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The NAR approved e-PRO online certification program
Brought to you by YCAR and InternetCrusade®

The National Association of REALTORS® has chosen InternetCrusade® (http://InternetCrusade.com), a Hawaii Corporation doing business in San Diego, California, to direct its important online Training Certification Program for its 750,000+ Realtor® members and Realtor® Associations. InternetCrusade® is a high-tech company whose principals have over 100 years of combined real estate industry experience, making them the natural selection for this major real estate industry project.

"We're delighted to present the new e-PRO course for all Realtors® in partnership with InternetCrusade®. InternetCrusade® is a company capable of creating and delivering compelling, relevant content for real estate professionals, as they conduct more and more of their daily business over the Internet. It is a well-known and respected technology resource in the real estate industry. "The firm's principals, Saul Klein, John Reilly, and Mike Barnett, together create a force in the industry that will help Realtors® successfully position themselves for the future," said NAR President Richard Mendenhall.

Designed by Realtors® for Realtors®, the new e-PRO course includes Internet learning applications to enhance Realtors®' skills and abilities to succeed in the marketplace. The new e-PRO course also includes a marketing course that incorporates many of the best aspects of InternetCrusade®'s popular live seminars presented to Realtors® across the country. A unique aspect of this new course is the element of community and interactivity to build an ever-increasing knowledge base of information contributed by e-PRO graduates, along with an enhanced referral network.

What is e-PRO Certification?
The e-PRO Certification course is NAR's new online training program to certify real estate professionals as Internet professionals. The program is comprehensive and incorporates online interactivity with other successful real estate professionals who are taking the course at the same time. The e-PRO course is the only certification program of its kind, recognized nationwide and endorsed by the National Association of Realtors®. Because of the innovative design, you will be able to complete the course at your own pace, when and where you want, with any Internet connection. The e-PRO certification course is presented entirely online. The course is designed to help Realtors® stay at the leading edge of technology and identify, evaluate, and implement new Internet business models. Realtors® interested in signing up or learning more about the e-PRO course should visit http://youngstowncolumbianaaorepro.internetcrusade.com

Who is eligible to take the e- PRO Certification course? Who is the course designed for?
It is designed specifically for U.S. real estate professionals, but anyone may take the course. Although the practical application of the course skills and knowledge is equally valuable to all real estate professionals, the use of the e-PRO Certification logo is exclusively for REALTORS® (NAR members) who have completed the program.

What does the e-PRO Certification curriculum cover?
The main areas of focus in the e-PRO certification course are:

  • Getting Connected - Getting connected is more than going online, it is about creating an "Internet Presence." Join the Community and get immersed in the process.

  • E-mail - A new way to communicate and a new way to market is the use of e-mail. Master your e-mail software, using it as a tool to communicate before, during, and after the transaction. Learn great risk reduction and effective marketing techniques.

  • World Wide Web - Learn the obvious and the subtle advantages a web-marketing plan can have. Create your own Internet Listing Presentation content. Use the WWW to publish information valuable to your prospects as well as your clients. Do your homework before you "buy" a web site or pay for an "exclusive territory." Do search engines help? What is working for real estate professionals on the web?

Tying it all together, the e-PRO certification course brings in the aspects of technology such as PDAs, Digital Cameras, Virtual Tours, MLS systems to the attention of the e-PRO. It looks at the competition and puts together the plan to put the concepts of e-PRO into your business. It creates your Personal Technology Plan of Action and positions yourself for the future.

Why would customers come to someone who's e-PRO Certified?

The number of people using the Internet is staggering. The e-Pro certification course will teach you how to successfully benefit from using the Internet, estimated to have over 400 million users by Internet Life. More homebuyers are going to the Internet to research and gather information prior to contacting a real estate professional. As a result, they are further along in the home buying process but still require that the e-PRO, the local expert, will help them make a better home buying decision.

Customers will have confidence that you are proactive and savvy about the Internet and that you take the Connected Consumer seriously as well as meet their online needs. This affluent and rapidly growing consumer group will appreciate your interest and ability in using the Internet and want to work with you! Refer them to the Consumer Awareness Web page, which explains what e-PRO Certification means to the online consumer and contains a National Directory of e-PRO graduates.

Today's connected consumers want to be actively engaged in the process. Moreover, they demand that the real estate salespeople working on their behalf add real value to the transaction, typically in the form of interpreting and applying the wealth of information in the best interests of the client. There is no mistaking the new real estate professional. Online consumers will be accustomed to look for the one with the e-PRO logo.

Go e-PRO

e-PRO is the only NAR approved Internet Certification Program. 

The New Real Estate Professional must meet the needs and expectations of the Connected Consumer. The rules of business are changing, especially the real estate industry. The e-PRO Certification Program is specifically designed to keep you on top of changes and help you thrive in the exciting and rewarding world of online real estate. 

e-PRO Certification is not only about technology. The e-PRO Certification Program will establish a baseline of online competence, and it will also introduce its students and graduates to the best aspects of Online Community...the Internet is about the power of people connecting with people. This Program will bring you in contact with real estate professionals from all over the country and establish a solid foundation of confidence on which to build a productive Referral Network. 

This is a skills development program and will train you in the use of E-mail for marketing and risk reduction. Real estate professionals are spending millions of dollars on Web Sites, without really knowing the purpose or the result. How does one evaluate all the products on the market today? Should I "buy" or "Build" my web site? What about legal, copyright, security, and privacy issues? This program will help you answer these questions and give you constant contact with other e-PRO grads across the country. 

When students enroll in the comprehensive, educational, and interactive e-PRO Certification program, they will be participating in the ongoing creation of the e-PRO curriculum and will continue to participate after Certification by involvement in the e-PRO Community and the e-PRO Referral Network. 

The e-PRO Vision:

The vision for the future of e-PRO Certification is to create a well-trained, core group of real estate professionals who are thriving in the online-based real estate industry. The e-PRO Internet Professional belongs to a special community of highly skilled and continuously trained real estate professionals who collaborate to enjoy deeper satisfaction and greater financial rewards as the result of their e-PRO Certification status. 

This Program will teach the REALTOR® about Internet business principles required to remain in the center of the real estate transaction, including: 

Options and requirements to Get Connected 
E-mail Communication and Marketing Practices 
WWW Marketing Strategies and Practices 
Creating and Maintaining Personal Technology Plan of Action and your Internet Marketing Plan 

e-PRO Learning Objectives

Program Objectives:

  • Introduce the Candidate to the connected consumer and define their expectations in a connected world. Introduce the Candidate to the benefits of the online community.

  • Develop Candidates computer and Internet skills, in order to perform comfortably and profitably in an online world.

  • Develop and integrate a Technology Plan into the overall business plan.

  • Provide the ethical, legal, and regulatory standards of conducting business over the Internet.

  • Introduce the Candidate to the resources available through NAR, their state and local REALTOR® associations.

   © 2002 Youngstown Columbiana Association of REALTORS®   
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.