Rachel Cheng - CSHP Designation

Rachel Cheng of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices PenFed Realty Ashburn Earns Rare Certification Serving Seniors

By PenFed Realty on 4/11/2023

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices PenFed Realty is pleased to announce that REALTOR® Rachel Helmich Cheng of Ashburn, Va., has completed the prestigious Certified Senior Housing Professionals™ (CSHP) designation from the Seniors Real Estate Institute (SREI).

Fewer than 100 real estate sales professionals have completed the certification, according to SREI. Cheng is one of just two CSHPs in Virginia, and the only specialist based in Northern Virginia.

“As a real estate sales professional, I’m passionate about serving mature clients and their families,” said Cheng. “Downsizing or selling a family home can be emotionally and logistically complex. Completing the CSHP program equipped me with the education, network and resources to uniquely care for my clients.”

Cheng was recommended through a professional relationship to her first downsizing client, Micki Johnson, who purchased her home in 1967. Following her husband’s passing, Johnson worked with Cheng for over a year as she prepared to list her home—and prepared for this next phase of life.

“My learning journey was inspired by the questions that Micki asked,” shared Cheng. “I had to find out. I wanted to be the one. And so, I engaged with the Seniors Real Estate Institute because their philosophy goes beyond the basics of real estate.”

SREI co-founder and CEO Nikki Buckelew, Ph.D., CSHP, CSDC, describes the certification as a Masters-level program focused on human behavior related to aging and real estate transactions.

“Real estate agents don’t need any more real estate training,” Buckelew said in an interview with Positive Aging Community. “We need to know how to help people with their problems. It’s about how to serve late-life moves. It’s about how to help those people who are downsizing or struggling with the logistics or the emotions associated with leaving their home they’ve lived in for 30, 40, 50 years.”

As part of the CHSP program, Cheng established the “Downsizers Club,” which provides resources and support to members of the senior community. She also regularly conducts a “Downsizing Made Easy” class and launched a new course titled “Moving Mom & Dad: 5 Common Mistakes Adult Children of Aging Parents Make and How to Avoid Them.”

“I’ve always been willing to go above and beyond to serve my clients—before, during and after a transaction,” Cheng expounded. “But it was the CSHP program that helped me build the skills and resources necessary to bridge the gap for mature buyers and sellers in our community.”

Today, Cheng honors the client who started her down this path at every one of her listings by incorporating a table handmade by Johnson’s late husband.

“I feel like it’s a good luck charm,” she said.

About REALTOR® Rachel Cheng
Born and raised in Reston, Va., Cheng is now a resident of Loudoun County. She received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Strayer University and Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from George Mason University. Following a 20-year career in teaching, Cheng earned her real estate license in the Commonwealth of Virginia and joined Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices PenFed Realty’s Ashburn branch office. Cheng can be reached by phone at (703) 457-7832 or by email at Rachel@AskRachelCheng.com. For more information, please visit her website at AskRachelCheng.com.

About Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices PenFed Realty
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices PenFed Realty (www.penfedrealty.com) is a full-service real estate company with an annual sales volume of over $8 billion. Headquartered in Alexandria, Va., the company has over 2,000 agents and more than 60 offices, providing complete real estate services nationwide and helping over 20,000 clients with their real estate needs each year. PenFed Realty is a wholly owned subsidiary of PenFed Credit Union and is a member of the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices brokerage network, operated by HSF Affiliates LLC. We are proud to be an equal employment opportunity employer. Equal Housing Opportunity.

Media Contact:
Karmela Lejarde
karmela.lejarde@penfedrealty.com
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