It’s almost November, the official month selected by the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) as Designation Awareness Month.  It is a month when you can celebrate the fact that the letters after your name do mean something…they show your commitment to professionalism in the industry and your desire to provide specialized services to your clients.

The REALTOR® family of designation programs provides REALTORS® with the most up-to-date topics to broaden your scope of business and develop specialized skills to help the industry thrive.  According to NAR 2010 survey data, the median  income of REALTORS® without a designation was $29,700 and the median income of those with at least one designation was $51,500 — a difference of $21,800.

We want you to celebrate with us! The Illinois Association of REALTORS® is offering a discount of our program costs to your local association for all of our supported designation programs in the month of November.  That means the cost to add those letters after your name may be a little more attractive in November and you can join the celebration too! Contact your local association today to see what designation programs they are offering in November so that you can be part of an elite group of real estate professionals! If they are not offering a program, you can complete an online course through REALTOR® University and take a proctored exam.

And don’t forget about the upcoming Graduate REALTOR® Institute (GRI) being held at the Doubletree Hotel in Bloomington, Illinois November 29-December 2, 2010. If you register prior to November 4, you will receive $40 off Courses I, II and II and $20 off the Grad Course. Pre-registration closes November 17.

Check out the course calendar of designation program locations at www.coursecalendar.com or visit REALTOR® University.