What Do All Those Letters Mean?

Hi! I’m Craig Smyser, GRI, CPRES, ePRO, CRS, CDPE, and CDRS. But wait, what do all those letters mean?!

Greetings! Have you ever noticed that many real estate agents have a whole slew of letters after their name?  Wondering why they’re there?  Well, their meant to impress you.  These are designations that agents can earn or sometimes can pretty much just buy.  They took a class on a specific subject that lasted a few hours or maybe a few days.  I venture the general public doesn’t know what these mean – heck, I know the major ones, but even I don’t know what many of them stand for.  When I first got into real estate, I quickly took classes to obtain the GRI which is the Graduate of the Realtor Institute.  I didn’t need to do anything other than take the class and it made me as a rookie look like I’d done something important.  Or so I thought.  Over the years, I’ve obtained other designations, but you won’t find me referencing them much – especially not listed out after my name.  Why?  To me, they don’t mean much and I don’t think the general public cares.  So I just let my experience and track record speak for itself.  Whenever I see a long list of these designations after an agent’s name in an email signature or on a postcard, it reminds me of this clip from Cheers.  I’m Craig Smyser, GRI, CPRES, ePRO, CRS, CDPE, and CDRS with 1835 Realty.