Shear named chairman of Accredited Auctioneer of R.E. education program

Mark Shear, president of Berman Auctioneers & Appraisers, has taken on a national leadership position as the new chairman of the Accredited Auctioneer of Real Estate (AARE) education program run by the National Auctioneers Association Education Institute. The AARE is one of the highest real estate designations in the auction industry. During his four-year appointment as chairman, Shear will lead the team responsible for the ongoing development and oversight of the curriculum of study required to achieve the AARE designation. He will also oversee the evaluation process for candidates who apply for the AARE designation, following the proscribed course work, examinations and professional field experience requirements. "The auction industry is growing and evolving dramatically today, so our professional education must keep pace," Shear said. "I am honored to be chosen by my colleagues to serve in this capacity." To date, only 320 auctioneers in the U.S. have achieved the AARE designation, which indicates they have mastered the best practices for auctioning residential, agricultural, commercial or industrial properties. AARE-designated auctioneers are required to take continuing education courses throughout their careers to maintain their designation. In addition to his new role as chairman of the AARE educational program, Shear is a trustee of the National Auctioneers Association Education Institute and a certified instructor for the National Association of Realtors (NAR). In 2007, he was part of the team of experts that developed the current edition of the NAR's "Introduction to Real Estate Auction" continuing education course for Realtors. "There is increasing overlap in the methods for selling real estate today, whether through auction or more traditional brokerage," said Shear. A third-generation auctioneer, Shear holds a CAI designation from the National Auctioneers Assn., the highest professional designation recognized in the auction industry in the U.S. He is licensed and bonded in Mass., N.H., Vermont and Conn. Shear also holds a real estate broker's license in Mass. and Conn. He is a graduate of the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota where he earned a bachelor of science degree in Marketing and Finance with a minor in Economics. Berman Auctioneers & Appraisers of Worcester is a division of BidMark Services, Inc.