Certified Residential Specialists around the world can now do business with CRS peers in India, after the first cohort in the country earned their designation last week.
Approximately 74 NAR-India association executives and members completed the live Zoom course, which began in July.
NAR-India is a bilateral partner of the National Association of REALTORS®, and the U.S. association was critical in helping make the course—offered through NAR’s affiliate, the Residential Real Estate Council—a reality.
While agents and brokers can access the pre-recorded training anywhere at any time, it’s significant that such a large class of key brokers from an NAR partner organization decided to learn together in a live, interactive setting.
Not only did NAR broker the opportunity, but an NAR member was the one who saw the value a CRS designation could bring to Indian practitioners and led the charge.
That member is NAR Global Ambassador to India, Thailand and Myanmar Ayres DCunha, an eXp Realty associate broker in Long Island, N.Y.
“From the moment I was appointed as NAR Global Ambassador, I made it clear to NAR leadership that I came in with a vision, a defined agenda, and a commitment to driving meaningful change,” says DCunha, who grew up in Mumbai and learned the value of education from his parents.
“My goal has always been to champion educational initiatives that outlast my tenure; efforts that build a legacy others can carry forward,” he says.
NAR-India Vice Chairman and Global Chair Tarun Bhatia, partner at Shaloo Agencies, completed the inaugural CRS course and says it was a hit.
Enrollees gathered twice a week from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. for four weeks, before culminating the experience with an exam on Aug. 26.
“The leadership joined to motivate other members and to show that there is no age for learning,” Bhatia says. “I’m 54+, and even after a full day’s work, I’m eager to enroll in programs like this which go late into the evenings. We want to demonstrate to younger professionals that learning never ends. These opportunities don’t come every day, so it’s important to make the most of them.”
Internationally, the CRS course teaches business planning, marketing, negotiation and how to work with clients. While the course covers universal concepts, instructors are trained in country-specific nuances like language and culture.
“The course content was excellent, and the delivery was excellent too, but I think the highest credit goes to the instructor,” Bhatia says. “Furhad [Waquad] was extremely professional, and he brought a good understanding of the Indian real estate sector. That allowed him to answer questions with the right context and perspective.”
Waquad is also an instructor for one of NAR's flagship designations, Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS).
There are thousands of CRS designees across more than 30 countries, including Spain, Thailand, Portugal and the Philippines. To take the course, a practitioner must meet minimum transaction or sales volume requirements, which vary by country.
Providing access to CRS courses accomplishes two NAR goals: It raises the bar of real estate professionalism across the globe, while simultaneously creating a referral network between esteemed U.S. and international practitioners that cuts across borders.
“CRS is widely recognized as the gold standard in residential real estate—an elite credential awarded to top-performing agents, managers and brokers,” DCunha says. “What makes it truly powerful is that once you earn it, you’re instantly part of a global network of Certified Residential Specialists. It opens doors not just in India, but across international markets, creating seamless connections with fellow CRS professionals worldwide.”
Bhatia compared it to two doctors meeting from two countries. The knowledge that comes with them both being doctors establishes trust, starts a conversation and helps “break the ice.”
A Win-Win Business Opportunity
Bhatia explains there’s huge referral potential for both Indian and American practitioners.
India is ripe with opportunity. Between April of 2024 and March of 2025, foreign buyers purchased $56 billion worth of U.S. residential properties, according to NAR research. Approximately 6% of those properties—4,700 existing homes—were acquired by buyers in India, which has remained the fourth-largest origin of foreign buyers for more than a decade. They poured $2.2 billion into U.S. residential real estate.
What’s more, they’re coming to the negotiating table with cash in hand. More than four out of every 10 buyers from India made an all-cash transaction, NAR data shows, higher than the rate of all-cash sales among all buyers.
And just like with U.S.-based buyers, referrals from past clients remain the top originator of new business for foreign residential buyers, emphasizing the benefit for U.S. agents and brokers to expand their networks globally.
On the flip side, there’s also opportunity for people in America looking to invest in India.
“Our largest developer, DLF, is now clocking nearly 30% of its sales from NRIs [non-resident Indians],” Bhatia says. “Indians settled abroad are increasingly investing back in Indian real estate in a significant way.”
NAR-India is a burgeoning trade association, with 3,800 direct members and 50,000 associate members across 35 cities, and its partnership with NAR continues to strengthen.
Every other year, NAR co-sponsors a massive one-day conference with its bilateral partners in the Asia-Pacific region. Last year, DChuna says he encouraged NAR-India to make a bid to host the event, and the association recently announced they won the bid and will host the 2026 International Real Estate Conference in Hyderabad.
“My passion for real estate, education and my home country of India runs deep,” he says.
