I have my GRI and am working on my CRS.  As for why- information is power and I want to stand out from the rest of the agents.  The CRS classes are amazing!! 

Are you familar with QSC?  Our broker is requesting everyone interested in relo leads have this designation.

Thank you Ginger and Congratulations!  It does make a big difference doesn't it?

I talked to an Agent who was in my RLI class.  He told me that immediately after his first CCIM class, he was able to put a multi million dollar commercial deal together, a deal that he never would have been able to bring to fruition without the CCIM training. 

Knowledge is power! 

By the way, do you know if they will be offering the one week courses for the CRS designation this year?  They did two last year and I missed both of them.

No, Mary, I am not familiar with the QSC designation, but I will research it.  Thank you so much for that input!  I really appreciate it!

I totally agree--who can deny the old adage: "Knowledge is Power"  Education-Education and more Education are in my New Years Resolutions and my personal business plan for 2008!! Go get em', girl!

Thank you Faith!  Which ones are you working on?

I have had my CRS, GRI and ABR designations for years. Of all of the real estate classes that I have ever taken, I find the CRS classes to be the most valuable and relevant.  The instructors do not waste time on 'fluff' like so many other sales trainers do.  The classes are reasonably priced and are a true value for the information that is offered, unlike many sales classes that are just 'gimmicks' to get you to spend more money and buy products.  I have enjoyed the CRS classes so much that I occassionally go for refresher classes on courses that I have previously taken.  I particularly recommend their investment class and highly recommend Walt Frey as an instructor.

Lisa Friedman http://www.LisaFriedman.com http://www.ViaForHealth.com

Lisa, I owe you!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!  I will surely follow your advice!  Much appreciated!

I just finished my ABR training.  It was well worth it.  GRI is next.

Good job, Thomas!  The training will greatly enhance your business.

Mirela, I've got the ABR, CRS, ePRO, GRI, SRES -- literally a boatload of designations.  Not to mention that I'm also an attorney.  However, in my opinion it's the education itself that is the benefit, not the letters after your name.  Now, I'll get my broker's license in February after 6 months of once-a-week classes.  That's the one that really counts!

Mirela,

I have these designations:

CRS-I got that because I think it is equivalent to the Phd. of real estate
GRI-This was the first one I got. My company at the time paid for it
ABR-I really enjoy working with buyers and I think the ABR gives me more credibility than the average agent when it comes to buy side negotiations.
SRES-Senior's Real Estate Specialist. I live in an over 55 community and wanted to better serve that market segment.

I think that all these designations have value and, to go that extra step in getting them demonstrates a more serious approach to the business. To follow up on your title, I think there is a little too much "BS" in this business.

Dear Brian,

Your dedication to the business is obvious.  I am sending you the very next referral in your area, because I care for my clients and I want the best representation possible for them. 

Congratulations!  Let me know when you open your own firm.

Please stay in touch!  I'm very impressed by your commitment to the business!

Hi Mirela- Great post! In my opinion, the designations can all help differentiate you from your competitors, as well as create a "niche" you can use to become the expert in your market area.

Thank you so much Rich for that candid response! 

The SRES is one I've been giving ample consideration to, since our market has a lot of retirees.  What did you think about that training?  Your input would be much appreciated.

Agreed, Allison.  Thank you for your input!

I have a GRI. I'm usuing this post to help me decide which one to get next. Thanks.

CRS seems like the one, don't you think?

Mirela,

It is funny but this morning, while working on my 2008 Biz Plan,  one of the Educational Goals for 2008 I plugged in was the CRS designation.  One question though, do you have any idea the investment to obtain the designation?  I have been trying to track my costs on the plan, both monetary and time wise.  Good post!

Thanks and happy New Year from Toledo, Ohio!

Thanks for the post!  I am in my first year of real estate and have put in my business plan for 2008 to acquire at least one and up to three certifications.  I look forward to having these symbols after my name!

