Ask an Institute of Residential Marketing Designation Expert
How can this most prestigious designation help you as a new home sales professional? Find out from a MIRM about course content, how to prepare a case study, preparation for the exam, sponsorship requirements, or how this designation has propelled their career. These graduates have volunteered to answer your questions, provide you with guidance, and help you navigate the MIRM program.
Find out from a MIRM the benefits of earning your MIRM by simply clicking on the Ask Me link following the expert’s bio.
Responses and opinions provided to you by designation holders are solely their own regarding the MIRM designation program. NAHB does not warrant or endorse their accuracy, completeness, timeliness or reliability. NAHB assumes no liability for inaccuracy or incompleteness of the responses or opinions provided by designation holders.
S. Robert August
S. Robert August & Co., Inc.
Greenwood Village, Colorado
Designation and Year Received: MIRM - 1983
Area of Expertise: Sales & Marketing
Having participated as a MIRM since 1983, I have found this designation to be an important tool in enhancing the education of other professionals. As a recruiting tool, I know that this designation has helped me attract better sales, marketing, and management professionals to my company and others that I help hire.
Designation and Year Received: MIRM - 2003
Area of Expertise: New Home Sales and Marketing
Having completed the four IRM courses needed to achieve the CMP designation I realized that I was one step away from achieving the most prestigious designation in the New Home Industry, the MIRM designation. In order to achieve this honor I needed to complete a case study that demonstrated my understanding of all of the components taught in the four IRM courses. Finding the time and resources to create such a document appeared to be challenging as a working mother and professional and appears to be a huge obstacle to overcome for a lot of individuals. The key to getting through the case study is to simply get started! I found that once I committed a few of my ideas to paper the rest seemed to fall into place. Achieving this nationally recognized designation has brought to my career additional industry experience and opportunities. I have also had the pleasure of interacting and networking with an elite group of New Home Industry Leaders. The MIRM designation is what sets you apart from the rest!
Meredith Oliver
Meredith Communications
Orlando, Florida
Designation and Year Received: MIRM 2003, CMP 2003 & CSP 2002
Area of Expertise: New Home Sales & Marketing
I got my MIRM designation because I want to know EVERYTHING about our industry and the MIRM program was a great way to add to my education! I took all four courses and wrote my case study in one year. The most valuable part of the experience was writing the case study which helped me pull together the information from all four classes. I highly recommend the MIRM courses because they give a broad understanding of what it takes to create revenue from dirt to dollars. It doesn’t get any better than that!
Gian Hasbrock Beach Realty & Construction
Kitty Hawk, North Carolina
Designation and Year Received: MIRM - 1999
Area of Expertise: Sales & Marketing Training
I took all four courses in 1994 and submitted my first case study in 1995; it was not approved. Over the next three years my accumulated experience in the field, combined with receiving the CMP designation motivated me to complete my second case study. Membership in the Institute has both empowered me professionally and personally, and has allowed me to network with people who have become lifelong friends. By becoming a faculty member, I have developed greater subject matter expertise and presentation skills, even authoring some IRM texts (IRM I, principal co-author; IRM II, lead editor; EMSB, co-author; Multicultural Sales, content provider). Membership has permitted me to participate in policymaking on a national level through my involvement in the IRM and NSMC committees. (IRM Education committee chair, 2002 & 2003; IRM Trustee, 2002-2005; Trina Ripley Excellence in Education Award, 2004; University of Housing Master Instructor, 2004).
Designation and Year Received: MIRM - 1988
Area of Expertise: New Homes Sales Training, Marketing, Advertising, PR, Promotions.
Taking the MIRM courses and CSP course has benefited me throughout my career. My involvement with NSMC and IRM have allowed me to continue my education and to network with New Home Sales Experts throughout the country.
Thomas J. Dougherty III William E. Wood & Association
Williamsburg, Virginia
Designation and Year Received: MIRM – 2001
Area of Expertise: New Home Sales and Marketing
In order to maintain the highest level of value to my builder clients I determined that the educational path to the MIRM designations would keep me head & shoulders above the competition, and help keep me abreast of current information & technical in sales and marketing.
Designation and Year Received: MIRM 2004 (Instructor for IRM III)
Area of Expertise: New Home Sales and Marketing, Internet Marketing
I initially took the IRM classes because I wanted to be a recognized professional in the building industry. I took all 4 classes in 6 months because they were being offered by the local Homebuilder Association and it fit well into my schedule. The instructors offered to teach the MIRM-Aid program for anyone who wanted to stay after my last IRM class so I decided to stay. I was so motivated that I partnered with another Sales and Marketing Manager, we met every week to check each others case study, and the peer pressure forced us to write our case study in 7 weeks. We both submitted our case studies and they were approved first time round. We both received our IRM designation at the International Builder Show in Las Vegas in January of 2004.
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S. Robert August