What's an ABR?

The Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR®) designation is the benchmark of excellence in buyer representation. The Real Estate Buyer´s Agent Council (REBAC) of the National Association of REALTORS® awards this coveted designation to real estate practitioners who meet the specified educational and practical experience criteria.

About the Real Estate Buyer´s Agent Council  (REBAC) 

The Real Estate BUYER'S AGENT Council, REBAC, was founded in 1988 to promote superior buyer representation skills and services. An affiliate of THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS since 1996, REBAC's membership now numbers well over 40,000 and is the worlds largest organization of real estate professionals concentrating on buyer representation. Members who meet all course and professional experiential requirements are awarded the ABR (Accredited Buyers Representative) and/or ABRM^sm (Accredited Buyers Representative Manager) designation(s). Both are the only designations of their type recognized by NAR.

The ABR designation is geared towards agents who wish to enhance their buyer representation skills, and provides proof to prospective buyer-clients of their proficiency at servicing the special needs of buyers. The ABRM^sm designation, on the other hand, is intended for owners, brokers and managers who have or intend to incorporate buyer representation into their company's service offerings. 

Why you should use an Accredited Buyer's Representative (ABR)?

A real estate agent is licensed to negotiate and transact the sale of real estate on behalf of the property owner - even if you hire them to help you purchase a house.

A buyer's representative represents the consumer who is purchasing property, not the seller.  Although state law varies, a buyer's representative usually works for and owes fiduciary responsibilities to the real estate buyer.   It is the buyer representative that has buyer's best interests in mind throughout the entire real estate transaction.

Why should you look for the ABR designation before looking for a home? These three letters after a REALTOR's name tell you that you will be working with buyer representative who is committed to your best interests.  The ABR designation is awarded by REBAC to those REALTORS who have have met the specific educational and experiential criteria needed to provide the high level quality service required by REBAC (Real Estate BUYER'S AGENT Council).