I agree with the others that the education is what is worthwhile.  I think this year I am going to work on the ABR because right now buyers are where it is at.

Mirela and readers,

I have my GRI, ABR and e-Pro and I am the managing broker/owner of a small independent firm. Not sure what I want to work on next.

I agree with everything you said.  I have several designations and agree the CRS is the one I cherish the most and make the most use of.

Dear Rick,

Just follow the link to the CRS website, where you'll easily find a course schedule and cost.  I am one of those people who never pays attention to cost when it comes to education.  I am aware of special "scholarships" for various designations available to those who qualify.  You should check with your board for that.  Good luck with your training and thanks for the input!

Dear Carolyn,

Going for your ABR is a very good decision.  It's an expedient and easy designation to garner and it will help you with your Buyer Representation Business.  Good luck!

Dear Carolyn,

Going for your ABR is a very good decision.  It's an expedient and easy designation to garner and it will help you with your Buyer Representation Business.  Good luck!

Dear Mike,

The CRS designation seems to be the favorite among those who have already garnered several designations.  Good luck and keep up the good education!

Dear Randy,

Thank you for your input!  Are you going to the SaleABration in Hawaii later on this month?

I will be at the CRS Sell-a-bration in Waikiki.  We are also organizing an Active Rain gathering during that time.

Any advice on accomodations, Randy?  I am seriously considering going.

I must disagree with one phrase echoed several times in the post and messages. Knowledge is not power. Application of Knowledge is Power. I have taken 3 CRS classes and they were all great. But most agents walk away with this great knowledge, but never put it into practical application. This is a great post on certifications.

Yes, that's good advice.  It's hard NOT to use the great keys of good training, at least for me, it is.   Implementing the new knowledge is key.  Good point, Karl! 

Carolyn,

Congrats on your featured post.  I got one once!!!!  I applaud your investment in your future and would like to invite you to add this article to the CRS group. http://activerain.com/groups/certifiedresidentialspecialists

Also would welcome you to check out my article on how CRS has helped me in my Career http://activerain.com/blogsview/55390/What-CRS-has-done

I will make a comment about Karl's comment.   I believe it is imperative to keep going to classes, but even if you do not implement anything, you are still learning, furthering your knowledge base.  You never know when you will need to pull out a statistic or script in certail circumstances.

Happy new year and please continue on yur quest of knowledge.

Guy is President of Wisconsin CRS- (for 3 more days).

I recently passed and received my BS degree from Flight By Night Mortgage Institute. Hopefully that helps me to increase my income.LOL

Thanks for explaining all those abreviations, I was always curious what they all stood for.

Sean Allen
The Mortgage Professionals

what about your e-pro designation?  Don't you think that is important to consumers?

Dear Guy,

Thank you for the invitation!  I have joined the CRS group and posted this for the group. 

I will check out your blog next. 

Thank you for your wise words!

You are welcome, Sean!  This will help you secure better affiliations with Agents, since the letters after the names typically means more business...

E-Pro is what I am garnering right here on AR...  This is up to the minute information, unsurpassed anywhere else.  Check out some of the tech and marketing groups here; the EDUCATION you will get here is INVALUABLE !!! 

I have most of the residential designations, including ABR, GRI, CRS, and CRB, and yes, even the QSC! I am going to let that one go, however, since it is a poorly run program. The concept is you get surveyed after the transaction (as do all GMAC agents) by the company. A QSC survey is very detailed and it requires you to do more work than a standard presentation-which is very good- but their follow up and promotion of the program is weak and you have to pay an annual fee to stay in the program.

Here's the real deal: The knowledge from the designations is great, but consumers don't understand or follow the designation so it is greek to them. If you use the knowledge, that is good. If you tell me you are good because of the letters it makes no sense to them.

I would like to pick up a couple of designations, but I'm not sure how much I will advertise them.  I want the knowledge. 

