What a difference a day at the spa makes!

A good realtor always keeps her eyes and ears open for valuable insights, and that might include during time spent at the Spa for some sorely needed R&R. In fact, the masseuse who took all the pressure off my nerves last week also sparked a gem of a thought, as she told me that no professional should stop gaining education. “Go to classes,â€� she said, “Read literature, learn from mistakes and coincidental luck, treasure every pearl of knowledge and don’t forget to give back.â€� At that moment I realized that never has there been a time in the real estate profession, like the current time, to value all those “lettersâ€� behind realtors’ names. This doesn’t mean that a realtor without a few designations after her name isn’t a good realtor; it simply means that the one with the designations has taken time and made an effort to broaden her knowledge about real estate law, performance, service, and requirements in various practices of real estate, which she then gives back to her customers. The National Association of Realtors provides courses leading to nine realtor designations, with the following six for residential practices. They are: ABR (Accredited Buyer Representative), focusing on all aspects of buyer representation ALC (Accredited Land Consultant), the recognized experts in land brokerage CIPS (Certified International Property Specialist), focusing on the international market CRS (Certified Residential Specialist), for experienced agents who complete advanced training in listing and selling and meet rigorous production requirements. GRI (Graduate of the Realtor Institute) for residential realtors who add a solid base of information. Green (Green Designation) the newest designation for accepted green practitioners Amazing what one can learn from a day at the spa, and I highly recommend it.