Course Description:
The Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR®) designation is the benchmark of excellence in buyer representation. ABR® education provides the expertise you need for an edge in serving today’s home buyers. Not only do ABR® designees earn more, but member benefits such as publications, marketing tools, a referral network and other resources, help maintain that edge.
This coveted designation is awarded to real estate practitioners by the Real Estate Buyer's Agent Council (REBAC) of the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) who meets the specified educational and practical experience criteria.
For information on how to obtain the ABR® Designation, please click here.
How you will benefit from taking the ABR® Designation:
- Prepare real estate professionals to thoroughly represent buyer-clients in all real estate transactions
- Learn how to provide the highest quality of service to buyers and sellers.
- Discover ideas and methods for building a buyer representation business.
- Understand how to develop a self-customized tool for conducting a buyer counseling session.
What the ABR® Designation provides:
- Marketing plans
- ABR® Facebook business splash page
- ABR® network online community
- ABR® App
- Printed marketing materials
- Additional marketing tools – online membership directory, logos, gold stickers, and referral network
- Publications
- Additional resources
- Events
For complete details about the benefits you can receive with the ABR® designation, please visit http://rebac.net/designation_membership_benefits.cfm.
Registration: To register for the required ABR® designation course near you, visit the Education Calendar.
Or take the two-day required ABR® designation course online.
This two-day course will cover:
- About The Real Estate BUYER'S AGENT Council, Inc.
- REBAC Membership Benefits
- The ABR® Designation: A Market Distinction
- ABR® Benefits
- New Designees
- Take up to 3 Years To Complete Requirements
- When Can You Start Using the ABR® Designation?
- FAQs about the ABR® and ABRM® designations?
- Course Goals
- Learning Objectives
- What is Buyer Representation?
- Evolution of Buyer Representation
- Parties in a Real Estate Transaction
- Types of Relationships
- Office Policy
- How Relationships Are Formed
- How We Work With Buyers
- Advantages of Buyer Representation
- When Agency Relationships Change
- Compensation
- Fiduciary Duties to Clients and Customers
- What is Reasonable Care and Diligence?
- Controversy
- Agency Conflicts
- Recognizing Conflicts of Interest in Fiduciary Relationships
- Limiting Scope of Services
- Penalties for Breach of Fiduciary Duties
- Services Buyers and Sellers Want
- Buyer Services Provided in a Real Estate Transaction
- Needs Assessment
- Property Selection
- Viewing Properties
- Negotiating the Purchase and Sales Agreement
- Follow-through After the Purchase Agreement
- Providing Lists of Other Professionals
- Finding Properties
- Working with FSBOs
- Foreclosures
- New Home Construction
- Risk Reduction and Management
- Subprime, Predatory, and High Risk Lending: What Buyer's Representatives Need to Know
- Non-traditional Loan Programs
- Adjustable Rate Mortgages
- Fair Housing and the Buyer's Representative
- Goals of a Counseling Session
- Conducting a Buyer Counseling Session
- Modes of Compensation
- Relocation Buyers
- Buyers to Avoid
- Creating an Offer
- Preparing the Buyer
- Protecting the Buyer's Interests
- Working Toward a Purchase Contract
- Adhering to the REALTOR® Code of Ethics
- Handling Multiple Offers
- When You Cannot Present an Offer
- Negotiation "Know-How"
- Strategies for Buyers' or Sellers' Markets
- Identify the Buyer's Objectives
- Plan a Negotiation Strategy
- Assess the Big Picture
- Follow-Through
- Developing a Personal Marketing Plan
- Finding Qualified Buyers
- Reaching Out to Potential Clients
- Ramp Up Your Web Site
- Use your ABR® as a Marketing Edge Ethics
- Marketing Support for REBAC Members
- Next Steps
ABR® Designation Requirements:
To obtain and use the ABR® designation, you must complete all four (4) requirements:
- Successful completion of the two-day Accredited Buyer's Representative (ABR®) Designation Course, including an 80 percent passing grade on the exam. After you complete this course you will have three (3) years in which to complete the other ABR® designation requirements.
- Successful completion of one of the ABR® elective courses, (see below) including an 80 percent passing grade on the exam. This course may be taken prior to completing the Accredited Buyer's Representative (ABR®) Designation Course.
- Maintain active and good membership status in the Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council (REBAC) and the National Association of REALTORS®. Exception: International members of REBAC do not have to be members of NAR.
- Documentation verifying five (5) completed transactions in which you acted solely as a buyer representative (no dual agency). Any transactions closed prior to taking the Accredited Buyer's Representative (ABR®) Designation Course or closed within three years after completing the Accredited Buyer's Representative (ABR®) Designation Course are eligible for credit. Documentation necessary for each of your five (5) completed transactions:
- Copy of the signed buyer agency agreement OR purchase/sale agreement OR disclosure statement. The contract must verify the agent's name and/or include the agent's signature as the buyer's agent. Providing only the name and/or signature of the buyer's agent's broker is not sufficient.
AND - Copy of the closing/settlement statement or letter from your broker verifying that each transaction closed.
After you complete this course, you will automatically become a member of REBAC for one year—free! You’ll then be able to access many of the member benefits and work towards completing your remaining ABR® designation requirements.
Upon receipt, review and approval of your application, the ABR® designation will be awarded to you. REBAC will send you the ABR® Designation Kit which includes a certificate, lapel pin, advertising slicks, a press release for distribution to your local media and reproduction artwork of the ABR® logo for your advertisements. Although you cannot use the ABR® designation until it has been awarded to you, membership in REBAC begins when you complete the ABR® Designation course.
Important Note: All requirements must be completed within three years of passing the ABR® Designation Course. Only REALTORS® who meet all these requirements and have been officially awarded the ABR® designation are permitted to call themselves an ABR® and can use the ABR® logo.
Instructor:
For Instructor Bios click here.
ABR® electives:
There are currently 18 courses you can select from to complete your elective course option.
- BPOs: The Agent’s Role in the Valuation Process course
- Short Sales and Foreclosures: What Buyer’s Representatives Need to Know (SFR) course
- NAR’s Green Designation
- e-PRO® Certification
- Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES®) Designation
- Resort and Second-Home Markets (RSPS) Certification
- REBAC: Real Estate Marketing Reboot course
- REBAC: Successful Buyer Representation in New-Home Sales course
- REBAC: Successful Buyer Representation in Relocation course
- Global Real Estate: Local Markets course
- REBAC: Generation Buy course
- Land 101: Fundamentals of Land Brokerage course
- Harnessing the Power: Skills Based Management course
- NAR’s HAFA Short Sale course
- Effective Negotiating for Real Estate Professionals course
- Creating Wealth through Residential Real Estate Investment course
- At Home with Diversity course
- Short Sales and Foreclosures: Protecting Your Clients Interest course
