E Pro Designation
Alphabet soup
This article is re-posted with permission from the Goomzee Mobile Marketing Blog and written by good friend, Austin Smith. Certifications and designations and all of their abbreviations can be pretty confused, even for a Realtor® – hopefully this will help you guide through the alphabet soup and understand a bit more about your Realtor®. This list, while quite lengthy, isn’t a complete list, as designations and certifications change constantly and are updated and renamed at times. There are also localized certifications which do not appear here (such as the Texas Affordable Housing Specialist (TAHS) – which is one of my designations).
Ever wonder what all those abbreviations mean behind a real estate professional’s signature? We did too, which is why for the past year we have collected all designations and their definitions/criteria that have come across our radar. We call this list “Alphabet Soup.”
The list below may be useful to you; if you find any designations we’re missing, please add a comment to [the original] post with as much info as you can and we’ll keep on top of updating the content. If you are re-posting this list, please give credit where credit is due and link back to this page.
Commission Designations
ABR – Accredited Buyer Representative
Unlike CEBA designation, this acronym means that the agent may elect to work as either the listing agent or the buyer’s agent. Online self-paced course, $300 fee, must pass exam, must be National Association of Realtors® (NAR) member and The Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council member.
ABRM – Accredited Buyer’s Representative Manager
Geared towards real estate firm brokers, owners, and managers that have or wish to incorporate buyer representation into their daily practice. Successful designees will have taken and passed both the ABR® and ABRMSM.
ACRE – Accredited Consultant in Real Estate
Offered by private company of same name, agents must download materials which train them to approach transactions as a consultant rather than a salesman. $500 fee, additional fee required to be listed on ACRE’s website as ACRE certified.
ALHS – Accredited Luxury Home Specialist
Offered by RealtyU, touches on trends in luxury market, needs/desires of luxury home buyer, marketing to find luxury home sellers, staging and showing a luxury home, and negotiating a luxury home contract. Online course materials, online exam.
ASR – Accredited Seller Representative
Offered through RealtyU, course designed to improve agent’s professionalism and refine the agent’s service to sellers. Agents choose between online or in-class, $300 fee, must pass the exam, NAR member, member of Seller Agency Council.
CBR – Certified Buyer Representative
Covers negotiating and marketing techniques in an effort to train agents in elite customer service. Less than 1% of NAR members have this designation. Other designations that fall under the CBR category – C-CREC, CEBA, CRP, CBA, CRS, ABR, and GRI…and a great website with percentages of agents holding these designations is available here.
CBS – Certified Buyer Specialist
Touches on how to sell “For Sale By Owners” (FSBOs). Also, how to attract buyers, how to develop online relationships, how to use a lead-management system, how to integrate your website with your business model, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) best practices. $198 for year-long membership.
CEBA – Certified Exclusive Buyer’s Agent
Offered by NAR, must be standing member of NAEBA. Rare and fairly rigorous designation. Most CEBA holders work exclusively with buyers.
CRS – Certified Residential Specialist
Designed to educate agents to better represent residential clients. Agents must take four- to six-credit courses, $150 a credit, membership in NAR, membership in local Board of Realtors® (BOR), membership in the Council of Residential Specialists.
CSP – Certified Short-Sale Professional
Offered by RealtyU, focuses on teaching the agent to be able to define a short sale and anticipate possible reasons for success/failure of a short sale. Also touches on the lender side of transaction, teaches agents how to work best with lenders and how to understand their requests. Course requires $299 fee, online coursework and exam.
CSP – Certified New Home Sale Professional
Offered by NAHB, must complete course and exam. $495 course fee, $50 membership renewal fee. Must complete 2 hours of continuing education every 3 years.
Master CSP – Master Certified New Home Sale Professional
Offered by NAHB, must complete 3 required core courses, must complete 2 elective courses, must have minimum of 3 years in new-home sales and marketing experience.
RSPS – Resort & Second-Home Property Specialist
Resort & Second-Home Markets Certification. Offered through NAR, agents must complete core course for RSPS certification, as well as any 1 of a number of other designation curriculum including: e-PRO, CRS, ABR/ABRM, GREEN, CIPS, and others. 2-day online course.
SHS – Senior Housing Specialist
Topics include aging process (how aging effects psychology, elderly view of death), eligibility as far as contracts, live-in aids, and lease addenda are concerned. Agents also learn better counseling and communication skills. Three-day in-class course and exam.
SRES – Senior Real Estate Specialist
Offered by NAR, for agents who work with buyers/sellers over the age of 55+. Provides insight on how a senior citizen’s 401K, IRAs, Medicare, and Social Security affect real estate transaction. Two day class, offered live/online (or a combo) $400 fee, must pass exam, must be NAR member, pay $99 annual dues to SRES council.
