What’s Different About a REALTOR® 

REALTORS® are also committed to higher levels of education and professional development; many REALTORS® have earned professional designations or specialty certifications requiring intensive study. For example, REALTORS® who have obtained the Certified Buyer Representative and Certified Residential Specialist designations have been trained in all aspects of serving as buyers' and sellers' representatives in real estate transactions.

As a member of the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®, your REALTOR® can tap into numerous resources, like immediate access to full-time, staff real estate attorneys who can provide objective up-to-the-minute counsel. Your REALTOR® also receives up-to-date information on a wide variety of legal, financial and economic issues and has access to an association with more than 80 years of experience in real estate. And, if things don't work out, your REALTOR® can offer arbitration as a choice instead of lengthy and expensive legal proceedings.

The CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® has served as the unsurpassed proponent of integrity, professional standards and private property rights fortification within the real estate industry in California since 1905.

In addition to subscribing to the REALTOR® Code of Ethics and belonging to their local, state and national REALTOR® associations, some REALTORS® have undergone additional training to serve specific markets and client groups. If, for example, you'd like to work with a REALTOR® who is familiar with international transactions or a REALTOR® who works primarily with elderly clients, you might want to find REALTORS® who are designated as Certified International Property Specialists (CIPS) or Senior Real Estate Specialists (SRES), respectively.