By Miki Bass, Arkansas Realtors Association

Have you ever wondered why some Realtors have strings of letters printed after their names? You may have seen “ABR,” GRI,” “CRS” or “SRES.” What do they mean? Why are they there? Should it matter when choosing a Realtor?

The National Association of Realtors offers advanced education courses and awards designations for completing the courses. Those designations are the letters you see after a Realtor’s name. To earn a designation, Realtors are required to make a large investment in both time and money.

Realtor designation and certification programs are geared toward every real estate specialty imaginable. For example, your Realtor may have advanced training as a land consultant, working with seniors, as a buyers representative or as an expert in commercial investment.

Whatever your need when buying or selling property, it could be worth shopping around to find a Realtor who has advanced training and expertise in a particular area. The designation after the name is a “shortcut” way to do this shopping.

Thirty-three percent of Realtors hold at least one designation awarded from one of the National Association of Realtors-affiliated institutes, societies and councils. Many Realtors earn several designations. This advanced training keeps them current in multiple areas of the real estate industry. The most recognizable designations achieved by real estate professionals are the GRI, ABR and CRS designations.

The GRI (Graduate Realtor Institute) designation sets the standards for real estate professionalism, knowledge and productivity by providing training in the critical skills of the real estate business. The GRI program includes 90 hours of course work on various topics, such as marketing, servicing listed properties, new technologies, ethics and real estate law.

The ABR (Accredited Buyer Representative) designee receives specialized training and ongoing skill development in buyer representation and negotiation. The buyer’s representative works for, and owes fiduciary responsibilities to, the real estate buyer and has the buyer’s best interests in mind throughout the entire real estate process.

The CRS (Certified Residential Specialist) designation is awarded to experienced Realtors who have completed advanced training in listing and selling, and meet rigorous production requirements. The CRS designation is held by less than 5 percent of the Realtors in the United States and is a prestigious award.

The real estate industry is constantly changing. When searching for the person who is going to help you buy or sell your home, you want to have the Realtor who is current on industry-related issues, changing laws, new technology and marketing ideas.

A full list of all Realtor designations and their qualifications can be obtained at www.realtor.org/education/realtor_university/designation.

House to House is distributed by the Arkansas Realtors Association.

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