A realtor designation is a credential that real estate agents can list on their business cards, websites, newsletters, and other marketing collateral to demonstrate to their market that they have specialized education, knowledge, and expertise to help clients navigate some niche home buying and selling scenarios. Realtor designations matter because there may be several agents in your area, which means you have a lot of competition. A real estate designation can help you stand out from the crowd of average agents. For most designations, it takes just a day or two of focused training to complete the coursework. In some cases, you need to have documented real-world experience too.