CERTIFIED DIVORCE REAL ESTATE EXPERT (CDRE®)
The Highest Level of Divorce Real Estate Training in the Nation
This isn’t another certification to add to your credentials. It’s a rigorous designation that prepares you to become the neutral real estate expert divorcing homeowners and family law attorneys trust when the house is at the center of a divorce.
Who This Is For
Not every real estate agent is prepared for the demands of divorce real estate. The CDRE® designation is built for experienced professionals ready to meet a higher standard of expertise, neutrality, and professional responsibility. Candidates undergo specialized education, applied training, and examination designed to prepare them for complex real estate matters within the family law process.
The CDRE® designation is earned. The result is highly trained real estate experts equipped to navigate divorce wih the knowledge and neutrality family law demands and homeowners deserve.
To apply, you must:
Hold an active real estate license for a minimum of 3 years
Have closed at least 45 within 5 years home sales (not including leases/rentals)
Be a critical thinker and problem-solver who stays composed under pressure
Be someone attorneys, judges, and divorcing clients can trust without question
If that's you, keep reading.
What You'll Master
The CDRE® Program is a rigorous 60-days of advanced education, applied training, and examinations to develop accomplished real estate professionals into highly trained divorce real estate experts.
Led by Laurel Starks, Court-Appointed Divorce Real Estate Expert with 20+ years of experience, alongside a faculty of practicing family law attorneys, experts are trained in:
Family law process, court orders, and neutrality
High-conflict dynamics and complex transactions
Title, liens, negotiations, and documentation
Evidence, testimony, and managing divorce listings from intake through closing
This course includes specialized education, real-world case application, the interactive CDRE® Simulator, live instruction, and written and oral examinations.
The CDRE® designation is earned. Experts must demonstrate the specialized knowledge, skills, and standards required to represent the designation.
CDREs in the News
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Silvana Sarkis, JD, CDRE®
RON SIEGEL RADIO
"The most important thing is we have our own code of ethics and we are neutral and unbiased. Sometimes when a divorce client hires a realtor, the realtor is sided with one person... If they're not specialized in divorce... they don't know how to be neutral and unbiased, and that affects the equity and preservation of the home."
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Megan Oh, CDRE®
Real Estate Insiders Unfiltered
"The Ilumni Institute is the only one where you're trained by attorneys, judges, and a real estate professional who has been doing this for decades... When we explain to attorneys that we're trained similarly to them, it creates automatic respect. We're not like other agents—we're Certified Divorce Real Estate Experts."
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Jill Heineck, CDRE®
Lawyers Without Billboards
"The idea behind this was to just broaden my horizons a bit and work in a niche that is underserved. I feel like we're missing in selling divorce listings. I think when you're working with someone that has this particular expertise relationship with the family law community, I feel like it can make it a lot smoother for the parties."
Earning the CDRE® Designation
To earn the CDRE® designation, experienced real estate professionals must:
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Complete all required education and live training
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Pass a comprehensive written examination
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Pass a live oral examination with a practicing family law attorney
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Meet CDRE® standards for experience, professionalism, and ethics
The CDRE® designation is earned through education, examination, and demonstrated professional standards.
Still want to learn more?
Schedule a call with our team to see if this is a good fit for you: CDRE Program Consultation
ADMISSIONS
Ready to apply?
What CDREs Are Saying
No need to take our word for how transformative the CDRE Program is.
Take a look at what these CDREs have to say:
Trusted by Leading Brokerages & Organizations
Recognized by nationally known brands and professional designations in real estate and family law.
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