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Isn't it impressive when you see another agent's profile with a long string of initials behind his or her name?  It might be GRI, or ABR, or SFR, CDPE, CHS, CFS, TRC or a host of other alphabet soup characters.  Being one with multiple Master's degrees, I am a big fan of education.  Not only should every agent take continuing education as needed, but they should also take education courses that make them better suited to work with clients in different and unique circumstances.

With all that said, I do have a different view of the alphabet soup that many agents carry around.  I was in a certification course last year.  Another broker and I were chatting during break when an agent stopped by to visit with us.  She had a string of initials after her name that would make the most well educated PhD jealous.

During our conversation the current certification course came up.  We would all be receiving another set of initials by the end of the day.  I had taken this particular certification because I was dealing with a client who had questions that I could only partially answer,  I needed a deeper understanding of the topic than I could grasp from a quick web search of the Internet.  The broker and I had already discussed our indifference to the new initials, but our colleague was very excited to add a few more to her name.

She asked us what initials we had behind our names, and we shared our current strings.  Immediately after, in what appeared to be a moment of initial laden euphoria, she blurted out her string in a sing-song way.  At the end, she took a deep breath while waiting for both of us to offer our kudos for her accomplishments.  Neither of us did.  Then she said, "So, what do you think about that?"  I'm learning that I don't need to say everything that comes to my mind.  It's a good lesson, but sometimes I forget.  My first response was, "Well, it's quite impressive that you've accomplished all of that learning.  I hope it has helped you become a more efficient Realtor."  Then, without taking a breath, I said, "But for me, a long string of initials behind my name only tells my clients and customers that I have the capacity to sit on my backside for days or hours on end.  They don't have a clue what all of those initials mean."

At that, she stormed back to her seat, and the other broker and I looked at each other wide-eyed and slighlty amused.  That brings me to my point.  I had to stop and ask myself, "Why do I want initials behind my name?"  So, before I spent another dollar on education I had to answer that question.  Since the economy tanked in 2008, dozens of new certifications have come to the industry.  Some are wonderful information-heavy certifications that will help you become a more efficient professional.  Other certifications seem more designed to help their creators pay their mortgage payments.  I would imagine many will disappear when the economy rebounds.

which ones should you focus on?  Here's a list of my questions and thoughts.

• Does it matter?  Will this certification make me a better professional?
• Is there enough quality information in this course to warrant the course fee?  Is this information I could just as easily get from a book or another Realtor with experience?  Is it the information that I crave, or is it the initials?  A moment of reflection might be in order.
• Will this certification make me more valuable to my clients and customers?  Is it specific enough for me to establish myself in a niche market that produces better than average results (i.e., short sales, etc.)?
• Do my customers have any idea what they all mean?  Does that matter?  Will I have to explain each one so they will have a better understanding of what my education experience means?
• Will they really make me a better Realtor?  For example, in our tech savvy environment, it might be good to learn how to use technology to your advantage.  A certification in that arena would definitely help you become a more diverse Realtor, but will it make you better?  If you use it well, absolutely!

These are only a couple things I ask myself.  I try to be a realist, and I realize that my goal as a Realtor should be to help people buy or sell homes.  Can I do that with no initials?  Sure.  Will the initials make me better at that?  Maybe.  I've often wondered if the alphabet soup on some Realtors profiles isn't to impress other Realtors.  If that is the case, they are simply spending money for something that a lot of people they're trying to impress don't have time to care about.  When I work with another Realtor I care about results.  I don't want to know what classes you've sat through.  I want to know if you can get that short sale through the process without my clients jumping off a bridge with me tied to them as a weight.  Efficiency reigns supreme in world.  I will never judge a Realtor's worth by their initials.  It all comes down to results with me.

I hold four Master's degrees, and I am at the end of my PhD.  That doesn't impress me at all.  What does impress me are those moments when all of that education comes flooding back to mind and whatever I'm working on breezes through to completion successfully.  I love to see a plan come together.  Education that does not produce results is expensive in many ways.  When you're tempted to get the latest certification, ask around. Websites like ActiveRain, Linked-in and REOPro are great resources for that kind of feedback.  Ask your colleagues if they are using their knowledge?  Find out if the information is up to date?  Could you use it the day of certification?  Will you be able to help clients who are struggling to sell a house, buy a house or keep a house?  Will it make you a better professional?