In real estate display ads, you will see many realtors with initials listed behind their names. These are realtor designations, representing the certifications held by the realtors. Here are just a few realtor designations:

? ABR – The abbreviation stands for Accredited Buyer Representative. This certification means the realtor specializes in representing buyers.

? ALC – The Accredited Land Consultant specializes in land brokerage transactions.

? CIPS – The Certified International Property Specialist will have more knowledge of the international real estate market.

? CRB – The Certified Real Estate Broker has specialized knowledge in brokerage and real estate business management.

? CRE – These realtors hold a Counselor of Real Estate certification that is by invitation only. They give seasoned advice on real estate and land-related matters.

? CRS – The Council of Residential Specialist certification means the realtor concentrates on the buying and selling of residential homes.

? GRI – The realtor with a Graduate Realtors Institute certification has attained what the industry considers to be the highest professional standing for a residential realtor.

? SRES – The Seniors Real Estate Specialist has specialized knowledge for working with seniors, who probably have not sold a home for many years. This realtor is able to properly explain new terms, laws, procedures and financing to seniors, as well as help them to more fully understand their seller and buyer rights.

Why Get Designations?

Realtors who have these designations have studied specific areas of real estate in order to gain advanced knowledge within these areas. Qualifying for these designations takes a lot of classroom time, testing and learning extensive practical knowledge. Some designations require up to six-to-eight months of regular classroom study. In addition to giving the realtor more knowledge, such study also increases the realtors’ professionalism.

Realtors have found these designations quite valuable; since the more knowledge they have, the more confidence their clients have in their skills and ability. Such certifications are especially valuable for new realtors, increasing their knowledge faster than with on-hands experience.

All realtors are required by their state to have a certain level of knowledge in order to be licensed. Additionally, realtors are required to take coursework every four years to maintain their license. Certification coursework is completely optional for realtors.

What Does This Mean to the Buyer or Seller?

That depends upon the individual realtor. I worked in the insurance industry for many years, where such designations are aggressively promoted and just as hard to obtain. I found the following concerning insurance agents and their designations that easily translates to realtors and their designations:

? For many, the coursework improved their knowledge and ability to sell,

? The designations attracted more clients,

? Many of our firm’s top insurance agents held designations,

? Many of the top agents held no designations, and

? One of the most successful agents the firm ever had held no designations, continuously topped everyone in sales each year, and was so successful that he had his own private secretary, who screened all his calls, because he was so busy with clients who just seemed to gravitate toward him.

My point is this – A designation indicates that the realtors have completed some extensive study on their own time. It means they should be well versed in that particular area of real estate. It does not mean that they are more knowledgeable than a realtor without the designation, because the latter may have learned much more through actual experience than the person holding the designation.

So, when looking to hire a realtor, keep a good perspective on designations. Opt to do a good interview with the realtor, rather than simply accepting he/she is the best because of a designation.

In real estate display ads, you will see many realtors with initials listed behind their names. These are realtor designations, representing the certifications held by the realtors. Here are just a few realtor designations:

• ABR — The abbreviation stands for Accredited Buyer Representative. This certification means the realtor specializes in representing buyers.

• ALC — The Accredited Land Consultant specializes in land brokerage transactions.

• CIPS — The Certified International Property Specialist will have more knowledge of the international real estate market.

• CRB — The Certified Real Estate Broker has specialized knowledge in brokerage and real estate business management.

• CRE — These realtors hold a Counselor of Real Estate certification that is by invitation only. They give seasoned advice on real estate and land-related matters.

• CRS — The Council of Residential Specialist certification means the realtor concentrates on the buying and selling of residential homes.

• GRI — The realtor with a Graduate Realtors Institute certification has attained what the industry considers to be the highest professional standing for a residential realtor.

• SRES — The Seniors Real Estate Specialist has specialized knowledge for working with seniors, who probably have not sold a home for many years. This realtor is able to properly explain new terms, laws, procedures and financing to seniors, as well as help them to more fully understand their seller and buyer rights.

Why Get Designations?

