I’ve heard of certifications like “Certified Distressed Property Expert” (CDPE) and “Certified Short Sale Specialist” (CSSS). Is this important?
Many companies are capitalizing on the record number of foreclosures and short sales in our real estate market by offering training seminars teaching real estate agents how to acquire short sale listings and process short sales. These training programs are typically one day or two day seminars, and after completing the seminar you’re given a “certification” like “Certified Distressed Property Expert” (CDPE), “Certified Short Sale Specialist” (CSSS), “Certified Short Sale Agent” (CSSA), “Certified Short-Sale Professional” (CSP), or one of many other “certifications”. While some of these training seminars may contain quality material, it’s impossible to become a short sale expert after one or two days of training. The most critical factor, in our opinion, is short sale experience—And lots of it. While one of these certifications may demonstrate that the agent has learned the fundamentals of the short sale process, it’s no guarantee that they would know how to handle some of the “curvebal
