What & How We Verify

We independently confirm that every Verified Professional Agent™ (VPA™) meets the following minimum requirements for Verification:

  • Commitment

    Works full time in Real Estate

  • Experience

    Has at least 24 sales in the prior three years

  • Reputation

    Has at least 10 Fully Satisfied Past Clients who would recommend the VPA™ without any hesitation

  • Reputation

    Has at least three peer agents from other firms who attest to VPA™’s professionalism and competency

  • Ethics

    Has a clean record of professional conduct

We Verify all of these things directly and independently with the appropriate party (e.g., directly with the past clients, directly with the peer agents, directly with the VPA™’s broker, and directly with the applicable State(s) licensing authorities).

When you work with a VPA™, you know that you’re working with a real professional who has been objectively proven as such by virtue of these independent Verifications from third parties.

That’s what makes the Verification meaningful, significant and special: that it is based on fact, and not on speculation. When you choose to work with a VPA™, you’re being represented by a real professional with a demonstrated, proven record of success.

A VPA™ is a Real Estate Professional who has had all of the following critical client service characteristics independently Verified:

  • « A full time commitment to the job
  • « Experience above the norm for the industry
  • « A proven record of satisfying clients
  • « The respect of their peer group
  • « A clean record of ethical conduct

Better Than Agent Review Sites

A question we get a lot is this: There are many agent rating/review sites out there; how is yours different? That’s a great question, and here is our answer:

  • Agents review/ratings sites represent an absolute “step in the right direction” in terms of transparency, and we are happy they exist…
  • However, because most of these sites are open to comment from anyone, you can never be 100% sure that they are honest and accurate. That’s because, in most cases, there is nothing to prevent disguised self-created reviews, disguised competitor-created reviews and uncorroborated anonymous reviews (and this view is starting to gain broader momentum in our industry)…
  • We created the VPA™ Verification to remove subjectivity and distortion. All aspects of an agent’s Critical Client Service Characteristics are OBJECTIVELY VERIFIED directly with the independent, third-party source as part of the Verification process…

The bottom line: The Verification goes a crucial step further than rating and review sites to remove as much subjectivity as humanly possible from the critical process of Agent selection…

Not a Designation

The VPA™ is the real estate industry’s first Verification. This is a critical distinction from designations, which are common in the real estate industry; in fact, there are over 100 designations in real estate…but there is only ONE Verification.

The Verification is NOT something an agent does – it’s something an agent IS. Further, the Verification is not something an Agent can BUY, which is the case for most designations. If you don’t meet the qualification, you can’t be a VPA™. Period. This ALONE separates it from most designations.

To earn most designations, Agents need only pay a fee and take a class – most of which last just a few days, and some, just a few hours. Some designations don’t even involve the taking of a test.

As a result, many designations don’t carry a lot of weight with you, the buying and selling public. In fact, per the most recent National Association of REALTORS® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, only 1% of those surveyed selected a Realtor primarily because of the designations held by that Agent. In other words, they don’t seem to matter much.

The Verification, on the other hand, is an objective confirmation of the Critical Client Service Characteristics research shows you most want when selecting an Agent: trustworthiness, honesty and a great reputation.

In conclusion, the Verification breaks new ground in real estate because (1) it can’t be bought and can only be earned, (2) it’s not something an Agent DOES but simply confirms what an Agent ALREADY IS, and (3) it focuses precisely on those thing that matter most to you, the home buying-and-selling public.