I have no idea what younger agents think. Majority of new agents don't last very long in the business in any event. I have these designations and they are a source of referral business to me year after year.

The education is fine but some of the newer agents should be studying ETHICS.

I doubt it. They don't matter much to me, and I'm not in the "younger" category.

As an aside, there was a time when I had to hire people in my corporate career. I didn't care where the interviewees got their degree. They could have a high degree from a ivy league school but if they came into that interview and displayed lack of common sense, determination, ability to learn, kindness, etc., I'd rather give the job to someone with a high school education who had those traits. I feel the same way about designations. If the person who has them performs better because of them, getting them matters. If they now just have a string of alphabet capitals after their name, but nothing has changed, they don't matter.

I think that newer agents are obsessed with them personally. They will find out soon enough that the public just doesn't care. I agree that the info they provide is pretty lame for the most part.

I don't think ANYONE outside our industry knows what designations mean or even care about them

I am all for the education but not sure about the abbreviations.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, designations mean nothing to the general public.  They are simply a scam put on by the NAR to extort more money out of the sheep.

My favorite one is the GRI!  I've seen amazing feats of stupidity conducted by people oh so proud and boastful of their GRI designation.

I believe all education matters.  Are there more valuable forms of education? Probably.   That said, I think the CRS carries the most weight and value as far as designations go.

I've never given any weight to these designations other than the information gained - not sure why, other than vanity agents even add them to the end of the names - no one knows what they mean or stand for

As a younger agent (at heart) I'll answer that; yes...but, for the education and strategies, not the designation itself...necessarily. I take lots of training that offers no certificate or designation, but I still take it. I don't need a designation to claim my expertise either. 

Likely the same answer as for not-so-young agents - it depends on the individual.   I'm sure N.A.R. has either done or is contemplating such a study.

No; however in our market agents getting started are older not younger.

It didn't seem important too me in 1990 when I was licensed and young and that was before everything was available on the internet. Was there an internet yet back then? 

have not asked them

I don't think so.. I have never been asked in 24 years about designations. 

I don't think the general public knows the difference.  

I think they mean less today than they did years ago.

Only if they learn from the classes.

I get turn off by them, I know one old timer that has so many on his business card but he does 2 deals a year.

They are more worried about making connections and money

I could care less about them and I have NEVER had a client ask.  One local broker is a bit obsessed with them. 

 Alphabet soup.  What do they mean to the Public?

i think younger agents should focus on learning to market; securing guidance from a mentor; attending basic training classes.... and once the agent is on his/her way, then the GRI and CRS designations would be worthwhile...

That might depend on the agent, their prior experience, education, background. Some new agents bring a lot of business, negotiation and contract skills to the table .... 

Not as much are real world knowledge and experience.

Nope

With all due respect: You can give out designations as they are not regulated. CSP...customer service rep or SSH special sale handling etc. So now what?

They are a source of referrals and offer good education. There are alternatives that are less costly.

Dennis Swartz I think younger agents are more worried about getting business.

Training is crucial, but in my experience the mentoring I have received over the years was more beneficial than an hour here or there to earn a designation. 

I am very proud of the designations that I have earned at this point. I do it for myself and not the public.

Education is IMPORTANT.

However, the stuff being sold to agents by the real estate failure system is completely mis-aligned with the reality and expectation of ANYONE younger that 30.

These newbies WILL change real estate as we know it. And this change can not come soon enough.

Those agents who have a death grip on the tiller of the ship christened "The Old Guard" are in for turbulent times.

The age of empowerment and collaboration is upon us. We THINK we know what that means, but the reality is, if we hold fast to established perceptions, we will go down holding tight the tiller demise.

Those designations, as I have said for years,  appended to one name, are simply red flags altering others to the ego of a real estate agent.

Designations are like a college education. You can have them and still not know anything. Having 'elders' to pass down the really important stuff is what makes you good at what you do. That and the hands-on experience of enough failures and successes to know which is which. So nothing has really changed in thousands of years. LOL

Oklahoma has an excellent GRI program and CRS is still robust.

No doubt that the education behind them is extremely valuable, but I feel the younger generation will feel that they are old school and just won't care. It takes time to build these and I don't think they have the patience. 

No idea.

I'm not younger, but I am newer. In any industry, I'm all for ongoing education to supplement on the job experience. Where I tend to draw the line is where obtaining a certification of some sort is quick, easy, and relatively inexpensive, but maintaining it is a yearly cost. To me, that smacks of pure income stream to the certifying entity and does nothing for the broker/agent.

The certifications that take time to earn and which do not require yearly "maintenance" fees, on the other hand, can be worthwhile I think. 

Not really.  Newer agent would be better off focusing on getting appointments and new business.

Training is never a waste but the cost to maintain is another story. 

They do not matter much to consumers either who do not know what they mean. To the new agents, they want to start at the top

No. The education is fine but the annual costs are not worth it.