SRS – Seller Representative Specialist
Offered by the Sellers Representative Council. Applicants must complete a two day, four course program with exam. Must be member of SRC: $99. Topics touched on include: generational marketing, sphere prospecting, cold prospecting methods, do-not-call concerns, FSBO, how to handle online inquiries, and how to list “expireds.”
GHS – Generational Housing Specialist
Offered by RealtyU, trains agents to accommodate buyers influenced by generation-specific factors. Touches on how taxation, asset planning, financing options, and retirement issues affect each generation’s purchasing habits. Also touches on difference between generations, for example Millennials, Generation X, Baby Boomers, and G.I. Generation. Certificate available for five years after completion, online course and exam.
Achievement Designations
AHS – Accredited Home Staging Specialist
Offered by RealtyU & NAR, focuses on home staging advantages/disadvantages, design psychology, components of competition, how to select the proper outside contractor, overall staging methods. $199 fee gets you online/at home/ on site materials/training, online exam.
ALC – Accredited Land Consultant
Must complete a total of six courses as well as have a minimum of three years experience in the industry. Must also submit proof of land transactions totaling $5,000,000; or proof of a minimum of 25 separate land transactions, of which no more than 80% are residential lot sales, along with $350 fee. ‘Fast Track’ option is available to agents holding CCIM, CRE, and SIOR designations.
AREP – Accredited Real Estate Professional
Designed to teach agents how to get started in new career. Provides day-by-day 30 day intro to basic marketing and sales techniques. Will equip applicants with knowledge so they can make a plan for their career, farm and prospect on their own, manage daily tasks, know the ins and outs of the Do-Not-Call law, and have a yearly financial plan.
ARM – Accredited Residential Manager
Offered through IREM. Must complete ethics exam, ARM exam, and preliminary requirements (choice between one of three courses and Fast Track option available).
ASP – Accredited Staging Professional
Offered by International Association of Home Staging Professionals. Two or three day course. Topics covered include how to educate customers as to value of home staging and processes involved in staging a home. Course fees total $295. Three day course expansion: how to set up and market your home staging business, how to prepare bids, how to price out a staged listing, and how to conduct a staging consultation. Three day investment is $1,795.
ASPM – Master, Accredited Staging Professional
More in depth course touches on preparing bids, consultations, and communication skills as well as advanced staging techniques. On 5th day of course, students receive $100 to buy staging items, must effectively stage in real time to pass. Fees total $3,450.
CCIM – Certified Commercial Investment Member
Recognizes experts in commercial real estate brokerage, leasing, valuation and investment analysis. Complete 4 core courses, plus 8 hours of ethics and negotiations training. Agent must submit one of the following three: 1 or more qualifying activities totaling $40 million and exhibiting CCIM skill sets, along with a 3-5 page narrative; 10 qualifying activities totaling $10 million and exhibiting CCIM skill sets; or 30 qualifying electives without regard to total volume. ‘Fast Track’ available to agents holding CPM, CMB, CRE, MAI/SRPA, RPA or SIOR designations.
C-CREC – Consumer-Certified Real Estate Consultant
Offered by the National Association of Real Estate Consultants. Applicants must complete 14-hour course with exam, turn in two Consumer Needs Assessment Forms, turn in three-year business plan showing how two or more fee-for-service components will be integrated. Must be member of NAREC. NAREC membership fees: $99/annually. Course fees: $299/one-time.
CLHMS – Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist
Offered by the Institute of Luxury Home Marketing, must complete two-day class, verify that you are in top 10% of your market. Must be member of ILHM, membership renewals fee $195.
CMP – Certified New Home Marketing Professional
Offered by NAHB, must complete 4 core courses, 50 elective credits, and have at least 3 years experience in real estate industry. Fees: $80 app fee, $395 course fee, $90 renewal fee. Must complete 6 hours of continuing education every three years.
CNE – Certified Negotiation Expert
Offered by Negotiation Expertise, LLC. Touches on persuasion techniques, buying/negotiating psychology, and how to build trust. Certification achieved by attending seminars offered by Negotiation Expertise, LLC.
CNS – Certified Neighborhood Specialist
Offered by RealtyU. Teaches agents to use demographics of a given neighborhood to tailor their marketing in order to be more effective. Teaches how to use neighborhood factors and information to make a listing more attractive. Topics touched on include: history, zoning, utilities, hazards, housing types, schools, crime, and other homeownership factors. Fees totaling $244.
CPM – Certified Property Manager
Offered through IREM, agents must complete 7 core courses, or have college degree in real estate or property management. Must write and receive passing score on a management plan. Must pass ethics exam, as well as CPM Certification Exam (CPMEXM).
