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Frequently Asked Questions About the ABR® Designation
ABR® Designation
Why should I earn the Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR®) designation?
What are the ABR® designation requirements?
What courses meet the ABR® designation elective course requirement?
When can I begin using the ABR® designation/logo in my advertisements and in my representations to the public?
Membership
Do I have to belong to REBAC to earn my ABR® designation?
What are some of the benefits of belonging to REBAC?
How do I join REBAC?
Do I have to be a member of NAR to be a member of REBAC?
Dues
What is the cost of annual REBAC membership?
Why is my dues invoice less than the cost of one year's dues?
ABR® Designation
Why should I earn the Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR®) designation?
The Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR®) designation is the benchmark of excellence in buyer representation. This coveted designation is awarded by the Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council (REBAC), an affiliate of the National Association of REALTORS®, to real estate practitioners who meet the specified educational and practical experience criteria.
In addition, REBAC provides many membership benefits to help your business grow and keep you up-to-date and networked, with new enhancements added each year.
What are the ABR® designation requirements?
Four (4) requirements must be met to attain and use the ABR® designation:
- Successful completion of the two-day Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR®) Designation Course, including an 80 percent passing grade on the exam. After you complete this course you will have three (3) years in which to complete the other ABR® designation requirements.
- Successful completion of one of the ABR® elective courses, including an 80 percent passing grade on the exam. This course may be taken prior to completing the Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR®) Designation Course.
- Documentation verifying five (5) completed transactions in which the ABR® candidate acted as a buyer’s representative. Any transactions closed prior to taking the ABR® Designation Course or closed within three years after completing the course are eligible for credit. The documentation necessary for each of your five (5) completed transactions are as follows:
- Copy of the signed buyer agency agreement OR purchase/sale agreement OR disclosure statement. The contract must verify the agent's name and/or include the agent's signature as the buyer's agent. Providing only the name and/or signature of the buyer's agent's broker is not sufficient.
AND - Copy of the closing/settlement statement verifying that each transaction closed.
- Copy of the signed buyer agency agreement OR purchase/sale agreement OR disclosure statement. The contract must verify the agent's name and/or include the agent's signature as the buyer's agent. Providing only the name and/or signature of the buyer's agent's broker is not sufficient.
- Membership in good standing in the Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council (REBAC) and the NationalAssociation of REALTORS®.
Important Note: All requirements must be completed within three years of passing the Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR®) Designation Course.
What courses meet the ABR® designation elective course requirement?
More than a dozen different courses qualify as elective options, many of which are offered by REBAC, but the list also includes courses offered by NAR and other NAR affiliates. View all elective options, many of which also count towards other designation requirements. See Career Counseling for more details.
When can I begin using the ABR® logo in my advertisements/representations to the public?
Only REALTORS® who have met all the ABR® designation requirements and have been awarded the ABR® designation are permitted to call themselves an ABR® designee and use the ABR® logo.
Although you cannot use the ABR® designation until it has been awarded to you, membership in REBAC begins when you successfully complete the Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR®) Designation Course. Other member benefits can be reviewed here.
Membership
Do I have to belong to REBAC to earn my ABR® designation?
To earn and maintain the ABR® designation, you must continue your membership with both the Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council (REBAC) and the National Association of REALTORS®. (Exception: International members of REBAC do not have to belong to NAR.)
Failure to maintain membership with REBAC for five (5) consecutive years or longer will result in having to repeat all the ABR® requirements. Exceptions for certain situations will be considered if we are notified prior to your absence and it is noted in your record.
If your REBAC membership should lapse for three (3) months, a $50 reactivation fee will be assessed, in addition to a pro-ration of the current year’s membership. If you let your membership lapse for five or more years, you’ll need to retake the Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR®) Designation Course before reinstating your ABR® designation.
What are some of the benefits of belonging to REBAC?
With new enhancements made each year, REBAC benefits are designed to keep members well informed, and to help their businesses prosper. We keep you abreast of management and marketing trends in the real estate industry, and on top of current legal and legislative issues. You also profit by being part of a larger network of experienced buyer’s representatives who willingly share practical advice with one another.
Membership allows you to attain and maintain the ABR® designation, the benchmarks of excellence in buyer representation, and the only buyer-representative designations recognized by NAR. See all membership benefits.
How do I join REBAC?
The only way to join REBAC is by successfully completing the Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR®) Designation Course, for which you will receive one year free membership in REBAC.
Do I have to be a member of NAR to be a member of REBAC?
Yes, all members of REBAC must also be active members of the National Association of REALTORS®, with the exception of international REBAC members, who do not need to join NAR.
Dues
What is the cost of annual REBAC membership?
REBAC membership dues are $110/year. Your first year's membership in REBAC is included free with successful completion of the Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR®) Designation Course. Dues are billed annually, with your first dues invoice pro-rated to bring your membership to a calendar billing cycle.
Why is my dues invoice less than the cost of one year's dues?
REBAC membership dues are billed in November and are due on January 1st.
If your dues invoice is for less than $110, that means you took the Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR®) Designation Course some time after January in the preceding year and the free one-year membership you received after completing the course began at that time. The amount you were billed covers the months remaining in the calendar year after your free membership expires, bringing your billing into a calendar year billing cycle.