What should associations do to bring more value? What member benefits do you use? Take our survey and let us know.
What should associations do to bring more value? What member benefits do you use? Take our survey and let us know.
As a REALTOR for over thirty years, I find our associations very valuable. The biggest benefit is that they provide standardized forms that are vetted by professionals and attorneys. I could not be more disappointed in Phoenix Realtors and have chosen to leave the association due to their actions.
The local, state and national association offer tremendous value to their members. I’m with the Scottsdale association and they offer eight different home tours every month, CE and other educational classes throughout the year, a few networking mixers, and advocacy at city hall. The state association offers a complete set of real estate forms for members to use (most states have different forms depending on where you are), a legal hotline, special events and conferences with panels, and the most powerful lobbying force in the entire state. Arizona is one of the few states that do not require an attorney to work a real estate transaction, nor do we have a transfer or sales tax on a transaction all thanks to lobbying from the state association. On the national level, NAR keeps NFIP alive every year (Arizona uses NFIP more than any other non-coastal state in the nation), defends the 1031 exchange, and continues to lobby Congress and the White House on housing issues. In 2020 during Covid, NAR convinced Congress to include independent contractors as a beneficiary class for unemployment benefits which is a first in American history. Not to mention NAR partnered with every state association to lobby state lawmakers to exempt real estate from being shut down. If you closed deals during Covid, you have NAR to thank for that.