CRS, which stands for Certified Residential Specialist, is a designation that recognizes a high level of professional accomplishments in real estate experience and education. The Residential Sales Council grants the CRS designation only to the most outstanding sales associates in the residential sales field. Besides the completion of a rigorous course of study, the candidate must be able to demonstrate 75 successful transactions or average sales of $1 million per year of experience. Only 4% of all real estate agents are awarded the CRS designation.

GRI stands for Graduate, REALTOR Institute. The REALTOR Institute offers a series of 90 hours of required and elective courses conducted by the local Board or Association of REALTORS. These courses cover all areas of real estate -- residential, investment, construction and mortgage. The GRI designation is a prerequisite of many specialized courses in the REALTOR organization.

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