By Darhiana Mateo

Realtors looking for help navigating Chicago’s multicultural housing market have a great resource at their disposal. The At Home with Diversity designation is a four-hour course offered by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) designed to present a picture of the changing face of the real estate industry. The course teaches real estate professionals to increase their sensitivity and adaptability to future market trends. Additionally, participants learn to thrive as an effective service provider and community leader. The course addresses issues of diversity, fair housing and cultural differences, according to NAR’s Web site.



For those Realtors who have already stepped into this market, but want to take it a step further, NAR also offers the more intensive Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS) course curriculum. This course distinguishes CIPS designees as individuals who have both hands-on experience in international real estate transactions, as well as successfully completed an intensive seven-day program of study focusing on critical aspects of transnational transactions, including currency and exchange rate issues and cross-cultural relationships, regional market conditions, investment performance, tax issues and more.



For more information about both designations, visit Realtor.org.