I surveyed a bunch of potential clients, and found that NONE of them knew what the designations meant.  The value of them isn't in the initials, but in the skills they represent.   

I finished my e-PRO certification just a few weeks ago.  And I highly recommend it.  I have been using the internet ever since it was created ... and I still learned quite a lot in the e-PRO course.  And here we are on the internet.  Just goes to show how important it is to the industry. 

I would also like to get the ABR certificate.  But the education is more important than the badge.  I was a girl scout, and we loved those badges!!  I agree that it's not the number of abbreviations behind our names, but how well we put all of this education to use. 

I receive the most benefit and referrrals from my CRS and the SRES designations.  I have also referred out through CRS the most. 

That's really good to know.  Thank you, Chris!

Dear E-Pro,

Thank you for that comment!  Maybe we should all look into that designation.

Hi Mirela,

Which designation is "BS" I don't recognize it. What about the CIPS for does that don't know it stands for Certified International Property Specialist only 1500 members world wide at the moment, a great source for networking internationally.

Manny Reynaldo - www.2bocahomes.com

I think continuing education and training matched with certification is something that can ease worries by clients who wonder how much does my agent really know.  Good stuff!

Jess Rankin

Dear Manny

The BS designation is the same one as in "Don't BS a BS-er"!

Good point about the CIPS, a designation well worth having.  I have assembled a link to all NAR designations and their pertinent links in my new blog: AR Stands for "Amazing Results" !

Thank you for your valuable input!

What a great point Jess!  I absolutely agree!  Thank you for that!

Hi Mirela, I finished the CRS five years ago...it is well worth the effort also feel the ePRO may help as the Internet becomes more important to consumers and real estate agents as well.  Nice post...congrats on the feature.

I also earned the GRI my first year in real estate.  Being knowledge-based is a powerful plus in this tenuous market.  I'd recommend additional study to everyone out there.

Thank you Gary for your testimonial!  It just enforces my decision to acquire both of those worthwhile designations in 2008.

"Knowledge-based" - I like that term! 

Thank you for your comment, Marsha!

Informative post and I am enjoying everyones response.  I planned on working on my ABR.  The more I learn the more confident I will feel with my clients and other agents.  I believe that confidence shines through.

Our Board committed to bringing all the GRI classes to Steamboat in one year, so I'm over half way to that designation. 

Also, I just finished a class online last night for the RSPS--Resort and Second Home Property Specialist.  I need to take one more class and I can't decide whether to do it online or in Denver.

My comment is:  What do all of you think of online vs. traditional classes?  The one I did yesterday was the eBuyer class, and it had great information but was generic to any market in the US.  I did miss the "local" information the live instructors give. 

 What is your preferred way to take classes?  Online or in person, and in town or travel to network? 

Thank you, Jennifer! 

You are so right about your confidence level being higher, the more educated you are.  Our clients are entrusting us with the biggest investment of their lives; shouldn't we treat that with the proper care?  Education is key.

Good luck with your ABR!

What a great question, Eliese!  I hope we'll have some other members address this one. 

I prefer live instruction.  It's too easy to get interrupted or "side-swiped" with on line courses.  I prefer to focus, attend the class, take the tests, have that human interraction and get it done. 

On line is better than no training.  You have a designated space, time and mission, and it's probably more achievable than the on line course you can take your sweet time with and never finish...

Not all designations allow on line training, that's also something to consider.

Thanks for your valuable input!

Mirela,

Bravo!! Love your answer. Got a big smile :)

Best regards,

Manny

Thanks Manny!  Glad to see you back here again!  Have you subscribed to my blog yet?  I have some great info I will post soon.  Can you say:  "MoneyMaker"?

Yeah; that's what I'm talking about...  Knew you'd understand.

Mirela: What a great post, and great comments too.  I have my CRS, ABR, and NCHS.  I have had fun educating the public about what the "alphabet soup" behind my name means to me and to them as well. I am also a trainer and found all my designation courses chocked full of great information that I use every day in my real estate practice and pass along to my students as well.   

