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Ok, I've got enough alphabet soup after my name that I could write an essay and never use the same letter twice. I have Certified Residential Specialist (CRS), Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE) Certified Investor Agent Specialist (CIAS), Short Sales & Foreclosure Resource (SFR), have completed work for "e-Pro", and will finish Council of Real Estate Management (CRB) next week. By June 30, my "official" real estate name will look something like this: TOM COX, CRB, CRS, CDPE, CIAS, SFR, e-Pro .
There are people out there with more, so this isn't a my goodness aren't I great post, but my question is this, "If you have a designation or certification, did/does it make a difference in your business?"
Being an on site agent I have a "CSP" designation. "Certified New Home Sales Professional"
My favorite story about designations goes like this...
There was a local builder here in the RDU area that was just starting to get into the business. Everyone he dealt with has some type of letters after their name so not wanting to be left out he added "DMS" after his name on his business cards. Years and years went past until an on-site agent working for his company finally asked "What does the DMS designation mean". The owner/president's response was...."DON'T MEAN SH**"
I have been contemplating adding DMS to my name ever since hearing this story.
I have about 7 and no, they haven't. The only one really useful was the Cer. Res. Financial Specialist and it was more for the education and not the letters. If I listed foreclosures SFR would pay off but I don't list foreclosures.
I have a SFR but my broker no longer allows us to handle the short sale negotiation; lawyers only. She doesn't like the liability and expects a rash of future lawsuits when the lenders start going after all of the deficiency judgements. I think she's probably right.
On the original point, I've asked since the beginning if I should get the GRI et al and everyone tells me the same thing--other than the credential for appearance sake and perhaps a referral network, they aren't worth it since we get continuous training anyway. The SFR was free!
I think I have most of them. Then I started in this business 22 years ago.
First, I took the classes to earn my GRI, then CRS, then ABR, then e-PRO (I have taken the e-PRO 3 times) NAR Certified e-PRO trainer (now defunct, REBAC has taken over) MRE (state program) SFR, CDPE (not a NAR recognized certification.)
I use to pay every year to REBAC and CRS, I don't anymore.
I use to pay every year to REBAC and CRS, I don't anymore.
This is what I hate about the certifications. I believe it's ridiculous to have to pay yearly fees to keep the certification. I don't pay yearly to keep my college diploma, why should I pay yearly to keep some letters next to my name? Just another example of NAR nickle and diming us to death.
I had my ABR, e-pro, and was working on my GRI and needed one more class for my CRS when I decided to stop being a REALTOR so I can't use any designations anyway so there is no point taking those classes for me. We have some great local training and I can still take the local REALTOR association trainings. I just pay $10 more. I do write my M.S. behind my name often as I get to keep that without paying every year.
I have the SFR and the ABR. The way I have my signature is my name, Owner/Broker, Realtor® and that's about it. I did the SFR because of the whole short sale stuff going on but ya know what? Buyers and sellers have no clue what it means. Neither do they know what ABR means or really care. They are more impressed with the fact that my profile pic includes my grand daughter in it (no lie) and that I speak to them like they are on my level...even in writing on my website..than any initials. They understand Realtor® and they understand owner and they understand broker. The rest of that stuff? It's for us.
I have the SFR and the ABR. The way I have my signature is my name, Owner/Broker, Realtor® and that's about it
Funny, I do the same thing with my sig- Realtor/Broker
In my bio I mention in the bullet points that "I have a bunch of little letters that go after my name that nobody really cares about"
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