Do you have any professional designations or certifications? If so, congratulations! You are showing your commitment to providing the highest level of expertise to your clients by spending the time and money necessary to remain at the top of your professional career.
If not, you may be wondering if it is worth it. The California Association of REALTORS® has this to say about it:
Designations and Certifications help the best and the most dedicated REALTORS® in the industry distinguish and brand themselves through specialized niche markets to nearly double their earning potential.
The National Association of REALTORS® offers quite a few professional designations and certifications. Here is a list of them that I found on the California Association of REALTORS® website.
Take a few minutes to read through them to see if any speak to your particular area of business!
NAR Designations, Certifications, and Courses
Accredited Buyer’s Representative® Designation (ABR®)
An ABR® designation will prepare real estate professionals to thoroughly represent buyer-clients in real estate transactions. Learn how to successfully serve the buyer in today’s buyer’s market! The two-day core course, plus additional electives and experiential requirements constitute the ABR® designation. Complete the ABR® Designation course online or in a classroom setting.
CIPS Certified International Property Specialist
International real estate opportunities are everywhere. New people move to the U.S. from other countries every day and foreign-born individuals residing in the U.S. move to new markets. Americans in your current market invest in property overseas. No matter which international audience you cater to, the Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS) Designation will provide you with the knowledge, research, network and tools to globalize your business.
The new e-PRO® certification provides a roadmap to help you serve hyper-connected consumers of today and tomorrow. Course topics for Day 1 include the changing market, how to connect with consumers, the online conversation, and reputation management. Day 2 provides hands-on discovery of business tech tools, such as an e-strategy, mobile office, micro-blogging, rich media, and NAR resources.
Graduate, REALTOR® Institute (GRI?)
The GRI? designation is considered the foundation for all other advanced real estate designations. The education you receive in the GRI? program is considered by many as the most comprehensive training program available today to REALTORS® in the nation. The GRI? program is designed to enhance REALTORS®’ knowledge of real estate marketing skills that will set you apart from the competition.
NAR’s Green Designation is designed for agents looking to learn about issues of energy efficiency and sustainability in real estate. NAR’s Green Designation provides advanced training in green building and sustainable business practices so that you can seek out, understand, and market properties with green features. Builder and consumer adoption of sustainability is rapidly growing…will you be ready to guide your clients?
Military Relocation Professional Certification
This certification focuses on educating REALTORS® about working with current and former military service members to find the housing solutions that best suit their needs and take full advantage of military benefits and support.
Pricing Strategy Advisor Certification (PSA)
The Pricing Strategy Advisor (PSA) certification is specifically designed to enhance your skills in pricing properties, creating CMAs, working with appraisers, and guiding clients through the anxieties and misperceptions they often have about home values.
Real Estate Investing: Build Wealth Representing Investors and Becoming One Yourself
This course covers the fundamentals of real estate investment that practitioners need to know to expand their business services. The one-day course looks at how practitioners can adapt core real estate skills and learn new skills to serve clients who want to invest in single family homes, condos, townhomes, and small multifamily properties. You will learn how to work with investors as they goal set, plan, evaluate, and acquire properties as well as manage them. You will also learn how to “walk the talk” and become a real estate investor yourself.
Real Estate Safety Matters: Safe Business = Smart Business
This course is an essential primer on how real estate professionals can limit risk to preserve safety and facilitate positive business outcomes. Students will learn how to assess risk in their current practice and create safety systems, scripts, and tools for listing appointments, showing property, and conducting open houses. Students will also learn how to protect personal and electronic information online, in the cloud, and on social networks. As a practical resource, this course offers easy-to-remember strategies for real estate professionals when facing potentially dangerous situations.
Resort & Second Home Property Specialist (RSPS®) Certification
REALTORS® who want to add resort and second-home market knowledge to their expertise should pursue this certification. Knowledgeably serve your clients and meet their needs in this potentially lucrative arena.
Seniors Real Estate Specialist® (SRES®) Designation
Seniors Real Estate Specialists® are REALTORS® qualified to meet the special needs and concerns of maturing Americans. By earning the SRES® designation, you demonstrate the knowledge and expertise to counsel older clients through major financial lifestyle transitions involved in relocating, refinancing, or selling the family home.
Short Sale & Foreclosure Resource (SFR) Certification
For many real estate professionals, short sales and foreclosures are the new “traditional” real estate transaction. Knowing how to help sellers maneuver the complexities of short sales as well as help buyers pursue short sale and foreclosure opportunities are not merely good skills to have in today’s market—they are critical. And while short sales and foreclosures are not for the faint of heart, agents with the proper tools and training can use these specialty areas to build their business for the long term.
You can learn more by clicking on the link for each designation or certification that you are interested in learning about!
Pick one and get started! You can never learn too much!
