Why should I earn the Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR®) designation?
The Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR®) designation is the benchmark of excellence in buyer representation. This coveted designation is awarded by the Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council (REBAC), an affiliate of the National Association of REALTORS®, to real estate practitioners who meet the specified educational and practical experience criteria.
In addition, REBAC provides many membership benefits to help your business grow and keep you up-to-date and networked, with new enhancements added each year.
What are the ABR® designation requirements?
Four (4) requirements must be met to attain and use the ABR® designation:
- 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, 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. Superior School is offering the approved elective, Short Sales & Foreclosures: What Buyers Representatives Need to Know.
- Documentation verifying five (5) completed transactions in which the ABR® candidate acted as a buyer’s representative. Any transactions closed prior to taking the ABR®Designation Course or closed within three years after completing the course are eligible for credit. The documentation necessary for each of your five (5) completed transactions are as follows:
- 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 verifying that each transaction closed.
- Membership in good standing in the Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council (REBAC) and the NationalAssociation of REALTORS®.
Important Note: All requirements must be completed within three years of passing the Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR®) Designation Course.
What topics are covered in the ABR® Core Designation Course?
- Evolution of Buyer Representation
- Agency Relationships
- Office Policy, Standard of Care & Risk Management
- Agency Conflicts
- Agency Disclosure
- Services Provided
- Conflicts of Interest
- Changing an Agency Role
- Protecting the Broker
- Building a Buyer Representation Business
- The Purchase Contract
- Negotiating
What courses meet the ABR® designation elective course requirement?
More than a dozen different courses qualify as elective options, many of which are offered by REBAC, but the list also includes courses offered by NAR and other NAR affiliates. View all elective options, many of which also count towards other designation requirements. Please visit Career Counseling on REBAC.NET for more details. Good news! If you have the GRI designation, it will count as an elective for the ABR designation.
When can I begin using the ABR® logo in my advertisements/representations to the public?
Only REALTORS® who have met all the ABR® designation requirements and have been awarded the ABR® designation are permitted to call themselves an ABR®designee and use the ABR® logo.
Although you cannot use the ABR® designation until it has been awarded to you, membership in REBAC begins when you successfully complete the Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR®) Designation Course.
Related Data
REALTORS® WITH DESIGNATIONS EARN MORE!
The following table, based on data compiled by NAR Research, demonstrates that the average gross income for members with designations and certifications is considerably higher than for those who do not pursue additional real estate education.
