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Depends on your market, Jesse, and your business model. For example, if you are a buyer's agent only, then the Accredited Buyer's Representative is a designation you'd clearly want to have...while if you specialize in listings, then a designation on that side would be helpful.
Are there a lot of high end properties in your market? If so, you may want to obtain the Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist and Million Dollar Guild Memberships. Not only are they obtained through extensive training, but you have to have performed - sold 'x' million in the upper tier market - and those results are certified. So, when you go to a luxury listing, you can show the sellers that you are walking the walk, not just talking the talk.
Gabe is certainly right, Jesse...you can rack up a bunch of designations but if you aren't utilizing the training you've received, then you won't be a better agent just because you sat through some classes.
The best approach is to focus on one designation, whichever one you feel is most important to obtain. Really drill down into the material. Do the lessons. Do the research. Ask questions. Milk it for all you can get out of it.
One designation that you really devote your energy into mastering the material is worth ten times more than five that you fly through and learn next to nothing.
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Anyone can get designations, Jesse. It's how well one retains and utilizes the information learned that's really important.
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In my opinion the top three best designations in real estate are Broker, CRS and GRI.
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Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) would be my number one recommendation. CIPS (Certified International Property Specialist) would be second. CRB would probably be a third.
I teach the "At Home With Diversity" course (AHWD) and that can be useful as well.
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Jesse, I started to earn my GRI designation after a year in real estate and found it to be a solid foundation to my career in addition to the training my company provided. Next, I got the CDPE when the market tanked and definitely that helped with getting business, but not not so much. The CRS designation is held by only 3% of agents and is a designation to have, as the training is superlative. I agree with Holleay about the Luxury designation if that is your market. CRS is the cream of the crop, GRI is also excellent, and from there, choose what best fits your market and the direction of your career.
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Hi, Jesse...I love learning. I think taking the GRI course is well worth it. I learned so much. It's pretty extensive. I would highly recommend that one. The Internet Marketing Specialists designation was another great course I took. I learned so much about internet marketing. I absolutely loved that course. E Pro is another wonderful course.
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Some say they are...I feel that a Broker should point out the seaknesses for an agent and that is where they should tailor their cont. ed.