Austin TX Homes for Sale

What ARE Those Letters After My Name?


Some Realtors® list a variety of initials and logos after their names on websites, business cards, email signatures, etc.  They are meaningful to most Realtors®, but not necessarily to consumers.  If you are considering engaging a real estate professional to represent you in the sale or purchase of what is probably your largest and most important physical and financial asset, you deserve to understand.  Those initials and logos indicate:
  • specific certifications or designations earned by the agent,
  • an investment of time and money in continuing education beyond the minimum required,
  • and a commitment to professionalism that distinguishes some Realtors® from the crowd.

These are the advanced education and experience milestones that I am proud to bring to my client-representation responsibilities:

ABR(r) Logo  The Accredited Buyer Representative® designation is the benchmark of excellence in buyer representation and is held by about 4% of real estate agents in the United States. This coveted designation is awarded to REALTORS® who meet the specified educational and practical experience criteria, by the Real Estate Buyer's Agent Council (REBAC) of the National Association of REALTORS®.

CRS(r) Logo  A hallmark of the Certified Residential Specialist isn’t just the advanced training and education they receive.  Just as important is the marketplace expertise they bring to the sale or purchase of your home.  To earn the Certified Residential Specialist Designation, every REALTOR® must have significant experience and a number of real estate transactions, requirements achieved by only 4% of real estate licensees.  These strict requirements are your assurance that your Certified Residential Specialist is able to apply his or her education in the real world, giving you the knowledgeable, skilled service you expect.

CDPE(r) Logo A Certified Distressed Property Expert is a real estate professional with specific understanding of the complex issues confronting the real estate industry, and the foreclosure avoidance options available to homeowners. Through comprehensive training and experience, CDPEs are able to provide solutions for homeowners facing hardships in today’s market, specifically short sales, but consultation on a variety of other alternatives as well.

ePro(r) Logo  The e-PRO® certification course -- the only technology certification program offered by the National Association of Realtors® -- is designed to prepare real estate professionals to make the most of Internet technology and to identify, evaluate, and implement new Internet business models.  The ePRO® certification course is an educational program unlike any other professional certification or designation course available, comprehensive and interactive. It is specifically designed to provide real estate professionals with the technology tools needed to assist consumers in the purchase or sale of a home.  Like ABR® and CRS, only 4% of real estate agents have earned the right to this designation.

NAR-Realtor(r) The NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®, The Voice for Real Estate®, is the world's largest professional association. Founded in 1908, NAR has grown from its original nucleus of 120 to over 1.3 million members today. NAR is composed of REALTORS® who are involved in residential and commercial real estate as brokers, salespeople, property managers, appraisers, counselors and others engaged in all aspects of the real estate industry. The term REALTOR® is a registered collective membership mark that identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics.

In addition to these real estate-specific designations, I am also proud to offer the broad educational background of a Masters in Business Administration, earned in 1985, with emphasis on business management.  Planning, organizing, finance and accounting, and statistics are important disciplines in any business enterprise and these skills, along with constant reading and practice to stay current, greatly enhance my ability to serve my clients.

Many real estate agents in the United States belong to the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®.  Few have taken the initiative to acquire certification as ABR® or CRS or ePRO®.  Fewer still have achieved all three, and coupled them with post-graduate business education and more than thirty years of professional experience.  As you choose a real estate professional to represent you in the sale or purchase of your largest and most important physical and financial asset, you deserve the best.

Bill Morris