What is a Certified Divorce Real Estate Expert (CDRE®?)
A Certified Divorce Real Estate Expert® is a real estate professional with advanced training and experience in the unique challenges that can arise when real property is involved in divorce. There are only three CDRE's in South Carolina and only two in the Charleston area.
This level of specialization reflects a commitment to handling these transactions with professionalism, discretion, and respect for the complexity involved. It requires more than pricing, marketing, and negotiating a home. It requires structure, neutrality, careful communication, and an understanding of how court orders, attorneys, timelines, title, equity, access, repairs, and proceeds can affect the sale.
Tara Tatum, Realtor® | CDRE®
You deserve an agent who:
- Has over 25 years experience selling homes in Charleston, SC
- Remains neutral and not aligned with one party over the other
- Understands how real estate decisions intersect with legal proceedings
- Communicates clearly with both parties and their attorneys in high stress and high conflict situations
- Follows court directives carefully
- Helps reduce unnecessary conflict through a structured process
- Protects the equity in what is often a significant shared asset
- Keeps the sales process moving forward
- Follows a specific Code of Ethics for divorce real estate
Why Choose a CDRE® Over a Traditional Agent
Neutrality
Legal Process
CDRE:
Maintains strict neutrality and declines cases where personal bias or conflict may exist.
Traditional Agent:
May not recognize bias, especially when personally closer to one spouse
Legal Process
Legal Process
CDRE:
Understands legal process, confirms authority to sell, and structures enforceable terms to prevent sabotage or exclusion.
Traditional Agent:
Unfamiliar with court orders, legal roles, or authority to sell, risking invalid contracts or sale delays.
Structured Process
Structured Process
CDRE:
Maintains confidentiality, structures listing terms and process to prevent sabotage, and ensures compliance with court orders and party cooperation.
Traditional Agent:
May advertise urgency, weakening negotiation power and risking fair housing violations.
Communication
Conflict Management
Structured Process
CDRE:
Communicates equally with both parties with awareness of restraining orders and appropriate attorney and court involvement.
Traditional Agent:
Informal, undocumented text threads, often with unequal communication between spouses, unnecessary attorney involvement or even unintentional violations of restraining orders.
Conflict Management
Conflict Management
Conflict Management
CDRE:
Skilled in de-escalation and neutrality, keeping communication focused and productive.
Traditional Agent:
Unprepared for conflict between parties, often escalating tension unintentially.
Expert Testimony
Conflict Management
Conflict Management
CDRE:
Certified to testify on pricing, sale recommendations, and provide documentation to support findings in cases involving delays, sabotage, noncompliance, or wast claims.
Traditional Agent:
Not trained or prepared to provide expert testimony to support pricing, sale, recommendations, or issues like sabotage or non-cooperation.
Member Affiliations
