Four months after the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) launched the Commitment to Excellence (C2EX) program to boost professionalism, 21 Illinois REALTORS® have completed the program.
Two individuals who have earned the C2EX endorsement, Peoria-area REALTOR® Suzanne L. Miller and Dixon-area REALTOR® Vicky Turner, appreciate the customized approach that C2EX offers users.
Vicky Turner
Suzanne Miller
“I like that it is for everyone – not just an experienced agent or someone just getting started,” says Miller, the president for the Peoria Area Association of REALTORS® and a participant in the Illinois REALTORS® Leadership Development Program. “C2EX is a tool for you and your business.”
“I was excited to learn the specific content of the program, which includes a wide range of topics, including advocacy, code of ethics, fair housing, technology and NAR resources, many of which I was not aware of,” says Turner, vice chair of the Illinois REALTORS® Professional Standards Committee.
Through mid-March, 445 REALTORS® across the country have earned the C2EX endorsement and 16,000 have completed at least one segment of the program. A C2EX endorsement isn’t a designation, a course or a requirement. It is a benefit for all NAR members. It is self-directed and the cost is included as a benefit for each member, says NAR C2EX Program Specialist Courtney Jones.
“The program challenges you to step out of your comfort zone and take on a few new tasks, like being a mentor, sending out customer surveys and adding new resources to your skill set,” said Turner.
Training different for each REALTOR®
Members can download the C2EX icon to their mobile devices and go through the training at their own pace. Miller and Turner say that they found the time to finish the program in roughly two months. Those who prefer Android smartphones and tablets can use one version of the app, while iPhone and iPad users use another.
C2EX participants start with online self-assessments that measure 10 areas of expertise and then provide customized online training in those same areas.
“I am not sure how many hours I spent on C2EX,” says Turner. “I worked on it here and there. If I was waiting for a client to meet me, might have opened my iPad and worked on a segment. It is not something you are going to complete in one or two nights. But the information is so solid, you find yourself wanting to go back and take on the next segment. I still go back and check in. This program is ever-changing and offers new tasks and fresh ideas on a regular basis.”
“Earning the Commitment to Excellence endorsement is a true accomplishment and an affirmation to consumers that you stand for ethics and professionalism in your work,” says 2019 NAR President John Smaby. “Advances in technology and online user experience are making our business more and more seamless, and that’s fantastic. But with new technology can come vulnerabilities. A C2EX endorsement offers consumers the ease of mind that they have a skilled adviser, committed to conducting business at the highest standards, helping them through what may be the largest purchase or sale in their life.”
Visit C2EX.Realtor to get started today!
For more information, watch a video from the 2018 Commitment to Excellence Committee Chair Michael Labout or visit the Commitment to Excellence page. See a list of Illinois REALTORS® who have earned the endorsement so far.
