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. Read below for more information on the designations earned by Joa Realty.

	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.
	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.
	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®.