Memphis, TN
United States
The premier recipient of the newly created REBAC Course Provider of the Year award has really set the standard by which its associates will be judged in the future. The Memphis Area Association of REALTORS® (MAAR) has quickly become a regional hub for ABR® training. In just two years, more than 600 REALTORS® from Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas and beyond, have been awarded the designation upon successful completion of a course provided by MAAR. Enrollment at MAAR courses is among the highest in the country-averaging between 60 and 100 people per class.
Acknowledging the singular honor, MAAR Education Director Linda Stubbs said, "We have worked very hard to bring these courses to real estate professionals in our area. It's very nice to be recognized for all our hard work." She says that although the ABR® course is the same as that offered across the country, the thing that sets the MAAR presentations apart is the instructors. Using her experience as a former technology professor at the University of Memphis, Stubbs knows what to look for when hiring instructors, "First and foremost, they have to be qualified by REBAC to teach the ABR® course. They have to have an educational background, interact well with the students, and be knowledgeable in the field. They have to be engaging and create varied activities, not just stand in front of the class."
Acknowledging that REBAC has made some changes to the ABR® designation course that makes the certification more challenging to acquire, Stubbs says course time is longer and the curriculum is more complex. "The purpose of the course is to teach real estate professionals how to best represent a buyer. Previously, there was never a real focus on the needs of the buyer and I think REBAC is doing a great job of meeting the needs of buyers."
MAAR executive director Jules Wade saw the importance of the move to buyer representation and had some heavy hitters backing its ABR® program from the start. Both Sheila Hensley, ABR®, REBAC Hall of Famer, Advisory Board Member, and regular contributor to Today's Buyer's Rep (TBR), and national ABR® instructor Brenda Russell, ABR®, helped get the program underway. MAAR has 3,400 members serving the real estate needs of Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas.
For more on the Memphis Area Association of REALTORS®, visit their website at http://www.maar.org/.