Professional Designations

Designation	Description
	CRS - Certified Residential Specialist is a professional designation provided by the Council of Residential Specialists, also affiliated with the National Association of REALTORS. According the marketing material, approximately five percent of REALTORS have earned the CRS designation, which requires NAR membership, significant experience and advanced education. However, their web site provides no details on exactly how much experience and education is required. To visit the CRS site, click here.
	GRI - Graduate REALTOR Institute is a professional designation for those who have graduated from the REALTOR Institute, also associated with the National Association of REALTORS. According to a reference found on a Re/Max site, it is for REALTORS "who have completed a comprehensive education program in residential real estate. The program's focus in on practical real estate training."
	CRB - Certified Real Estate Brokerage Manager requires membership in the National Association of REALTORS, at least two consecutive years of management experience, 18 credits of education (from a college or from where - and what subjects?). For those with more than two years of experience, education requirements may be reduced. The CPM, CCIS, and CRS designation can be applied toward 12 of the required credits. To visit their web site, click here.
	CPM - Certified Property Manager is a professional designation provided by the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM) for those who work in property management with residential, commercial and industrial properties. To visit their web site, click here.
	CCIM - Certified Commercial Investment Member is a professional designation provided by the Commercial Investment Real Estate Institute to those who work in commercial real estate brokerage, leasing, asset management valuation and in-vestment analysis. There are currently 6500 members and 5300 candidates. To visit their web site, click here.
	CRE - Counselor of Real Estate is a member of The Counselors of Real Estate. They refer to themselves as "an international group of professionals who provide seasoned, objective advice on real property and land-related matters." Only 1,000 practitioners throughout the world carry the CRE designation. Membership is by invitation only. To visit their web site, click here.
	ALC - Accredited Land Consultant is a professional designation provided by the REALTORS Land Institute (RLI) to REALTORS who work in the following areas: farms and ranches; undeveloped tracts of land; transitional and development land; subdivision and wholesaling of lots; and site selection and assemblage of land parcels. They must be a member of the National Association of REALTORS with at least three years of experience, have to take at least six RLI courses, sponsor two additional members, have at least $5 million in closed land deals (as specified above), pass a written examination and an oral review, attend lots of local and national meetings, and serve in a local chapter in various positions. To visit their web site, click here.
	AMO - Accredited Management Organization is a professional designation provided by the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM) to companies, not individuals, who engage in property management with residential, commercial and industrial properties. We do not currently have information on how a company qualifies for the designation. To visit their web site, click here.
	LTG - Leadership Training Graduate is a professional designation provided by the Women's Council of REALTORS (WCR). To qualify, the agent must be a member of the National Association of REALTORS and the Women's Council of REALTORS, and complete at least one LTG course. To visit their web site, click here.
	ARM - Accredited Residential Manager Whether you manage rental apartment complexes, rental mobile homes, rental condominiums, rental single-family homes, single-room occupancy apartments (SROs), or homeowners' associations... whether you are the site manager, assistant manager, property manager, or asset manager... the ARM® certification is for you if you want to be recognized in the nation's most prestigious program for residential management specialists. Managers who hold the ARM® designation are in a position to improve the quality of life of more than a million people who live in residential properties while at the same time enhancing the value of the estimated 16 billion dollars in assets they oversee.
	SIOR - Society of Industrial and Office REALTORS , also associated with the National Association of REALTORS, and a designation for those who work in commercial real estate. Their web site provides no concrete information on exactly what is required for a REALTOR to display the designation, other than that the "Society offers extensive educational courses for both members and candidate-members." To visit their web site, click here.
	CRP - Certified Relocation Professional When choosing the ideal real estate agent, the selection of a CRP designate will provide you with a person who is not only competent with the paperwork and the numbers but can also guide, direct, and counsel you through the emotional roller-coaster of relocating. Providing stress relief to the transferee comes from good anticipation of the process and knowledge of the role of each of the players in the process (e.g., the lender, appraiser, company relocation department, inspectors, moving companies). And even if you are only moving locally, you can still benefit from the knowledge a CRP brings to the process.
	ABR - Accredited Buyer Representative is a professional designation from the Real Estate Buyer's Agent Council (REBAC), which a a part of the National Association of REALTORS. To obtain the ABR designation, agents must be members of the National Association of REALTORS, take a two-day course, pass a written exam, close at least five real estate buyer transactions, and receive letters of recommendation from at least two of their previous buyer clients. There are approximately 22,000 ABR designees. To visit the official REBAC site, click here.
	CIPS - Certified International Property Specialist is a professional designation provided by the National Association of REALTORS for those who work with buyers or sellers from other countries. Requirements including completing five education courses (requires seven days), participation in at least three international transactions involving those from other countries or cultures, and elective credit for additional education, other designations, language fluency, and attendance at international education sessions. To visit their web site, click here.
	e-PRO - Internet Professional is an on-line training program to certify real estate agents as internet marketing professionals. It includes 60 credit-hours of online training and demonstrated proficiency requirements in all phases of cyberspace marketing including, web site development, support, & promotion, e-mail techniques and strategies for improved communication, and familiarity with the latest technology tools for efficient marketing of your home. E-PRO professionals have established a strong national referral base between members. At the present time there are less than 2,000 agents nationwide, with this certification. It is associated with the National Association of REALTORS. To visit the e-PRO site, click here.