Real estate designations

Real estate agents often have a variety of capital letters after their names, but what do they mean, and why do they matter?

What do the letters after a real estate agent's name mean?

Those capital letters are called designations, and they signal that the agent has successfully completed a training or taken a course to improve her expertise in some area of real estate.

Why do designations matter?

They matter because each agent has slightly different tools in her toolbox. If you really need someone who understands sustainable building practices, look for a related designation. If you’re buying, you may think that your agent ought to have taken a class on representing buyers.

Some of our clients never look at the letters after our names, because we’ve shown in person our expertise in the real estate market. But for others, those letters matter—and this blog’s for you.

Realtor® really means something.

One of the most important designations is that of Realtor®. Ellie and I are both Realtors®, which means we are accredited by the National Association of Realtors® and are held to a higher ethical standard than those simply licensed as real estate agents. Read this article from Realtor.com for a more in-depth explanation.

Other designations we have:

The Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR) designation means an agent is fully trained to work with buyer clients from the first steps through closing day.

A GREEN agent has the knowledge and tools needed to find, understand, and market homes with environmentally-friendly features.

A Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) designation is the highest title given to agents working with sellers.

Of course, we are also professionally licensed and renew our Continuing Education classes (and dues!) year after year.

Ellie’s license #9058772

Liz’s license #9039495

Experience is vital, too.

While we’re proud of our designations, it’s important to point out that we’ve also had 30 years of combined experience helping our clients buy and sell real estate. We have built up our expertise in the markets in Cambridge, Somerville, and beyond and we love what we do… we learn to understand our client’s needs: It’s not just about real estate, but about people’s lifestyles. We listen to our client’s needs and help them succeed with their goals.

For a full list of designations and certifications, click here to visit the National Association of Realtors® page.

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