Time For Education Unification!

Got an email today that the REO Insider is joining Real Estate Educate to form Open Door Institute, an organization committed to connecting professionals that buy, sell, and manage distressed residential and commercial real estate.  They say they are creating this alliance to "focus on setting meaningful industry standards and providing networking opportunities for real estate professionals conducting business within the REO industry."

Please tell me that this is not going to result in yet another mandatory course or designation that we, as REO Brokers will be required to take to qualify to do business. 

With every email or blog post there is a new designation, class, platform or fee initiated to continue to do business in the default industry.  We're on course overload!  Please don't misunderstand me.  As a Realtor, no one believes more strongly than I do that we must invest in continued education to remain viable to our Clients.  I hope my credentials support that fact . . . I have my Five Star Default Designation; Short Sale and Foreclosure Certified thru the National Association of Realtors; BPO Certification; Loss Mitigation training thru Titanium Inc with a FDCPA certification; e-Pro and Quality Service Certified and have taken a myriad of other BPO/Short Sale/REO classes, courses and trainings.

But it's hard to keep up with all the independent designations/certifications coming out daily.  It would be great if NAR would step forward and set an industry standard Designation that would be widely recognized by lenders and servicers throughout the Default industry.  I appreciate the effort NAR is making with the SFR Short Sale 101 certification class, but I think it's time for them to either recognize some of the existing courses and classes out here in the default industry as Continuing Education or create one standard Certification/Designation course.

Well that's my two cents, I'd really be interested in finding out what your opinion is on this.