REALTORS® who’ve earned the Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) designation will now be required to complete two hours of CRS education each calendar year to maintain their designation. The new requirement was approved by the CRS Board of Directors at the 2016 Annual Meeting to differentiate the designation and establish a high standard.
All existing designees must fulfill the requirement by Dec. 31, 2017, to maintain their designation for 2018. New designees are exempt from the maintenance requirement for their first year.
Ways to earn education that meets the maintenance requirement:
- Free live or recorded member benefit webinars at crs.com
- CRS-produced education such as classroom courses, eLearning courses,
- Sell-a-bration sessions, and webinars.
- CRS elective courses
- Pre-approved CRS Local Networking Group events
Learn more about the new requirement in this FAQ.
Im sorry to see those that have obtained designations held hostage to them. How can the CRS board justify this other than they need the money? I do not believe the public nor real estate professionals perceive any real significance to this designation and the alphabet soup of many others. I do not have The CRS designation, but I have others, and the cost stacks up.
Todd, I think that you as well as many others have caught onto the “money grab” that so many of these “alphabet soup” designations imply. If one’s business is so limited that it cannot thrive without the “alphabet soup” that winds up going on after their name, perhaps the “one” has chosen the wrong career path. For the most part consumers want an Agent that will assist them in their buying/selling needs. One that is attentive to their individual wants/likes/needs. Beyond that, I don’t think consumers (our customers & Clients) don’t really care what designations come after our name beyond… Read more »
I agree wholeheartedly. These organizations become self-serving profit centers at the expense of realtors. Not only do they want me to pay $250 reinstatement fee, but now also take courses (which makes them more $$$). Sorry, they can keep their designation
I am so sorry to see this new requirement on the very group of REALTORS who consistently make the largest investments in their education and continue to stay up to date on all phases of our business!! I suspect that it will be the end of this designation–the public doesn’t have much awareness of what all those letters behind our names are and never will. That is a reality that needs to be faced by the leadership in CRS! The more I think about this ruling the more ridiculous it seems–just a sad situation–hoping that it will be reconsidered–sooner than… Read more »