The Platinum Group, REALTORS®Weldon HobbsColorado Springs | REALTOR®
Veteran | USAFA
Working With Professionals

What does the SRES® (Seniors Real Estate Specialist®) designation mean, and should my Colorado Springs agent have one?

ByWeldon HobbsTeam Hobbs RealtyPublished Last reviewed

Short answer: The SRES® (Seniors Real Estate Specialist®) is a designation from the National Association of REALTORS® for agents who complete training on helping buyers and sellers age 50 and older with downsizing, relocation, and related financial and family decisions. It's useful, but it isn't a license and doesn't prove experience. Your agent doesn't need one. What matters is how they've actually handled situations like yours, which you find out by asking.

Full disclosure: I hold the SRES® myself, so weigh what I say here with that in mind.

What the SRES® designation is

The SRES® is one of the designations the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) offers its members. To earn it, an agent must:

  • Be a REALTOR®, meaning a member of NAR in good standing.
  • Complete the SRES® designation course, either online at their own pace or in an instructor-led class, in person or by live webinar. The online version ends with an exam that requires a score of at least 80%.
  • Keep it current by remaining an NAR member and paying an annual renewal ($99 a year after the free first year, as of September 2026).

NAR describes the training as covering the needs and priorities of buyers and sellers over 50, downsizing, relocation, and estate-planning considerations, along with mortgages, pensions, and tax implications that affect housing decisions. Designees are listed in NAR's SRES® directory.

What the designation doesn't tell you

The designation means an agent completed specific training. It doesn't tell you several things:

  • It isn't a license. Every agent selling real estate in Colorado must hold a Colorado real estate broker license. The SRES® is a trade association credential on top of that license, not a separate state license.
  • It doesn't prove experience. Someone could earn the designation and have helped few older clients, or none.
  • It doesn't make an agent a legal, tax, or benefits advisor. The training covers how those topics affect a move, so an agent knows what to ask and when to bring in help. Questions about powers of attorney, estates, taxes, Medicaid, or reverse mortgages still belong with an elder law or estate attorney, a CPA, or a HUD-approved reverse mortgage counselor.
  • It doesn't tell you how someone works. In my experience, the credential means someone has been trained to do this. It doesn't mean everybody does it.

You may also see other senior-focused titles on agent websites. For any credential, ask who grants it and what it required.

Should your agent have one?

No, your agent doesn't need to be an SRES®. Most people don't know the designation exists until they need it, and they're usually glad to hear their agent has had the training. But what serves you is the mindset behind it: an appreciation for the emotions involved and for the family dynamics that come with a later-in-life move.

These moves are projects. Some parts are objective, such as timelines, paperwork, repairs, and pricing. Other parts are about what people are going through, and those can't be managed with a checklist. Managing people through life transitions is what I did in the military, and it's the same work here. A credential doesn't show you how someone approaches that. It takes training and a mindset.

When senior-specific training matters most

In my experience, the training matters most when the human side of the move is complicated. Some examples:

  • Adult children are involved. Often a son or daughter wants to make sure a parent isn't being taken advantage of. That concern is reasonable, and a good agent welcomes it.
  • Several people have opinions. There's a balance in how appropriate it is to involve other people, whose opinions to acknowledge, and how to bring everyone together. The starting point is the homeowner. They decide who's involved and what gets shared, unless someone holds legal authority to act for them, such as an agent under a power of attorney.
  • The move touches money beyond the house. Taxes, estate planning, insurance, and a financial plan can all change what the right move looks like.

That last point is why I use the Life → Wealth → Real Estate™ method. We start with the life side: the person and what they want. Then we look at how to make it work financially, asking the questions that bring in the right people, such as a CPA, an estate attorney, a financial planner, or an insurance professional. Only then do we build a real estate plan that complements the other two.

If the sale is simple and the owner is comfortable making every decision alone, any strong, experienced agent may serve them well. How to choose a listing agent covers that decision.

