WORK WITH A CERTIFIED RESIDENTIAL SPECIALIST TO

ENSURE A SUCCESSFUL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTION

Technology is driving the real estate market.  It is faster, more complex and more

competitive in every way.  Homebuyers shop the Internet, offers arrive by phone and

mortgages are approved in the comfort of the living room.

 ``In this fast-paced market place, home buyers and sellers need more than just a

realtor," said Toni Sherman, CRS.  ``Home buyers and sellers need a professional

with unique training and know-how to create opportunities, identify potential pitfalls

up front, and make the transaction an unqualified success.  Home buyers and sellers

need a Certified Residential Specialist."

 Sherman, 1999 president of the Council of Residential Specialists, organization of the

nations' top 5% of realtors, says agents who hold the Certified Residential Specialist

designation have experience, commitment and advanced training to help home buyers

and sellers get the most out of their real estate transaction.

 Sherman lists five reasons home buyers and sellers should work with a CRS:

1. EXPERIENCE – To earn the Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) designation, every

realtor must have significant experience and volume of real estate transactions.

2. ETHICS – Every CRS designee is required to maintain membership in the National

Association of Realtors and to abide by its strict code of ethics.

3. A FOCUS ON HOME BUYING AND SELLING – To help make the home buying

and selling process more rewarding, every CRS designee must have a proven track

record in the business, as well as advanced education in related areas like finance,

technology and marketing.

4. TECHNOLOGY EXPERTISE – The training available to CRS designees includes a

strong focus on technology and its applications in the real estate business.

5. AN ABILITY TO MAXIMIZE PROFITS AND MINIMIZE COSTS – Every

CRS is trained to help clients understand the local market, screen prospective buyers

and sellers, negotiate in the best interest of the client, and ultimately ensure a successful

home purchase or sale.

Sherman says the rare combination of education and experience makes the Certified

Residential Specialist more than just another real estate agent.  ``I encourage consumers

to discover the difference a CRS makes and how enjoyable and successful a real estate

relationship can be."   Sherman adds, ``A CRS will help your buying or selling experience

an unqualified success."