Technology is driving the real estate market. It is faster, more complex and more competitive in every way. Homebuyers shop the Internet, offers arrive by phone and mortgages are approved in the comfort of the living room.

"In this fast-paced market place, home buyers and sellers need more than just a REALTOR," said Toni Sherman, CRS. "Home buyers and sellers need a professional with unique training and know-how to create opportunities, identify potential pitfalls up front, and make the transaction an unqualified success. Home buyers and sellers need a Certified Residential Specialist."

Sherman, 1999 president of the Council of Residential Specialists, organization of the nation's top 5% of REALTORS, says REALTORS who hold the Certified Residential Specialist designation have experience, commitment and advanced training to help home buyers and sellers get the most out of their real estate transaction.

Sherman lists five reasons home buyers and sellers should work with a CRS:

1. EXPERIENCE - To earn the Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) designation, every REALTORS must have significant experience and volume of real estate transactions.

2. ETHICS - Every CRS designee is required to maintain membership in the National Association of REALTORS and to abide by its strict code of ethics.

3. A FOCUS ON THE HOME BUYING AND SELLING - To help make the home buying and selling process more rewarding, every CRS designee must have a proven track record in the business, as well as advanced education in related area like finance, technology and marketing.

4. TECHNOLOGY EXPERTISE - The training available to CRS designees includes a strong focus on technology and its applications in the real estate business.

5. AN ABILITY TO MAXIMAIZE PROFITS AND MINIMIZE COSTS - Every CRS is trained to help clients understand the local market, screen prospective buyers and sellers, negotiate in the best interest of the client, and ultimately ensure a successful home purchase or sale.

Sherman says the rare combination of education and experience makes the Certified Residential Specialist more than just another REALTOR. "I encourage consumers to discover the difference a CRS makes and how enjoyable and successful a real estate relationship can be." Sherman invites home buyers and sellers to visit the Council of Residential Specialists' Web site at www.crs.com to find a CRS. Sherman adds, " A CRS will help your home buying or selling experience an unqualified success."