The Value of A GRI Education: Join the Graduate REALTOR® Institute and gain a competitive edge.

BY DYANA QUINZI
Administrative Assistant for Maryland REALTORS^®’ Department of Professional Development and Member Engagement.

Uncertainty can be the name of the game in any industry. With so many factors at play in the real estate market, real estate professionals need to give themselves every advantage to stand out as a consummate professional and subject matter expert. There are many reason REALTORS^® are required to obtain continuing education; reasons can include keeping up with legal changes, ensuring that Fair Housing laws are being followed, even understanding the changing tides of the industry.

The nation’s largest REALTOR^® designation, Graduate, Realtor^® Institute (GRI), can help you achieve your continuing education requirements while moving your career forward with a robust curriculum designed to take your skill set to the next level.

“For longevity in real estate, education is key,” said Demetria Scott, Chair of the GRI Advisory Board who has held her GRI designation since 2016. “Most real estate agents have been in the business for less than five years, and they have not experienced the cyclical nature of real estate first-hand—agents need to equip themselves in these challenging markets. When the market is shifting, this is when it’s most important to acquire new skills and new knowledge. The classes offered as part of the GRI curriculum allow agents to interact with experts across a variety of fields to better understand which skills and specializations can best help them expand their businesses in a changing market.”

Often referred to as the “REALTOR^® Master’s Degree,” obtaining your GRI involves 12 days of intensive classes that cover a variety of topics designed to enhance and strengthen your skills. Pre-licensing classes provide you with information needed to legally conduct a real estate transaction, but GRI classes take you to a new level, delivering insight into how to navigate the difficult and complex situations you are guaranteed to run across in your real estate career.

An added benefit of each series is the continuing education credits that students earn in Fair Housing, Ethics, Brokerage Relations, Contract Law, Basic Financing, Buyer Representation, Technology and Trends, and so much more.

100/200 Series – GRI Designation

From your very first class in GRI 100, you will realize the value of the GRI designation when learning all the tools, tips, and tricks to set up your very own successful real estate business from the ground up. Our instructors combine their years of experience with modern innovations and provide great advice that students can implement immediately. The GRI 100 series can help you build a better real estate business and re-focus your prospecting and listing systems to deliver these types of leads to your inbox and phone.”

The GRI program is not just for those new to the real estate world. REALTORS^® already in the field have taken advantage of the evolving education provided by GRI. Debbie Rettberg, a real estate professional with 23 years’ experience and a recent GRI student, enjoyed the classes. “I learned quite a bit,” said Rettberg. “My favorite classes were the appraisal class, sales and marketing techniques, and the land class.”

Series 200 delves into legal, environmental, and pricing issues. You will also learn how to use evolving technologies to aid you in your real estate business, while also discovering the importance of meditation and arbitration.

At the end of the 200 series, you will have earned your GRI Designation, which shows prospective clients your commitment to excellence and professionalism.

300/400 Series – Brokers License?

For those interested in sitting for the broker’s exam, GRI 300 and 400 offer the additional continuing education hours needed to qualify. These classes provide valuable insight into more advanced subjects such as commercial property, investments, distressed property, and land use. The instructors, who bring years of experience to the classroom, share in a collective goal to equip and empower participants to overcome any challenge they may encounter in the real estate market

While GRI is an investment in time, the GRI designees clearly understand the benefits that can come forth.

“One of the most important things I learned in the GRI classes was the need to split my time between working IN my business and working ON my business,” said Scott. If you’re spending all of your time on listing appointments and showing homes, this increases the likelihood of burnout and encourages the myopic view that the business is all about moving from one transaction to the next. Investing time to work on your business—pursuing certifications, learning how to incorporate assistants into your business model, or how to better supervise as a team lead—can help you grow financially and professionally as a real estate practitioner.”

If you are interested in taking your career to the next level with a GRI designation, visit our GRI page for more info. You can also email gri@mdrealtor.org with any questions.