What to ask any agent, SRES® or not

The best way to find out whether an agent has the mindset is to ask about experience with situations like yours:

  • How have you handled situations like ours before?
  • What was the most complex part, and how did you solve it?
  • Did you get the family through it?
  • Did the people you guided come out the other side the way they wanted?
  • Who else would you bring in, and at what point?
  • How will you keep everyone informed, and who decides what gets shared?

Listen for specific, honest answers. Plans rarely go exactly as expected, because people aren't predictable, emotions are involved, and no one can be forced to move. A good agent admits when things went differently than planned and explains how they kept the family moving forward anyway. In my experience, the job is to explain the options, the pros and cons, and the risks, and to let the people involved decide.

For more on choosing an agent, see how to choose an agent to help a parent downsize or sell a longtime home and how to find the best real estate agent in Colorado Springs. An agent is also only one member of the downsizing team.

How to check an agent in Colorado Springs and El Paso County

A few checks take only minutes:

  • Verify the Colorado license. Search the agent's name or license number in the Colorado Division of Real Estate's online license lookup. Make sure the license is active.
  • Confirm the SRES®. If an agent says they hold the designation, look them up in NAR's SRES® directory by city.
  • Know where to turn if something feels wrong. If you believe an older adult in El Paso County is being pressured or financially exploited by anyone, El Paso County Adult Protective Services takes reports and inquiries at 719-444-5755. If someone is in danger, call 911.
  • Get free, neutral help. The Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging, run by the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments, connects older adults in El Paso, Park, and Teller counties and their caregivers with local resources, including a Family Caregiver Support Center.

If you're helping a parent, you may also want to read how to help aging parents decide whether to stay or move and the steps to downsizing, from first decision to moving day.

What could change the answer

  • Who holds legal authority. If a parent can no longer make decisions, the question shifts from which agent to hire to who can legally hire one. That's a question for an elder law or estate attorney.
  • An estate or probate sale. Selling a home after a death adds court and title steps that call for estate experience, whatever designations the agent holds.
  • Distance. When the family is spread across several states, an agent's ability to coordinate by phone, video, and shared plans matters as much as any credential.
  • NAR's requirements. Course formats and renewal terms can change. Check NAR's SRES® page for the current requirements.

When to talk with a professional

For powers of attorney, guardianship, conservatorship, trusts, or probate, talk with an elder law or estate attorney. For capital gains and the tax side of a sale, talk with a CPA. For a reverse mortgage, talk with a HUD-approved counselor. A real estate agent, SRES® or not, should help you see when those conversations are needed, not stand in for them.

If you're sorting out who should help you or a parent with a move and want to think through what to look for, I'm glad to talk it through with you, whether or not you end up working with me.

About the author

Weldon Hobbs is a Colorado Springs REALTOR® and co-founder of Team Hobbs Realty. He is a member of The Platinum Group, REALTORS®, Colorado Springs' #1 independent brokerage, which pairs deep local expertise with premium marketing exposure. A U.S. Air Force Academy graduate and retired Air Force veteran, he and his family made more than 10 military moves. Since 2006, he and his wife, Kristen, have bought and sold their own homes, managed a portfolio of rental properties, and guided others through their own real estate decisions. He has also helped both family members and clients downsize, where the decisions are often complex and the process can feel overwhelming. Drawing on his background as a PMP® (Project Management Professional), he helps people break those decisions into clear, manageable steps.

Since beginning his real estate career, he has ranked in the top 7% by sales volume among the more than 4,000 members of the Pikes Peak Association of REALTORS®. He works with military families, seniors and downsizing clients, luxury and premium home sellers, and people relocating to Colorado Springs. He developed the Life → Wealth → Real Estate™ method, hosts the national YouTube channel Life & Real Estate Without Regret, and holds an MBA along with the SRES® (Seniors Real Estate Specialist®), MRP (Military Relocation Professional), and Certified Financial Coach credentials. More about Weldon

Sources

Have a question?

Let's set your next life transition up for success.

Start the conversation
Message