Over the years, I’ve had a number of people ask me what the letters CRS mean after my name on my business cards or web site. I remember once a client said to me, “I don’t know what those CRS letters mean after your name, but thought it must mean you are good at something”. I remember chuckling and saying something like…”Good! …that’s the reaction they are supposed to get”…and then giving a brief explanation similar to what I will give now.
The letters CRS stand for Certified Residential Specialist. It’s a designation that is awarded to qualifying Realtors by the Council of Residential Specialists. The RS Council serves as an educational and marketing organization within the NAR (National Association of Realtors). I received this designation so long ago (about 16 years ago) that I really can’t recall exactly the courses I took to earn it. But generally the requirements were that I complete a series of advanced courses specifically focused on residential real estate. Plus I had to submit documentation that I had closed a fairly large number of residential transactions. So essentially more education and experience than a lot of other Realtors. I’m told that only 5% of all Realtors have the CRS designation.
Even though those requirements were filled a long time ago, I continue to take classes almost every year for some aspect of residential real estate. The real learning comes though every time I get involved with and complete another transaction. I never fail to learn something new every time. Suffice to say, it’s an interesting business and the learning curve continues to climb even though it’s been over 27 years since I began the quest.
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