Credentials
"Designations are a way to clarify your options for choosing knowledgeable, trustworthy,
and experienced Realtors® to handle one of the biggest purchases or investments in your life”
In California, everyone probably knows a realtor - whether it is a neighbor, relative, acquaintance or friend. So, how do you find a knowledgeable, experienced, and trustworthy real estate professional? Designations issued by the U.S. National Association of Realtors (NAR) and other organizations are important “filters” that are very valuable.
Credentials are awarded based on the number of successfully completed transactions, plus the realtor’s experience, knowledge, exams passed, and expertise in special areas. Realtors invest a great deal of effort to become current & specialists in areas that benefit clients by making residential transactions as smooth and worry-free as possible.
Since 2005, Carina has been awarded multiple designations, indicating her continuing commitment to master her craft for the benefit of her clients. Here’s a look at her credentials…
In a Snapshot...
Hundreds of successfully closed transactions, listings & sales
Top Producer, multi-million dollar sales
Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS®)
Certified Real Estate Investment Planner (CREIP)
Certified Residential Specialist (CRS®)
National Commercial Real Estate Advisor (NCREA)
Transnational Referral Certified (TRC®)
Project Management Professional (PMP)
Certified Mindfulness Professional (CMP, 2023)
Luxury Condominium Expert (CCE)
Probate Real Estate Specialist (CPRES)
Distressed Property Professional (DPP)
RAND Real Estate Investor
Real Estate Technologies and Internet Marketing
Member, USA National Association of Realtors (NAR)
California Pacific West Association of Realtors (PWR)
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
MBA Honors
Master of Arts in International Communications
Over 25 years of professional experience in marketing, finance, contracts, business development, international networking
Designations
- Carina is a Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS®).
This means she is experienced and trained in real estate transactions involving international players and properties. As a NAR® credential, trustworthiness and honesty are an integral part of her practice.
She is trained in the critical aspects of international real estate transactions, and is connected to an influential network of over 3,500 international professionals.
Having access to this wide network (beyond the local or national market), clients who are looking to sell their properties are promoted to the widest exposure of buyers. The CIPS designation requires in-depth training in legal and regulatory issues, technology, professional standards, exchange rates, local business practices, and marketing aspects of real estate transactions involving foreign players and properties.
This is a perfect match for Carina’s personal background because she has lived and worked in many countries and shares a cosmopolitan perspective. Also, her corporate business background earned her the prestigious Program Management Professional (PMP) designation, which provides an extra layer of benefit to clients.
If you are buying overseas, or you are a foreign resident wanting to buy in the United States, a CIPS designation ensures that you are hiring a trained professional in the international marketplace with additional advantageous resources.
- Carina is a Certified Real Estate Investment Planning Specialist (CREIP).
- Carina is a Certified Residential Specialist (CRS®).
This means she has an outstanding real estate experience and advanced training as a Listing Agent and Buyers’ Agent. As a NAR® credential, trustworthiness and honesty are an integral part of her practice.
“Less than 4% of all agents have this designation. It is the most difficult status to obtain, and is a measure of a high degree of formal education and real world transactional experience.”
----- USA Council of Residential Specialist
Carina was awarded the prestigious CRS designation in 2008 after completing advanced professional training and demonstrating outstanding professional achievement (closing at least 25 transactions in 2 consecutive years) in residential real estate. The CRS designation is the highest credential awarded to residential sales agents, managers, and brokers. This designation weeds out the inexperienced agents and the classes/exams weed out those agents who aren’t dedicated to continuing education. The rigorous training and specialized courses require several successful examinations, aimed at making residential transactions as smooth and worry-free as possible.
- Carina is a National Commercial Real Estate Advisor (NCREA).
- Carina is a Certified Probate Real Estate Specialist (CPRES).
Carina has both the education and experience to deal with estate settlement surrounding inheritance and trusts.
The last thing a family in mourning wants to do is deal with the probate court system, so having the right people on your team to help you manage the estate settlement process is key to alleviating stress and worry.
Carina’s CPRES designation indicates both her training and experience with estate settlement, dealing with legal and property issues surrounding inheritance and trusts. Whether you plan to keep an inherited home or sell it to share the proceeds, a CPRES designated agent can help you with the title transfer or selling the property for the best possible price.
- Carina is a Realtor®.
She belongs to the National Association of Realtors in the United States of America and practices the Realtor® Code of Ethics, a very important element of integrity in hiring your real estate professional. As a NAR® credential, trustworthiness and honesty are an integral part of her practice.
- Carina is a Transnational Referral Certified (TRC)
This means that if you are selling your property with Carina and the interested buyers are foreign-based, her global network of 3500 real estate professionals are more likely to contact a TRC agent who will honor their referral and brokerage fees, as part of the system developed by the International Consortium of Real Estate Associations
The International Consortium of Real Estate Associations (ICREA) developed a transnational referral system for real estate professionals to make and receive compensated referrals. Together with the CIPS designation, it promotes the networking of real estate professionals worldwide, benefitting the Seller in terms of maximum buyer exposure and benefitting the Buyer with the professionalism that they deserve independent of geographical boundaries, laws, and culture.
- Carina is a Program Management Professional (PMP)
What this means to you is that you are hiring more than just a Realtor®. Since 1996, Carina keeps her PMP designation active - as an added value to achieving her clients’ goals by “projectizing” them via a transactional system, which provides optimal clarity and focus amidst complexity.
Because Carina has handled multi-million dollar projects, as a former US Department of Defense contractor, plus renovating or rebuilding fixer-uppers, she has orchestrated and delivered results, meetings clients’ desired schedules, costs, and expectations. The prestigious PMP designation (awarded to Carina since 1996) validates her technical skill, financial capabilities, experience in various settings, and most of all, her people skills in various negotiating scenarios.
- Carina also earned the following designations, received the specialized training, gained the knowledge and experience in these real estate areas, but did not feel the need to continue membership in its respective organizations:
- Accredited Staging Professional (ASP)
A great believer in increasing a home’s appeal to a higher number of Buyers, Carina studied staging and became a certified ASP during the first 3 years of her real estate career. She staged homes while helping her client investors flip properties. Since understanding the art of staging, and knowing the market and the unique features of each home, Carina now helps Sellers hire the right stagers that will best feature their properties.
- Accredited Buyers Representative (ABR®)
Carina’s passion for helping first-time buyers was inspired by the birth of her daughter, whom she envisioned will buy her own home someday. In 2006, she got certified as an ABR®, mastering the home-buyer process from mortgage to closing. After earning her CRS® designation, there was no need to continue the ABR® affiliation.
- Certified Distressed Property Professional (CDPP)
In 2006 with the influx ofA great believer in increasing a home’s appeal to a higher number of Buyers, Carina studied staging and became a certified ASP during the first 3 years of her real estate career. She staged homes while helping her client investors flip properties. Since understanding the art of staging, and knowing the market and the unique features of each home, Carina now helps Sellers hire the right stagers that will best feature their properties.
- Certified Condominium Specialist (CCS®)
Carina also trained to specialize in the marketing, promotion, acquisition, divestment, listing and selling activities of common interest developments or communities, most commonly known as condominiums. Since the Los Angeles luxury condominium market is quite popular with foreign buyers, this benefits her clients with its added value on the particulars of marketing and acquiring condominiums.