Just finished the MRP (Military Relocation Professional) certification course and wanted to share my honest take. The course itself is a single-day online or in-person class - I did it via NAR's online platform over about 6 hours. There's a short exam at the end of the course, around 25 questions, and you need to score at least 80% to pass. It's not difficult if you paid attention during the course.
The exam covers VA loan basics, the PCS (Permanent Change of Station) process, how to work with military buyers who are relocating on tight timelines, and SCRA protections for service members. Going in with some background knowledge helps but honestly the course material prepares you well. I'd read through the workbook they send you beforehand if you want to feel really confident - took me about 2 hours to get through it.
Whether it's worth it depends on your market. I'm near a naval installation and about 30% of my buyers are military. The MRP designation shows up on realtor.com searches and I've had clients specifically filter for it. Since getting certified 4 months ago I've closed 2 deals I'm fairly sure I got because of the designation. The course costs around $129 if you're an NAR member.
If you're not in a military-adjacent market, the ROI is harder to justify. But even then, the VA loan education alone is worth something - VA financing is more common than ever and a lot of agents still don't understand the process well.
The SCRA protections section was the most useful to me practically. Had a client last year who needed to break a lease and neither of us knew what protections applied. Now I can actually advise on that without sending them to a lawyer for basic questions.
What was the exam format like - were the questions scenario-based or more straightforward recall? I'm taking the course next month and trying to figure out how seriously to take the exam portion.
The VA loan content is genuinely useful regardless of designation. I've been licensed 7 years and learned things in that course I'd been getting wrong about entitlement restoration. Worth the $129 for that alone in my opinion.
I'm near Fort Bragg and the MRP has come up in about 40% of my initial client calls - they see it on my profile and ask about it right away. Definitely worth it if you're in a military town. Mine paid for itself in the first transaction.