Rich holds a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) in Finance from Keller Graduate School of Management and a Bachelors of Science (B.S.) in Economics from Northern Illinois University. Rich has over 15 years of experience with large consulting firms and corporations such as IBM, Kraft Foods and Parson Consulting. He brings his corporate and consulting experience to efficiently run a family owned real estate brokerage and utilizes his technology background to streamline and automate many of the administrative tasks required to run a successful, entrepreneurial business.
A Certified Residential Specialist CRS) is considered the “graduate school” of real estate management. Less than 4% of all agents hold this designation. The Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) is the highest Designation awarded to Realtors in the residential sales field. The CRS Designation recognizes professional accomplishments reflected through higher experience levels and stronger education backgrounds. New and inexperienced Realtors CANNOT earn this Designation. In additional to more experience and education, we maintain current knowledge on real estate trends and topics ranging from investments to taxes and from local legislation to federal programs. We hold all of these Designation to PROVE to you that we know what we are doing and can fully REPRESENT you in any type of real estate transaction. Do you want an experienced Broker with multiple Designations who owns their own business or a sales associate who works part time in the field and holds no Designations. THERE IS A DIFFERENCE!
A Certified Investor Agent Specialist™ (CIAS) is a real estate professional specifically trained to find, create and close with residential real estate investors. We help all types of real estate investors develop their investment strategies, obtain financing conventionally or through self-directed IRA’s, and give them access to our Investment Team (attorneys, CPA’s, handymen, property manager, etc). We will provide you financial information on each investment property (i.e. cap rate, cash flow, cash-on-cash return, and other key calculations. We will then help you leverage your money and properties to grow your portfolio of real estate investments and ultimately grow your wealth through real estate. We can show you strategies where you can sell your homes, buy more homes and possibly NEVER pay any taxes if you follow the guidelines of a 1031 Exchange.
Nearly one-third of all existing homes sold recently were either short sales or foreclosures, according to National Association of Realtors® data. For many real estate professionals, short sales and foreclosures are the new “traditional” real estate transaction. Knowing how to help sellers maneuver the complexities of short sales as well as help buyers pursue short sale and foreclosure opportunities are not merely good skills to have in today’s market—they are critical. And while short sales and foreclosures are not for the faint of heart, agents with the proper tools and training can use these specialty areas to build their business for the long term. We can help guide the home seller, home buyer or investor through the complexities of this type of transaction.
A Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE)® is a real estate professional with specific understanding of the complex issues confronting the real estate industry, and the foreclosure avoidance options available to homeowners. Through comprehensive training and experience, CDPEs are able to provide solutions for homeowners facing hardships in today’s market, specifically short sales. While enduring financial difficulties is challenging for any family, the process of finding a qualified real estate professional should not be. Selecting an agent with the CDPE Designation ensures you are dealing with a professional trained to address your specific needs. CDPEs don’t merely assist in selling properties, they serve and help save their clients in need.
The Graduate REALTOR® Institute (GRI) symbol is the mark of a real estate professional who has made the commitment to provide a high level of professional services by securing a strong educational foundation. REALTORS® with the GRI designation are highly trained in many areas of real estate to better serve and protect their clients. Developed for members of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® and offered through State REALTOR® Associations, the GRI program includes 90 hours of coursework on topics from marketing and servicing listed properties to real estate law.
The Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR®) designation is the benchmark of excellence in buyer representation. This coveted designation is awarded to real estate practitioners by the Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council (“REBAC”) of the National Association of REALTORS® who meet the specified educational and practical experience criteria. It’s sole focus is on the buyer of the transaction…whether an individual, family, or real estate investor.
An e-PRO is a REALTOR® who has successfully completed the e-PRO training program for real estate professionals. Endorsed by the National Association of REALTORS®, the e-PRO course teaches professionals the nuts and bolts of working with real estate on-line: Web sites, e-mail, on-line tools, and most of all, what today’s consumer really wants.
We can streamline your entire transaction, using electronic files that give you less physical paperwork to deal with, and emails that eliminate phone tag and the potential expense of long-distance calls and fax charges. More on-line tools that also save you money and effort while marketing your home include on-line slide shows and top quality photographs, which reduce in-person showings to the “tire kickers”, and entice buyers to be excited about your home before even entering the front door physically. As a buyer who uses these tools to do your research electronically, this will reduce the time and gas expenses of physically viewing house after house.
