There is a real estate company in the Newnan Georgia area that ramps up recruiting efforts every year at the time the Board of Realtors dues are collected.
Since this company is not a member of the board, the affiliated agents are not required to pay the annual fee that is used to fund all of the activities, amenities, and protections offered to Realtors.
There is nothing wrong with not being a member of the board if one chooses not to participate. That's a free choice and everyone is entitled to make there own decision.
What I find somewhat disingenuous is the fact that not participating in the board is presented to prospective agents as a perquisite and not a detriment.
What does that say about an agent that will change companies to save a mere dollar a day? How dedicated are they to the profession, to ethics, or to cooperative networking?
I know that times are tough these days, but the survival of the profession depends on the solidarity of the member boards across the land.
Realtor dues are cost of doing business. Without them, there might not be a business to worry about.
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Very good points
What? Not be a member of the Board? Is it just a group of referral agents? Not trying to be a smarty pants, but I can't understand how they would function to the benefit of their clients both buyers and sellers. Just my opinion
Richard,
BRAVO! I totally agree with you, its a company's (and thus their agent's) choice whether or not to be a Board member, but the benefits far outweigh the detriments-mainly the cost. The biggest benefit is being able to call yourself a Realtor(R) and not just a real estate agent.
Speaking as a person who has recently become active in her local board after many years of just paying dues, perceived negatives of board membership can only be addressed by paying dues AND making your voice heard.
Hi Richard:
I guess that's usually the heavy recruiting time...The yearly board dues can't be that much money, right?
And what does that say about a company who won't pay a nominal fee to be on the local board...
Cindy...
Why thank you!
Dick and Dixie....
I just don't see the advantage of not being a member and bragging about it! And what about the customer? Thanks for the support and the comment.
Amy...
That was so nicely stated ... by getting active you begin to see the true value of what the board actually DOES! Not to mention a very powerful lobby that preserves the industry as an institution!
Thanks so much for the comment.
There are aover 2 million licensees in the US. Less than half are a member of any MLS or board. Some boards don't do much for their agents or brokers. Others are very helpful.
The Board is only as strong as its membership. The National organization is very important at times like this. I just took action on the latest Call to Action regarding First Time Home Buyer Credit. All licensees benefit from the activities and standards of NAR - some just don't want to pay for the benefits received.
I have mixed feeling on our dues, how they are spent and what protection they offer us. I will tell you Im not a big fan on it at all.
Brother Richard - You used a phrase that I love and I don't hear all that much anymore. "The cost of doing business." People seem to have lost that concept in many industries and the real estate industry is no different. I hate paying all the dues, fees, and associated costs of being an agent, but I do it so that I get all the benefits and can do all the things I need to do.
There are several of those companies in our area, and I agree it is their choice. But it has becoming more and more of a hardship for me personally because guess what?, they don't have the supra ekeys to get into my listings. We either have to purchase a manual lockbox and have 2 keys available, or make a trip to open a door everytime they want to show a listing. Major inconvenience either way.
Richard, these are the same people that don't have electronic lock boxes and expect me to go and open a vacant home for their buyers. I generally don't make it that easy for them.
Richard, in my area it is difficult to do business without being a member of the local Association of REALTORS® since they control lockbox access. They are also cracking down on required membership. If the Broker is a member, all agents have to become a member. The local MLS does not require membership; however, there is an additional cost. I don't know for sure, but the additional cost may off some or most of the cost for the Association dues.
Toula...
That is all that I am asking too! Thanks and have a great day!
Heath...
Without the Realtor lobby in Washington and that state legislatures, the industry would cease to exist. All agent benefit from this powerful collective effort! That alone, is worth the cost of membership, Even on AR, you will see the terms "real estate agent" and "Realtor" used in the same context, yet they are NOT the same. THX for the comment.
Jim...
I think that many members overlook the very powerful behind the scenes work that is being done. Thanks for the great comment.
Laura J...
