Not every real estate agent is a REALTOR®. It’s a trademarked title that belongs specifically to members of the National Association of REALTORS®, and it comes with a binding Code of Ethics that goes beyond what Texas state licensing law requires on its own, covering honest representation, disclosure, and how REALTORS® are required to treat other parties in a transaction, not just their own client. Anyone can hold a real estate license. Fewer agents hold themselves to the REALTOR® Code of Ethics on top of it.
I’m Robbie English, Broker and REALTOR® at Uncommon Highland Lakes Realty, and this page is about what that designation, plus the additional certifications I’ve earned on top of it, actually means for someone buying or selling in Burnet.
The Credentials, and What They’re Actually For
Certifications in this industry get treated as alphabet soup half the time, so here’s what mine are and why I pursued each one:
- ABR (Accredited Buyer Representative): focused training specifically on representing buyers, which is a different skill set than representing sellers.
- SRS (Sellers Representative Specialist): the seller-side counterpart, covering pricing strategy, staging guidance, and marketing.
- PSA (Pricing Strategy Advisor): how to price a property using real comparable data instead of guesswork, which matters in a Burnet market where a large share of listings end up taking a price cut after sitting too long.
- RENE (Real Estate Negotiation Expert): formal negotiation training, used on every offer I write or respond to.
- MRP (Military Relocation Professional): relevant given how many military and veteran families relocate through Central Texas.
- CRB (Certified Residential Brokerage Manager), C2EX (Commitment to Excellence), GRI (Graduate, REALTOR® Institute), AHWD (At Home With Diversity), E-Pro, NHC (New Home Construction), RPR (REALTORS Property Resource), SFR (Short Sales and Foreclosure Resource), TBS (Texas Buyer Specialist), TLS (Texas Listing Specialist), and TAHS (Texas Affordable Housing Specialist): each one covers a specific slice of the transaction, from brokerage management to affordable housing programs to new construction contracts.
I’m also an instructor for several of these designations, which means I don’t just hold the certification. I teach the course to other agents and brokers nationally.
Why This Matters for a Burnet Transaction Specifically
Burnet is the county seat of Burnet County, and its housing stock ranges from in-town lots near downtown and Hamilton Creek to HOA communities like Delaware Springs and The Ranch at Delaware Creek to outlying acreage on well and septic. That range means a one-size-fits-all approach to pricing or negotiation doesn’t hold up well here. PSA training is what lets me price a well-and-septic acreage property differently than a lot in an established in-town neighborhood. ABR and SRS training is what keeps buyer-side and seller-side strategy from getting blurred together, even though I do both. RENE training is what shows up at the negotiating table when an offer needs a counter that actually gets accepted instead of killing the deal.
Held to the NAR Code of Ethics
Beyond the certifications, being a REALTOR® means every transaction I handle in Burnet is bound by the NAR Code of Ethics, which spells out obligations around truthful advertising, disclosure, and fair dealing with everyone in the transaction, not just my own client. That’s not marketing language. It’s an enforceable standard, and it’s part of why I built Uncommon Highland Lakes Realty the way I did.
Work With a REALTOR® Who Teaches the Material
If you want an agent whose credentials are more than a line on a business card, reach out. I’m Robbie English with Uncommon Highland Lakes Realty, and you can reach me directly at 830-953-5571 to talk through your Burnet purchase or sale.
