by Michele Gillis
Staff Writer
Can you use the downturn in the market to increase your knowledge help you in continuing a successful real estate career?
Dawn Pellegrino, vice president of sales at Showcase Builder Solutions, took that challenge to a new level - she’s the first in the state to earn the newly renamed MIRM designation from the Institute of Residential Marketing.
You may have heard of MIRM as being “Member of the Institute of Residential Marketing.” Today, it’s “Masters in Residential Marketing.”
In order to earn the designation, Realtors have to take four courses, 50 elective credits and complete an in depth case study.
“The program is exactly the same,” said Bill Webb, homebuilder marketing consultant and author of two of the four academic courses required for MIRM. “You take four courses and do an original case study. The case study is evaluated by a group of people who have to approve what you write.
“They almost never approve it on the first submission. It’s designed to be like a Ph.D dissertation. You have to prove you know what the course has taught.
“The name was changed because along the way we designed another course called the Certified Marketing Professional and you become a CMP when you take the four courses, but not do the case study.”
Webb said current chair Ross Robbins recommended the same acronym but the different name, and everyone agreed.
“Dawn has done the whole thing and has crossed over our 20-foot wall,” said Webb. “Which is to say it’s not easy to do, but when you do it, you feel good about it.”
Pellegrino gathered reaseach for five years to do her case study.
“When you write your case study, it is a master’s level thesis and it comes from the University of Housing,” she said.
Many case studies are not accepted the first time around; Pellegrino’s was.
“I got a personal phone call from Robert August, a MIRM expert, who said it was approved right after he read it,” said Pellegrino. “He said it was one of the top ever submitted.”
In the past Realtors had to fabricate a community for the case study. Now, they have to use a real one.
“Mine was a crazy, involved community,” she said. “I took it from the beginning all the way up until the builder went out of business and sold it, so I had file cabinets full of research and data. It was really in-depth.”
Pellegrino said that earning the designation is imparative to the future of a good salesperson.
“How can you be a good sales professional if you don’t understand what you are selling?” she asked. “If you are a true professional, you need the education and knowledge to be able to sell your product.”
Getting the MIRM today is more important than ever, she added.
“In doing your research and going indepth, you get a lot of information from you builders and marketing departments,” she said. “You understand why certain decisions are made. Plus, I was also fortunate enough to be able to give input to the builders in making product changes and understanding pricing, getting prices changed and standard features changed because I was following the trend of the market and knew what consumers were asking for.”
Earning the MIRM isn’t much different different than going to graduate school. It is hard to juggle work and school, but it is worth it.
“You have to have 50 elective credits besides those required classes and do your cast study,” she said. “Every new home sales representative should have the minimum designation of a Certified Site Professional and work up to the MIRM.”
Pellegrino said it costs approximately $2,000 to get the designation, but it takes time to get and prepares you better for your real estate career.
Showcase Builder Solutions is the new home division of Showcase Realty. They place agents onsite for builders and handle their marketing and sales of communities.
Pellegrino does site sales when needed and manages the sales staff.
She has been with Showcase Builder Solutions for four years and was with Engle Homes before that.
The MIRM isn’t her only designation: she also has MCSP (Master Certified Sales Professional,) CMP (Certified Marketing Professional) and CSP (Certified Sales Professional.)