Without the lobbies, the profession would cease to exist. For example, in Georgia the Real Estate Commission exists to protect consumers. The Board is there to preserve the best interests of their members. Thanks for the candor, I appreciate it very much.
Brother Matt...
I wonder how many non-members would correct someone that called them a "Realtor?" I mean, would they say "I'm not a member of the BOR so I am not a Realtor." They would not, because that would diminish their stature if front of the potential client. So the value is recognized, there is just an unwillingness to pay. THX!
Karen...
So how do they get buyers? What is their value proposition? Thanks for the comment.
The only purpose in not being a member of the Board is that you don't have to pay the dues, and you increase your chances of getting both sides of the sale. Personally, I like the odds of having me AND 1600 other realtors working to sell my client's property.
I know a lady who sells real estate but not as a broker..as a private owner of the property to avoid the rules, regulations, sanctions...
TO All...
Please understand that this post is not a criticism of those who choose not to participate in their local boards. I am a fan of choice, I always have been.
The topic is using this as a recruiting tactic ,,, "join our company and save $350." Do you think that is a good marketing effort?
That would mean they can't use the REALTOR logo, or call themselves REALTORS, am I correct?
I certainly wouldn't list my home with someone that desperate to save $350. That tells me they need a deal so bad they'll do anything to get, the client be damned!
Mmmmmm. In my area for some boards it's about $2 a day and for folks who are licensed in two states, it's about $4 per day. But, I persevere.
I still believe that I receive more in benifits from my NAR membership(s) than that which I pay.
Fact is, brokers who are not members of NAR still benifit from the structure/training/MLS/forms, etc., activities, etc.
They just don't pay for it.
Richard - We pay quarterly. And I agree with Matt....it's the cost of doing business. It also speaks volumes of your ability to show and list homes.
Richard: By them not being members of the local association, there is also not a quick, local way to file ethics violations against them.
Karen...
In our area, all brokers can get electronic lockboxes whether or not they are members of the board ... but I know that this is a real problem in some areas! THX
Gabe...
This is a problem, that's for sure. Many agents don't use them here just to save money! Thanks.
Michael...
I am hearing more and more about this. Thanks.
Richard - That is a terribly lame marketing technique, in my opinion. On another note, $1/day sounds like an absolute bargain! Maybe I need to move to Georgia and work with you. :)
If you're willing to drop being a Realtor just to save a few bucks, then you're likely not that good to start with.
Richard...If they aren't a member of the Board...they must not be a member of the Multiple Listing System either. Now that is not a benifit to a client.
Richard,
Its hard to believe a Realtor can stay in business when they don't pay for the cost of doing business. Maybe for the few deals a year they complete it makes sense! A full time agent listing property that does not pay dues is not the best choice for a home seller. But some sellers are willing to accept less because they are paying less. What ever floats your boat!
Rich... Since it is my recruiting email sent this morning that leaves you perplexed, I'll ask you what does the fact that was poignantly spotlighted in that email say about my firm? I assume you have an answer since your question was posed with tongue in cheek and you found it amazing that I would highlight that one of the many advantages of working with my firm is no one will pick your pocket of $400 because of FORCED NAR membership courtesy of the Designated Realtor rule.
I'll point out that was not my "best recruiting tactic" but only one of many that has had roaring success over the many years I have been recruiting agents which currently stands at 137 agents and growing. As the largest real estate office in Georgia south of downtown Atlanta I'll let our off the chart sales speak for themselves which, in the end, is what business is about; production, market share, and profit. If you think it is about which clubs you belong to then you've missed the mark by a mile.
That you find my recruiting "disingenuous," please explain why? It was frank, to the point and with complete candor. When given the choice to be a member of NAR at select firms most agents elect to pass. That fact is supported by the several Georgia firms who have formed parallel firms (one as a NAR member and one that is not) so that their agents have a choice. When that choice is given, 80+ % elect to hang their license with the non-member firm. That little talked about fact seems to dispel all of this hullabaloo about NAR and its perceived value to an agent that isn't force fed membership. Are these agents evil by some Richard Weisser measure? Are they less than you? Are they dishonest and unethical? And who, pray tell, deduced that NAR has an exclusive on ethics. That's a bone-headed idea and one that you seem to perpetuate which is nothing short of ridiculous.
