REALTOR® University Graduates: Setting a New Standard
REALTOR® University Master of Real Estate graduates at
the graduation ceremony in Washington, D.C. Credit: National Association of
REALTORS®
The
pioneering class of REALTOR®
University’s Master of Real Estate program is re-entering the industry armed with new knowledge and
a new title that can help lift their careers to new levels.
Since
claiming their diplomas at REALTOR® U’s first-ever MRE graduation ceremony,
some of the graduates — nine in total — say that they have already used the
teachings from their classes to advance themselves in their local markets.
Graduating from the program has also allowed them to add the MRE designation to
their titles.
The
ceremony was held during the REALTOR® Party Convention & Trade Expo in
Washington, D.C., in May, when more than 8,000 REALTORS® descended on Capitol
Hill to talk real estate policy with their elected members of Congress.
“We
didn’t make it easy for you,” REALTOR® University President and National
Association of REALTORS® CEO Dale Stinton told graduates at the ceremony, which
was held in a room of about 200 attendees at D.C.’s Omni Shoreham hotel. He
noted that the graduates each put in 2,000
hours of coursework over two years to
attain their degrees. “That’s half your life for two years. That’s amazing,” he
said.
“You
are truly pioneers in the best sense of the word,” Stinton continued. “You
represent a powerful knowledge gained through rigor and curiosity. Yet your
degree comes with a great responsibility, as the challenges we face are not
insignificant in our industry. Now you are charged with expanding the borders
of knowledge for all REALTORS®.”
Becoming a Better Communicator
Tami
McHugh, broker-owner of Heritage Real Estate in Meridian, Idaho, was the first
person to sign up for the MRE program. She was honored at the ceremony for
having the top Capstone project among the class. For her project, McHugh looked
at the top 100 performers in her local MLS to see if there was a correlation
between their sales volume and their educational background. She found that 60
percent of the top 100 performers had earned a bachelor’s degree or higher, and
mean sales volume increased with higher educational degrees. (The mean sales
volume of practitioners with a high school diploma was $10.8 million, while the
mean sales volume for those with a post-graduate degree was $15.5 million.)
McHugh
says the MRE program taught her how to be a better communicator and makes her
more relatable to a wider pool of potential clients.
“The
reputation that real estate professionals are like car salesmen has been a
struggle,” she says. “In this industry, education helps you communicate better
— to write more concisely and speak more eloquently. It makes you more
relatable to people who are more highly educated themselves.”
She
also learned about topics that she was unfamiliar with prior to her coursework.
“I
learned more things about sustainability and expanded my understanding of real
estate law,” McHugh says. “I have a wider base of knowledge to pass on to my
clients. As issues like sustainability become more and more important, I now
know what questions to ask my clients. And I can write a better contract that
protects’ my clients’ rights.
“I’m
a strong supporter of education, and I encourage people to think bigger than
[the real estate market in Idaho] — to think globally. People often look at the
microcosm of our market, and they think that’s all there is. Education brings
us together as REALTORS® of our country, not just our states or our
communities.”
Spreading the Knowledge
Vernice
Ross, GRI, PMN, broker-owner of Ross & Ross Realty in San Diego, admits
that the MRE program was incredibly strenuous. Over two years, she logged 20 to
25 hours a week in coursework, all while running her business and being a
single mom.
“I
had been out of school for a while, so the first couple of classes were very
challenging, and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, why did I do this?’” she says. “But
after the first couple of classes, I got the hang of it.”
Ross
says every class she took was a practical one that she applies to her business
in the field every day. Her favorite classes include developing online
marketing plans, how to examine the competition, commercial real estate issues,
risk management, and using the latest technology for the industry.
“This
program makes you look at your business differently,” Ross says. “It has been
eye-opening.”
She’s
so thrilled with her experience that she says she plans to become an ambassador
to REALTOR® University. “When my local association has orientations or
conventions — or wherever there is a platform to speak — I would like to speak
on behalf of REALTOR® University.
“Because
of REALTOR® University, I have new contacts all over the country, and if I need
anything, I know I can call them up. They’re part of my family now.”
Putting New Skills to Use
Kirill
Gorbounov, SRES, associate broker at RE/MAX Allegiance in McLean, Va., has
already begun applying the things he learned through the MRE program to his
everyday business. Not only does he help clients buy and sell, but he’s also an
investor. He’s in the process of buying a new investment property, and he’s
using skills he acquired through REALTOR® University to close the deal.
“My
depth of understanding of the investment process has improved a lot, and I’m
now more confident in my approach in deals,” Gorbounov says. “And just having
this degree allows me to be more competitive in my marketplace. It decreases my
competition because so many people are not on my level anymore.”
He
says that he expects many more doors to open for him in the future, both in his
real estate business and investment practice. He works most often with buyers
and sellers in the high-price market, and those clients, he says, are more
likely to be influences by a real estate professional’s educational
credentials.
“A
lot of people probably don’t notice your educational background,” Gorbounov
says, “but individuals in the upper price range, they care about that stuff.
They see me as being of more value to them.”
McHugh, Ross, and Gorbounov all got
their MRE degrees with a concentration in residential real estate sales,
marketing, and management. See all the concentrations that REALTOR® University
offers.
Source:
DISCLAIMER: This blog has been curated from an
alternate source and is designed for informational purposes to highlight the
commercial real estate market. It solely represents the opinion of the specific
blogger and does not necessarily represent the opinion of Pacific Coast
Commercial. www.PacificCoastCommercial.com
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