The Chopper Russo Team Video Series
Realtor Alphabet Soup
Ever look at a realtor's business card and wonder what all those letters mean? Fair question. Chopper holds 24 of them — so he's going through them one at a time and explaining what each one actually does for you.
What All Those Letters Actually Mean
Real estate runs on acronyms. ABR, CRS, MCNE, SRES, CIPS — a whole alphabet soup after people's names, and almost nobody explains any of it. Which is a problem, because some of those letters represent real training that changes how your transaction goes, and some are just letters.
So here's the honest version. What each designation covers, what it took to earn, and when it actually matters to you. Grouped by situation rather than alphabetically, because nobody wakes up needing a designation that starts with C — they wake up needing to sell an inherited house, or buy new construction, or figure out what to do when they're behind on a mortgage.
Start here
Chopper was New Jersey's first
Master Certified Negotiation Expert.
Over a dozen years ago he flew to Seattle to earn it — because that's where the training was, and nobody in the state had done it yet. His brother Geno followed. Then Patrick. Today the whole team holds it.
Read the MCNE story →Group One
Buying & Selling
The credentials that shape a standard transaction — whichever side you're on.
ABR
Accredited Buyer's Representative
The listing agent works for the seller. This is the training for representing you.
SRS
Seller Representative Specialist
Listing your home and being represented aren't the same thing.
CRS
Certified Residential Specialist
The top residential credential — and one you can't study your way into.
PSA
Pricing Strategy Advisor
Why overpricing usually gets you less, not more.
Group Two
Negotiation
The part of the job that actually decides how things turn out.
MCNE
Master Certified Negotiation Expert
New Jersey's first. Now held across the whole team.
CMOE
Certified Multiple Offer Expert
The highest offer is not automatically the best offer.
CREN
Certified Real Estate Negotiator
Why would one person hold three negotiation certifications? Fair question — answered.
Group Three
When Life Is Complicated
The transactions that aren't really about the house.
CPS
Certified Probate Specialist
Roughly 3,500 agents nationwide hold it. The house is the easy part.
SRES
Seniors Real Estate Specialist
A move later in life is rarely just a move.
SFR
Short Sales & Foreclosure Resource
The one banks require. And free help exists — start there.
MRS
Military Residential Specialist
Moving on orders is different. PCS changes everything.
Group Four
Beyond the Standard House
Commercial, new construction, rentals, renovations — different property, different discipline.
ACP
Accredited Commercial Practitioner
Every member of our commercial division holds it.
CNHS • NHCP • RCC
The New Construction Designations
The agent in the model home works for the builder. Three videos, one page.
RRS
Residential Remodeling Specialist
Not every renovation returns what it costs.
CPM
Certified Property Manager
Over a hundred doors under management. Not a credential on a shelf.
CIPS
Certified International Property Specialist
South Africa, Ireland, Israel, Korea, Italy. Real deals, real borders.
Also Held
The rest of the alphabet. Each has a video in the series — and each one represents training that shows up somewhere in the work.
AHWD
At Home With Diversity
C-RETS
Certified Real Estate Team Specialist
CDPE
Certified Distressed Property Expert
CHSP
Certified Home Staging Professional
RENE
Real Estate Negotiation Expert
RSPS
Resort & Second-Home Property Specialist
Got a Situation That Fits One of These?
Or one that doesn't. Either way — reach out anytime, no obligation.
📞 (201) 240-5200 ✉️ Email the Team