I'm a new realtor and thinking to get my ABR first...

Dear C.J.:

Thank you for the great input and lovely comments! 

What is the NCHS designation?  I've never been exposed to that one before.

I am interested in a few of these but my focus is to finish the required continuing ed classes.  Why do they have to be so expensive???  Is it to "weed" folks out???

Yes, LaNita, start your career the right way!  The GRI is my most favorite for the new agent.  It's a commitment, but it will help you very much in your new career.  For the ABR you need to complete at least 5 transactions along with the two days training and the additional two day elective cours.  The 5 transactions have to be under an exclusive agency agreement, meaning that if the listing is with your firm, that transaction does not qualify.  One of my agents is currently in that boat.  He has done several transactions, but most of them were either under designated agent, or dual agency.  Check into it before you enroll. 

With the GRI, you just attend the classes, study, pass the tests and you garner that most impressive of designations.

Good luck!

Dear Latonia,

Your local board may offer scholarships.  Your broker may also help you with it as well.  Check into it!  Most people don't realize just how much money is available to those who ask for it. 

Hi Mirela,

Congrats on your feature and your GRI. Good luck on your CRS. I think you will find a huge difference between the two when it comes to agent referrals. I'm both GRI & CRS since the late 70's. The CRS has been invaluable to me over the years.

BTW, I'm also heading to Sell-a-bration in Honolulu next month and hoping to connect with other rainers.

Wishing You HAPPY HOLIDAYS and Best Wishes for A GREAT YEAR 2008.

Tommy   New York Certified Home Inspector Long Island NY Nassau/Suffolk/Queens Home Inspections

My husband and I are planning to start the GRI courses as soon as he gets licensed. Hopefully by February...no later than March.

Good job on getting new designations. All the best for a really good 2008.

In this technological world you should really go for e-Pro as well. I will be working on my CRS in 2008.

For the most part I have found designations to have lost their value as indicators of proficiency or expertise.

In the technology world Microsoft has an MCSE designation. It used to be they would garner the best jobs and paychecks. Now there are MCSE farms that have watered down the designation.

In our industry I come across agents whose business card is filled with designation, and after getting their offer with typo's or watching them blow up a deal at a home inspection by not managing their clients expectations, I question their value.

THe fact is while some designations will get you Relo leads or maybe impress the owner/broker so they throw a lead your way, the designations themselves do not make you a better agent.

Like any other professional it is our duty to keep up on economic, political and industry news pertinent to our market, attend seminars and develop our marketing.

At the end of the day I may place value on the material you learn, but I think too many low quality agents with designations have watered down its potency.

Thank you Dick for your passionate response! 

I am sorry that you have encountered unprofessional agents, with or without designations. 

One can put a spin on anything, I guess.  I know agents who feel that designations are useless; they are the very same agents without any designations after their names.  How would they know that designations are useless, if they have never gone through the training?

Education is earned through erudition.  Designations are simply a concentrated, focused and defined way to enhance your knowledge, and thus better service your clients, who rely on you to know how to best do your job, and get them what they need with the least amount of trouble and with the best bottom line.  In that regard, education is KEY!

I'm half way through my CRS courses and I'm starting work on my GRI in January.  I already have an MBA and ASP and QSC designations.  Education is key in this business.

Thank you Graham!  Several of us here are in complete agreement with you on the value of the e-PRO.

Thank you Bob and Carolin!  Happy New Year to you too!

Thank you Tommy!  Decebal is a dacian name, the ancestors of Romanians.  Are you Romanian?

Good luck Toni!  Some of those CRS classes are applicable to the GRI designation.  You might want to check into that.

Good for you Lisa!   I'm not familiar with the ASP and QSC.  Would you care to shed some light on that?

Thank you for the description of various designations.  I started real estate in 2004, and got a Broker's license this year.  These others are next.

Congratulations, Jim!  That is a