Raising Industry Standards Is Key Agenda for SIRS.(Society of Independent Representatives)(Company overview)

NEW YORK -- When Charles Smith, CEO of the Society of Independent Representatives, looks at the mortgage servicing industry, he notices that at almost every step of the food chain, participants are subject to some sort of credentials, testing or licensing - until you get to field services.

The representatives hired to maintain and protect real estate-owned property on behalf of lenders often have no specific credentials. The Society of Independent Representatives believes that field-service providers can benefit from testing and certification that assures the people who hire them that they know how to do what they are supposed to do.

"We are looking to improve the industry and bring it up to a higher level," Mr. Smith told MSN. Mr. Smith, co-owner of a field service business, knows the ins and outs of the industry.

SIRS sees industry education as a core part of its mission, and the organization has established a certification and testing program for field-service representatives that want to demonstrate their credentials to be in the business. With many new individuals entering the market, he believes lenders would be well served to know that the people they hire for property maintenance and preservation know how to winterize a home, for instance.

"I cannot guarantee that they are going to perform the services correctly, but I can guarantee that they know how to," Mr. Smith said.

While experienced field-service representatives may say they don't need to be tested, or feel that the testing done by the servicers that hire them is sufficient, the concept makes sense to many veterans of the field service industry, Mr. Smith says.

And for that reason, the organization recently voted to implement certification as a requirement for SIRS membership starting next year. However, individuals who are not SIRS members will also be allowed to take the test.