By: Grace Smith, GTR Director of Education and Member Development
This year has been, in a word, challenging. COVID-19 threw us for a loop, and everyone experienced something that you cannot train for. We experienced emotional, personal and professional challenges that will forever change the way we live. We were forced to learn to enjoy being at home (and hunting for toilet paper) more than ever before, to adapt to virtual showings and open houses and to rely on technology to thrive during this global pandemic.
As the Director of Education and Member Development at Greater Tampa REALTORS® (GTR), I witnessed something overwhelmingly positive emerge from the pandemic – our members investing in themselves and focusing on their education. Whether it was going “back to the basics”, or attending some of our advanced classes, during the pandemic, over 30% of our GTR members decided to bring education to the forefront and join us for one of our 500+ class offerings. Many of you also took this time to obtain new certifications & designations. In fact, so far this year GTR has added over 1000 certifications & designations to our members’ records!
November has been widely recognized as REALTOR® Designation Awareness Month and I would like to share some of our exciting certification and designation classes, coming up in 2021. Did you know, a survey of REALTORS® conducted by the National Association of REALTORS® found that members with just one designation increased their income by over $27,600 (NAR Member Profile)! If you have not yet taken classes to obtain a certification or designation, now is the time to include it in your business plan.
For our newest members, the Graduate REALTOR® Institute (GRI) is a seven-module designation, designed to give you an in-depth training in legal and regulatory issues, technology, professional standards and the sales process. This designation will set you apart and show you as a resource with expertise in the various areas of real estate. Did I mention, the 100 series will also complete your 45-hour post licensing requirement? GTR will offer the GRI 100 series four times in 2021 and you can complete your post licensing for $120. Members who would like to obtain the entire designation (GRI 100, 200 & 300) can do so in 2021 for only $360!
For our global real estate professionals, we have plenty of opportunities for you to increase your knowledge base. GTR is offering the Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS), the Resort & Second-Home Property Specialist (RSPS) and the Global Real Estate Professional (GREP) in 2021. If you are a member of our Tampa Bay Global Business Council, you will receive additional discounts on any GTR global certifications & designations. If you would like to learn more about the Tampa Bay Global Business Council, please contact our Global & Commercial Coordinator, Javin Nededog at Javin@tamparealtors.org.
GTR will also host the Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR), the Seller Representative Specialist (SRS) and the Real Estate Negotiation Expert (RENE) certification and designations in 2021. These three two-day classes are meant to assist our members in becoming well-rounded real estate professionals and increase their knowledge in the different sides of the transaction. Don’t miss this opportunity to take all three classes in 2021!
GTR maintains a strong stance against inequality and we want to educate our members of the importance of understanding and effectively working with diverse populations. It is important for our members now, more than ever, to embrace diversity and create successful multicultural businesses! Don’t miss the chance to complete the At Home with Diversity (AHWD) class in 2021. Over 300 members completed the At Home with Diversity certification class this year. Our Board of Directors also passed a motion that requires all GTR leaders to complete the At Home with Diversity class.
GTR is with you as your educational partner to overcome this challenging time. Take advantage of all that we have to offer, and in planning for the coming year, I highly suggest that you look at our certification & designation calendar to find the class that is right for you.
As Tom Ferry said at our 2020 GTR Virtual Convention,
“What are you going to do? Because every hour matters, every minute matters, and how you spend it, matters…. Make 2021 you best year ever!”
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