Realtors who have these designations have studied specific areas of real estate in order to gain advanced knowledge within these areas. Qualifying for these designations takes a lot of classroom time, testing and learning extensive practical knowledge. Some designations require up to six-to-eight months of regular classroom study. In addition to giving the realtor more knowledge, such study also increases the realtors’ professionalism.

Realtors have found these designations quite valuable; since the more knowledge they have, the more confidence their clients have in their skills and ability. Such certifications are especially valuable for new realtors, increasing their knowledge faster than with on-hands experience.

All realtors are required by their state to have a certain level of knowledge in order to be licensed. Additionally, realtors are required to take coursework every four years to maintain their license. Certification coursework is completely optional for realtors.

What Does This Mean to the Buyer or Seller?

That depends upon the individual realtor. I worked in the insurance industry for many years, where such designations are aggressively promoted and just as hard to obtain. I found the following concerning insurance agents and their designations that easily translates to realtors and their designations:

• For many, the coursework improved their knowledge and ability to sell,

• The designations attracted more clients,

• Many of our firm’s top insurance agents held designations,

• Many of the top agents held no designations, and

• One of the most successful agents the firm ever had held no designations, continuously topped everyone in sales each year, and was so successful that he had his own private secretary, who screened all his calls, because he was so busy with clients who just seemed to gravitate toward him.

My point is this — A designation indicates that the realtors have completed some extensive study on their own time. It means they should be well versed in that particular area of real estate. It does not mean that they are more knowledgeable than a realtor without the designation, because the latter may have learned much more through actual experience than the person holding the designation.

So, when looking to hire a realtor, keep a good perspective on designations. Opt to do a good interview with the realtor, rather than simply accepting he/she is the best because of a designation.

“Choosing a realtor can feel like an overwhelming process. You want to find someone who knows the market and does her job well, so you’re likely to look for someone who is well-established in her career. At the same time, you want to find a realtor who is going to have the time to commit to helping you find the right home. So how do you find a realtor with that perfect balance between experience and the time to commit to you? Here are the top 7 tips to helping you choose that right realtor:

1. Make a checklist of your needs. There isn’t one right realtor for everyone. Each person has different needs in terms of everything from the amount of explanation they want their realtor to provide them to their preferred methods of communication. Make a checklist of everything that you desire in a realtor and then rank that list in order of importance to you so you can be clear about what you are looking for.

2. Ask around. The number one way to get a realtor that you like is to go with the recommendations of those around you. If you have friends or family members who have worked with a realtor in your local area, don’t hesitate to ask them for recommendations. Even your long-distance friends can be helpful in identifying the qualities in a realtor that are going to be important while making your selection.

3. Ask potential realtors about their experience. You want to know how long they’ve been working, not only in the field but also in the local area. If the realtor works for an agency, do your research regarding the history of the agency. If the realtor is independent, find out about their business practices. Also be sure to find out about their credentials and professional associations.

4. Ask potential realtors up front about their ability to commit to your needs at the current time. Although you’ll be able to tell rather quickly if a realtor is too busy to take your needs seriously (because of the unreturned phone calls and late appointments), it often makes things easiest just to ask the question up front. In fact, realtors who really are busy sometimes make a point to make the time specifically for those clients (like you) who have expressed a concern about this up front.

5. Discuss the services that your realtor will be providing for you. Realtors all work at different levels of involvement with their clients and you want to find one who will be able to provide all that you need. A good realtor will have a standard plan in place for finding and showing your properties and assisting you in negotiating the sale so be sure to learn what this plan is.

6. Take your time in choosing a realtor. You probably want to hurry up and get that realtor so that you can hurry up and get your home but it pays to take the time to interview several realtors and to find the one that’s right for you. Don’t be in such a rush to choose a realtor that you pick the first one that you meet with.

7. Trust your gut. In the end, there is no better indicator of whether or not a realtor is right for you than your own best instincts. If you meet with someone and she just “feels right”, then she probably is. Trust yourself on this one.

With these seven tips in mind, you’re well on your way to choosing a realtor. Now comes the hard part; choosing your home!”