CRB – Certified Real Estate Brokerage Manager
Offered by the Council of Real Estate Brokerage Managers. Preferred that applicants have at least 1 year of management experience, complete 12 credits within four years of applying, and have current membership with NAR. Trains applicants in creating effective business plans, financial management/planning, marketing management, how to manage team diversity, also how to successfully manage office-wide technology.
CRE – Counselor of Real Estate
Membership to The Counselors of Real Estate is offered on invitation-only basis. Agent must have at least 10 years in the biz, some counselor experience, and must have been recognized for excellence. Membership in NAR, $2,500 initial fee, $1,500 annually thereafter. Only 1,100 ‘practitioners’ worldwide carry the CRE designation.
CREP – Commercial Real Estate Professionals Society
Applicants must complete 13 credit hours, discuss the commercial sale transaction and documentation, investment evaluation, financing analysis, site election, closing procedures, essential contract elements, land development, capitalization rates, commercial leases, and appraisals.
CRP – Certified Relocation Professional
Offered by Employee Relocation Council (Worldwide ERC). Applicants must exhibit a minimum of two years dealing with relocation issues. Self-study exam, no courses required. Applicant must have membership with Worldwide ERC.
CRTS – Certified Relocation and Transition Specialist
Offered by International Association of Home Staging Professionals, initial course is training for those beginning in the senior move industry. The program advances to a master level CRTM after 3 years of experience and additional CE courses.
CSS – Certified Staging Specialist
Not much info available on this designation. Offered by International Association of Home Staging Professionals, Barbara Jennings.
E-PRO – Internet Certified REALTOR®
Offered by NAR, online course about using e-mail, navigating the internet, incorporating digital devices into the workplace. The only NAR approved internet certification program. $359 fee, must pass exam, must be a Realtor, member of NAR.
EREP – e-Business Real Estate Professional
Provides agents with an overview of how technology can be implemented in the industry. Topics covered include: hardware, software, mobile technology, networking, e-Commerce, and the importance of using high tech tools in the future to reach home buyers.
GMS – Global Mobility Specialist
Offered by Worldwide ERC. Must take three in-class courses, exam after each. Courses analyze current and evolving policy trends as they relate to global mobility.
GREEN – NAR GREEN Designation
Only GREEN designation recognized by NAR, requires 3-day. Must complete core, twelve-hour course and 1 of 3 six-hour electives. Course touches on advantages of having an eco-friendly property, how to market to a green consumer, green living (both in-office and –home), regulatory issues, zoning, and building codes as they relate to sustainability.
GRI – Graduate of REALTOR® Institute
Approved by NAR, offered through State Association of Realtors®, 90-95 hours of coursework pertaining to law, practice, finance, and taxes of the state in which they are licensed. Must be member of NAR, member of State Association of Realtors®, and member of local Board of Realtors®.
HSR – Home Staging Resource
Offered by Home Staging Resource, Inc. Self paced, online, 21-day intensive training on all aspects of interior decorating. Touches on how to market you home staging business, how to stage and benefits of staging.
IMC – Internet Marketing Certified
Offered by Prospecting For Life. Touches on how to sell FSBOs. Also, how to attract buyers, how to develop online relationships, how to use a lead-management system, how to integrate your website with your business model, SEO best practices. Membership fees totaling $198.
MIRM – Member, Institute of Residential Marketing
Offered by NAHB, applicants must complete 4 core courses, 50 elective credits, have a minimum of three years in real estate industry, and write a marketing case study on a new community (must be peer-received and –approved). Must continue to complete 8 credits every 3 years. Fees: $150 app fees, $395 for course fees, $150 membership renewal fee.
MRE – Master of Real Estate
Most prestigious real estate designation. Must be NAR member, must have one of following designations: CRB, CIPS, CCIM, CRE, GRI, CRS, SIOR and ALC. Must complete online NAR ethics course, 90 credit hours of continuing education, $100 app fee, and all must be completed within 5 years of first class. Topics touched on include: sales team management, career planning (retirement planning), effective negotiating, fair housing, foreclosures, growth management, and methamphetamine in real estate.
MSP – Master Sales Professional
Offered through Master Sales Association, less than 1% of agents nationwide have received this designation. Applicants must complete three days of in-class courses and adhere to the Master Sales Society’s code of ethics.
PME – Property Marketing Expert
Offered by Prospecting For Life. Touches on how to sell FSBOs. Also, how to attract buyers, how to develop online relationships, how to use a lead-management system, how to integrate your website with your business model, SEO best practices. Membership fees totaling $198.
RCE – REALTOR® Association Certified Executive
Offered by NAR, demonstrates commitment to association management. Only professional designation for association executives. Candidates earn the designation by accumulating points through an experience and education based application form and a comprehensive written exam.
RECS – Real Estate Cyberspace Specialist
Signifies membership of the Real Estate CyberSpace Society. No fee for designation, however monthly dues required for the RECS Society.
