The following information is provided by the Center for REALTOR® Development (CRD).
In August of 2016, the Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR®) designation of the Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council (REBAC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of NAR, developed and launched a new resource aimed at educating potential homebuyers about the home-buying process.
This fantastic resource is the new HomeBuying.realtor website. The purpose of the site is to offer helpful information to potential homebuyers that they can use and consider immediately, while at the same time explaining the benefits of working with an Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR®) throughout the transaction, and how they can be connected to one in their area.
The site is organized around questions that many buyers have:
- Where do I start?
- How does the process work?
- Who will help me navigate this process?
- What else do I need to know?
To effectively address these questions, the site has major sections at the top menu reflecting this approach: Getting Started, Finding and Buying a Home, Moving Information, Home Buyer’s Blog. The Find a Buyer’s Rep section is a fully searchable database of real estate professionals with the ABR® designation.
All of these sections offer important background information for potential homebuyers, which makes them better-informed prospects for the real estate professional.
The concepts of agency, buyer representation, commission, closing costs, and agreements (which can be complicated for those not in the profession) are thoroughly discussed. The difference between an ABR® designee and other buyer’s representatives is discussed, making it clear that the additional education and benefits acquired through earning the ABR® designation translate into increased professionalism and service, and an overall better homebuyer experience.
Other sections of the site offer practical information that might not occur to prospective homebuyers, or that deal with issues they are not prepared or are too overwhelmed to handle. The section on moving, for example, breaks down the process into manageable chunks and also offers links to third-party tools for moving assistance that the homebuyer may not have even known about. Perhaps most helpful is an outline of the process about how to choose a moving company—something many buyers leave to the very end and aren’t well prepared for.
The main feature of the site is a blog that offers a wealth of information with new entries posting each week. The broad gamut of home-buying topics are addressed, such as: buying a home with less than 20 percent down; home inspections; disclosures; smart homes; and a vast wealth of other topics. ABR® designees are encouraged to share these blog posts in their communications with clients, on social sites, or on their websites, as long as attribution back to the program is given.
Perhaps most importantly, on almost every page of the site, the visitor is encouraged to request a complimentary copy of the REBAC’s Home Buyer’s Toolkit, which includes a customized list of ABR® designees in the requestor’s area so that they can follow up and reach out. In this manner, REBAC upholds and expands its commitment to supporting its members and their businesses.
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), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the National Association of REALTORS®, to real estate practitioners who meet the specified educational and practical experience criteria. This entire month of February, the two-day online ABR® Designation Course is offered at 25% off its regular price—a savings of over $70!
For more information, please visit RISMedia’s online learning portal from NAR’s Center for REALTOR® Development (CRD) and the Learning Library. Here, real estate professionals can sign up for online professional development courses, industry designations, certifications, CE credits, Code of Ethics programs and more. NAR’s CRD also offers monthly specials and important education updates. New users will need to register for an account.
For the latest real estate news and trends, bookmark RISMedia.com.
