- Diane Ursic
About Us
We are a knowledgeable, dedicated team of professionals who are also practitioners in the real estate field with many years experience. Each of us is committed to your professional development and to your career advancement. We have proven teaching and facilitation skills and we provide a collaborative, rewarding learning experience.
The Principals of PRA®
PRA® Training is a division of SMART-ER, Canada's premier high-level training company for professionals in real estate and the supporting professions. SMART-ER provides a number of accreditation programs, including PRA® Professional Real Estate Assistant Training, ASA Seniors Real Estate designation, ASA-M Seniors designation for those in the Mortgage profession, and SMART-ER Negotiation for REALTORS®.
Dione Rimmer, President of SMART-ER
Dione Rimmer has worked in the real estate business for 15 years, primarily as an Office Manager and a Professional Real Estate Assistant. During her time as an assistant, Dione was responsible for running teams from as small as one agent with a buyer's agent, to a team with 10 buyer agents. Dione is passionate about the importance of great training to the career satisfaction that a Professional Real Estate Assistant experiences, and has invested hundreds of hours in developing ways to help a REALTOR® place trust and responsibility in the hands of their assistant.
Chris Newell, CEO of SMART-ER
Chris Newell, a REALTOR® for 19 years, is responsible for the training programs offered by SMART-ER. A teacher, trainer and coach for more than 30 years, Chris has experienced adult learning from many facets. From being coached by all the heavy-hitters in the real estate world to working as a TA for Kaplan College School of Real Estate, and from speaking at conventions across North America to coaching in both group format and one-on-one, Chris has learned in great depth the secrets of adult education. Currently the Lead Instructor for the ASA Seniors Real Estate program and the SMART-ER Negotiation for REALTORS® program, Chris Newell is a popular trainer in classrooms and online. The most common commentary from the classroom is that he makes the complex understandable and that his passion shines through.
Dione Rimmer and Chris Newell are proud and excited to bring the PRA® Professional Real Estate Assistant Training programs to the profession.
What we do
Real estate assistants play an important role in the real estate profession. SMART-ER offers training specifically designed for unlicensed professional real estate assistants and administrators. We also offer support, job placement assistance, networking opportunities and a community.
Don’t miss out on an opportunity to acquire new skills you can immediately apply to your current job through these training programs.
Why we do itWe are an organization committed to providing a collaborate voice for real estate assistants and administrators across Canada. We believe that there is a need for;
- a minimum standard of education and competency
- Code of Ethics and Business Standards
- resources and support
- ongoing current professional development
Our mission
Our mission is to ensure that real estate assistants are properly trained, and have the knowledge and skills they need to succeed and be an effective member of the real estate team.
We are accredited by the Better Business Bureau
We are proud to have been accredited by the BBB. Not every company is approved for accreditation, only those that meet and make a commitment to the BBB Standards for Trust.
