Have you ever noticed the abbreviations that follow a REALTOR’S® name? Do you often wonder what they stand for? Those acronyms are designations, and they usually mean that an agent has received advanced training beyond the minimum education necessary to maintain a real estate license. They have chosen to take classes, attend seminars, and attend workshops to gain more insight into the target real estate market. Below is a list of some of the more nationally recognized designations that real estate agents can earn to provide better quality service to buyers and sellers.

	ABR (Accredited Buyer Representative) – ABR denotes a sales agent who is qualified to provide buyer representation and has experience handling buyer brokerage and buyer agency issues. This designation is awarded by the Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council (REBAC), which is an affiliate of the National Association of REALTORS®. In addition to being an active member in REBAC, agents must complete a 12-hour course, earn recommendations from previous clients, and close at least five real estate buyer transactions. Presently, approximately 22,000 real estate agents and brokers have ABR designations.
	ABRM (Accredited Buyer Representative Manager) – This designation is geared toward brokers, owners and managers who wish to incorporate buyer representation into their daily practice. ABRM is presented by the Real Estate Buyer's Agent Council (REBAC), an affiliate of the National Association of REALTORS®. Brokers, owners and managers who earned the ABRM designation have been involved in at least 25 real estate transactions with a buyer agent or have had more than two years of experience in overseeing buyer representatives.
	ASP (Accredited Staging Professional) – The International Association of Home Staging Professionals® award this designation to professional decorators, stagers and real estate agents who successfully complete an intensive three-day staging seminar demonstrating their competency in staging.
	ASR (Accredited Seller Representative) – This designation is presented to sales agents who represent the seller’s best interest – just as an ABR-designated agent works for the buyer. Real estate agents who earn the ASR designation, from the Seller Agency Council, Inc., must complete a course that focuses on listing skills and professional seller representation.
	CCIM (Certified Commercial Investment Member) – A CCIM is a specialist in the commercial real estate and investment market. A CCIM can provide valuable information to anyone buying, selling or investing in commercial real estate. This designation is presented by the Commercial Investment Real Estate Institute (CIREI) after the agent completes a graduate-level course of study and has applied this knowledge in the field.
	CIPS (Certified International Property Specialist) – A CIPS is a designation awarded by the CIPS Network through the National Association of REALTORS® and local REALTOR® organizations.
	CLHMS (Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist) – A CLHMS is a member of The Institute for Luxury Home Marketing. Members of this organization have demonstrated their skills and expertise in the luxury home market as well as more rigorous performance guidelines, including selling luxury homes over $500,000.
	CNHS (Certified New Homes Specialist) – Agents who earn a CNHS designation have been trained in all aspects of new home sales including architectural design and planning, blueprint reading, topography, building site design, evaluating quality construction, materials, methods, construction terminology and scheduling.
	CRB (Certified Real Estate Brokerage Manager) – Awarded by the Real Estate Brokerage Managers Council, the CRB designation is recognized as a symbol of excellence in brokerage management. In order to be eligible for the CRB designation, agents must have been directly responsible for the effective management of a real estate business as an active principal in a brokerage management capacity. They may also hold a real estate-related management position for a minimum of two consecutive years.
	CRE (Counselors of Real Estate) – CRE is an international group of real estate professionals who provide advisory services to clients on property and land-related matters.
	CRS (Certified Residential Specialist) – CRS is considered the "master's degree of residential real estate.” Every CRS must have a proven track record in the business, as well as additional education courses in finance, technology, marketing and other real estate-related subjects. This designation is presented by the Residential Sales Council.
	e-Pro – The e-Pro designation is a certification first offered in 2000 by the National Association of REALTORS®. It is a comprehensive internet certification program for real estate professionals, and those who have earned e-Pro designation have completed a course covering fundamentals of doing business online, ways of creating and maintaining online relationships, web marketing ethical and legal issues, and ways to adapt to new ways of doing business online.
	EcoBroker – The EcoBroker designation is given to real estate agents who complete programs focusing on green marketing. In conjunction with Association of Energy and Environmental Real Estate Professionals, agents earning this green designation have the knowledge to help buyers and sellers work with environmentally friendly companies, energy efficient home designs and materials.
	GRI (Graduate, REALTOR® Institute) – GRI is a nationally recognized real estate designation. This designation may only be earned by professionals who successfully complete a rigorous program that includes 92 hours of live course instruction from a statewide faculty selected because its extensive experience in their own areas of expertise. This designation is available only to members of the local, state and National Association of REALTORS®.
	REALTOR® – A REALTOR® is a real estate licensee and a member of the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) who has agreed to abide by the high ethical standards set by NAR. Not every real estate agent is a REALTOR®. Look for the REALTOR® logo or ask an agent if they are a REALTOR®.
	SRES (Senior Real Estate Specialist) – This designation, offered by the Senior Advantage Real Estate Council®, distingishes individuals who have successfully completed its education program along with other requirements. Professionals with the SRES designation can better assist seniors to make wise decisions about selling the family home, buying rental property or managing the capital gains and tax implications of owning real estate.