"What does that say about an agent that will change companies to save a mere dollar a day?" You hold yourself out to be the knower of all things real estate so perhaps you could answer that question for us. Fact is, it says little other than many agents are tired of being told what they must do and what clubs they must join. As my email pointed out this morning "don't you think you should be allowed to decide for yourself which clubs you join and which expenses you take on?"
You've dropped off the logic cliff with your declaration that "the survival of the profession depends on the solidarity of the member boards across the land." That's the most preposterous statement I've heard this week. Exactly how do you connect those dots? The survival of the industry depends on this industry performing up to its promises which is rarely done not to mention employing agents that can earn barely more than the poverty line.
How dedicated are non-NAR members? Let's turn that around and ask how dedicated are NAR members to the task of financial success? Here's a few facts. In our tiny market of Fayette / Coweta, 133 real estate firms employ 1,488 agents of which most are NAR members. The average annual net income (after broker fees) is approximately $13,600 (as reported by MLS) and that's before personal expenses (auto, ads, dues, et al). The federal poverty line is $10,880. I'll ask you, how dedicated is a group of adults to a profession that collectively earns marginally above the poverty line or a Wal-mart greeter, or a McDonalds burger boy? I'll suggest not at all as reflected by the average production of the average NAR member. If it wasn't so sad it would be comical.
So before you drink another gulp of the NAR nectar and choke on your own preposterous statements I suggest you do a bit more research before you start criticizing your competition simply because we don't belong to the same club or subscribe to your concept of success.
In the end, business is about getting the job done, performing and earning a decent income for yourself and your family and not about being a pseudo-social club of sanctimonious know-it-alls who, on average and supported by MLS published production, hardly perform above the level of a new licensee.
I'll remind you that I was a member of NAR for almost two decades and my partner was Realtor of the Year in the early 90s. Both of those superlatives and a dollar would get you a bad cup of coffee.
My friend, if you're going to criticize me on public forum then you need to first, accomplish 1/10th of what we've accomplished and then you may earn the right to insult my integrity, my professionalism, my ethics or my historical sales record.
As you usually do, I suspect you'll delete this comment since you have little stomach for reality, facts, or anyone who disagrees with your philosophical discourse.
Don Bush
P.S. William Feela. Yes, we're a member of MLS. Did someone tell you that non-NAR members can't belong to a MLS? A few facts would go a long way toward knowing what you're talking about.
Don...
Did you even read the post or my comments? Apparently not, I suggest that you do so and hopefully after considering the inappropriateness of your comments and your blatant attempt to use my post as a recruiting platform you will take it upon yourself to delete your comment yourself and retain some semblance of dignity.
I will leave it alone for now because it's good theater. we all like a little laugh once in a while.
Yes Richard, I read your posts and the comments several times over and, quite frankly, I find it insulting, full of holes, and a blantant violation of YOUR code of ethics which states;
Article 15
REALTORS® shall not knowingly or recklessly make false or misleading statements about competitors, their businesses, or their business practices. (Amended 1/92)
But just pick out the ethics you like Richard and violate the ones you don't like.
True to your nature, I'm sure you'll delete my comment since it doesn't agree with your world view.
Don Bush
Don...
If you think I violated the COE file a grievance. You are free to do so.
Richard... I don't think you did, I know you did... or can't your read your own code. Personally, I don't have time to file silly complaints. In case you aren't aware, the BOR has no teeth since they aren't a licensing board. I'm a big boy and don't need the BOR to intercede on my behalf. I'm can certainly handle a few insults from you without crying on the shoulder of the BOR. I much prefer to take you on mano-a-mano. Sort of the old fashioned way, eh Rich? You do remember how to do that, don't you?
Don...
Yes I do. I have forwarded your libelous and threatening remarks to my attorney and to the Newnan Police.
I would expect nothing less from you, Richard.