REPA – Real Estate Professional Assistant
Offered by NAR. This certification is geared to provide an intensive introduction to the real estate business and to the specific ways support staff can become valuable assets to their employers.
REW – Real Estate Webographer
Self-paced online course, only $199. Applicants learn how to establish an effective web presence, develop online business strategies, how to generate and manage leads, and how to implement mobile virtual tours. Topics also covered: online forms, virtual assistants, and blogs.
RPA – Real Property Administrator
Must complete 6 mandatory courses, plus ethics course, plus one elective course, must abide by organization ethics. All RPA classes are $750 each, ethics course is $325. If you have never taken a BOMI course, there is a one-time $150 enrollment fee. Must verify at least three years of property management, 40,000 feet or larger, and exhibiting RPA skill sets.
RREP – Referred Real Estate Professional
May only be taken by members of Referral Center, LLC. Course designed for non-active agents who wish to stay active only by referral.
SIOR – Society of Industrial & Office REALTORS®
Designates top producers in industrial and office brokerages. Must have a minimum of five years in the industry, with referrals as to your ethics, sincerity, and integrity. Must maintain minimum income and transaction standards as dictated by local chapters. Several membership categories: Advisory Services Specialist, Executive Specialist, Industrial Specialist, Industrial and Office Specialist, and Sales Management Specialist.
International Designations
CIPS – Certified International Property Specialist
Offered by NAR, trains agents in international markets. Focuses on certain aspects of the transnational transactions including currency and exchange rate issues, regional market conditions, tax issues and more. Applicants must take 5 courses, each focused on a specific continent/region.
IRES – International Real Estate Specialist
Designed to train agents in a second-home environment. Topics touched on: how to start in a global market, how to obtain contacts, financing, leads, how to market globally, how to promote outside of your Multiple Listing Service (MLS).
TRC – Transnational Referral Certification
Offered through NAR, trains agents to make and receive compensated referrals using ICREA’s transnational referral system, including courtesy guidelines and best practices. Self-paced course, 6 hour estimated completion time.
photo courtesy of Max Braun
San Diego Real Estate - CDPE Designation Awarded to William Johnson
Earlier this week I completed my live course here in San Diego achieving the new designation of CDPE through the Alex Charfin's Distressed Property Institute.
Back in the nineties I did a few short sales listings when they were first accepted as means of avoiding foreclosure. Most of the work then was done with the homeowner and the homeowner worked with the loss mitigation department and if there was a hardship many of these homeowners ended up avoiding foreclosure. The consequences at that time for the homeowner were very different.
The short sale process today with the number of distressed homeowners is much more complex and time consuming than it was back then. I recalled being called to take the listing and actually did much less then that I would have to do today in the same situation. The process is more time consuming today having a lot to do with the sheer number of homeowners in distress overwhelming the lenders loss mitigation departments that must make the decision.
Over the past couple years having seeing the real estate business change right before my eyes, I still resisted marketing to the needs of the distressed homeowners thinking I might escape the need to do short sales in my real estate business. Sadly, the distressed homeowners are representing a larger share of the current inventory and in the next few years more and more homeowners are expected to be in this situation. Equity listings are in short supply in my market but the need to help distressed property owners try and prevent foreclosures is on the rise. The need for selling short to help homeoners prevent foreclosure is expected to greatly increase over the next few years.
Knowing something about short sales is simply not enough in this climate. It is necessary to take the course study that teaches the process and provides all the supplemental forms needed for the lender and the transaction. There is also the need to learn specific counseling of the consumer needing to prevent the eminent foreclosure. There is extensive knowledge required and especially in learning and being familiar with the governemnt programs that are currently available or soon will be. While this training helps some mitigate foreclosure, sadly it doesn't work for everyone. But for each homeowner we help to prevent foreclosure, they become one less statistic and can better get on with the rest of their lives.
The course material and instructor were nothing sort of awesome and I would highly recommend this course presented by the Distressed Property Institute. Short Sales are a lot more work and considerably more time is needed to get the transaction to a successful closing. As real state professionals we must be committed to helping consumers avoid foreclosure even while also knowing that we can't save them all but we can and do make a difference.
If you are Buying, Selling or Relocating to San Diego and need help from a professional REALTOR®, give me a call or visit my San Diego Real Estate website and sign up for Listing alerts for your favorite San Diego Home and Condominium Property Searches.
I specialize in Single Family Homes and Condominiums throughout the coast and inland areas of San Diego. Some of those communities are La Jolla, University Town Center, Bay Park, Mission Valley, Pacific Beach, Scripts Ranch, Poway, Carmel Mountain Ranch, Rancho Bernardo, Rancho
Penasquitos,Carmel Valley and Solona Beach. If I didn't mention a city or community that you are interested in, just let me know and i will find you an expert for that community as well.
