in-class or remote completion of the course.
Counselor of Real Estate (shorten to CRE)
This membership at CRE is possible only in case of personal by invitation received from other members. Except for acknowledging the agent’s excellence in the work, there should be at least 10 years of proven experience for joining to this Council. Among other requirements for membership are the following:
- Experience in objective analysis;
- NAR membership;
- Compliance with the professional Code of Ethics.
Certified Residential Specialist (shorten to CRS)
Professionals, who has the RRC succeed in earning several times more compared to other colleagues. It considers completion of a complex course, which consists of 4, 5, or 6 blocks. The number of blocks to be learned depends on the number of transactions, which were closed during a certain time. The aim is to improve the quality of service provided to clients in the residential field. In order to pretend on passing the course agents should comply with the following:
- Pay for application;
- Be a member of the NAR, Local Realtors Board, Residential Real estate Council.
Certified Internet Professional (shorten to ePRO)
Another certification, which sponsors NAR. The main aim of it is to increase the skills of the agent in using digital tools (applying social media and networks, making interesting email newsletters, and so on). The course is online and the following requirements to candidates exist:
- NAR Membership.
Graduate Realtor Institute (shorten to GRI)
To have this qualification in the cv the person should go through the completion of almost 100-hours of the specific course, which is developed in accordance with the agent’s location state legislation. The final stage is passing the respective exam at the end of learning. The course includes specific matters regarding law, best practices implementation, finance matters, exchanges, tax, and others. To be a candidate for passing this exam the agent provides:
- Evidenced of the membership at NAR and local Realtor’s board;
- Approval regarding participation in the learning course from these parties
Quality Service Certification (shorten to QSC)
The learning is aimed to make the quality of an agent’s services excellent. It can be also completed online or offline in the real class. The exam can be passed within 2 attempts and upon it the respective an official document with the obligation to stay professional, participate in a special survey according to each transaction, and be accountable.
What’s interesting is that professional, who works under this qualification should participate in regular surveys regarding the client’s satisfaction and the results of such surveys are officially published together with the agent’s rating on the respective websites.
Senior Real Estate Specialist (Shorten to SRES)
This would be a good choice for professionals, who provides services to clients in senior years (older 55). For achieving success, agents should complete 2-days learnings and pass the respective test (without matter on basis). The requirements for attending it:
- Membership at NAR;
- Paying the annual fee for membership at SRES Council.