Are You Forced to Pay NAR Dues ?

[Hamlet]

Mr. Berry,

I'm rapidly Googling beans in Spain and attempting to connect the dots to your post and what the O.Pster was asking.

YOU SHOULD POST IN ALL CAPS SO HE CAN READ IT!

 

[PropertyEconomics]

Mr. Berry,

I'm rapidly Googling beans in Spain and attempting to connect the dots to your post and what the O.Pster was asking.

To paraphrase ...

Shut Up .. Pay your Dues .. Be a Good Realtor .... the long and short of it Webbed ....

 

[Corinne Garcia]

Good idea!
I had the same idea when the NAR President, Charles McMillan, sent out the broadcast email on January 7th that said (in part):

"We realize that many of you are looking ahead to 2009, with great uncertainty. We want to assure you that NAR is working hard to address challenges and create an environment where you can succeed."

I quickly responded thanking him and asking what was in his pipeline for the thousands of Appraiser-Realtors that would help us succeed in 2009. I advised him that, as Realtors, we deserved national representation as much as Brokers and Agents. I asked him to at least get involved with appraisers, take our opinions and then make a statement about the HVCC, as no other "Appraiser-Friendly" group was willing to help us.

NO RESPONSE!!
We have to face it - we appraisers are simply another source of income for the NAR. They do NOT care about us or represent us.

Side Fact: When I read the article here (at AF) about the local Boards of Realtors working with AVMs, I wrote the president of our Association of Realtors (citing the article) and asked if he had an agreement with any such entity whose agenda was to gather data so that REAL VALUATIONS would not be needed.

NO RESPONSE!!

Sometimes......no anwser is an answer.
m2:

http://www.intellireal.com/retn1007.html

Many are eager to tap into MLS, Google Base (FSBO) and other sources. MLS data, however, can usually only be accessed by an authorized MLS associate. IntelliReal has worked out an agreement —this part of its business model remains a key piece of the company’s “secret sauce” —that gives it data feeds from 250 MLSs. The company can turn on those feeds based on having a broker in that area who’s authorized.

(secret sauce this!)

(PE - check your email)

 

[Doug in NC]

I pay dues to one local MLS that meets once a month for a free dinner, for the regulars who attend. I don't go because I don't do realty work in that county and it is too far to drive for a free lunch. It's very convenient for those who do participate though. There must be some good reason to spend MLS income on free lunches, I just haven't figured out what it is yet.

My main MLS doesn't do the free lunch deal. I could suggest the idea, but I doubt they could find a restaurant big enough to serve a few hundred agents looking for a free meal. That might eliminate the waived fee for Decembers too.

 

[PropertyEconomics]

Good idea!
I had the same idea when the NAR President, Charles McMillan, sent out the broadcast email on January 7th that said (in part):

"We realize that many of you are looking ahead to 2009, with great uncertainty. We want to assure you that NAR is working hard to address challenges and create an environment where you can succeed."

I quickly responded thanking him and asking what was in his pipeline for the thousands of Appraiser-Realtors that would help us succeed in 2009. I advised him that, as Realtors, we deserved national representation as much as Brokers and Agents. I asked him to at least get involved with appraisers, take our opinions and then make a statement about the HVCC, as no other "Appraiser-Friendly" group was willing to help us.

NO RESPONSE!!
We have to face it - we appraisers are simply another source of income for the NAR. They do NOT care about us or represent us.

Side Fact: When I read the article here about the local Boards of Realtors working with AVMs, I wrote the president of our Association of Realtors (siting the article) and asked if he had an agreement with any such entity whose agenda was to gather data so that REAL VALUATIONS would not be needed.

NO RESPONSE!!

Sometimes......no anwser is an answer.
m2:

Corinne - Id really like to know about the local article you read. I would like to take that up with the new president of GAAR ... if you have it can you forward it or tell me where I can find it. Send me a pm or an email either way ...

Thanks

 

[Mountain Man]

Only if I want to keep MLS. No, I don't contribute to R-Pac. I'm always one of the couple turds in the punch bowl when they have their 100% participation drive. :new_all_coholic:

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

we appraisers are simply another source of income for the NAR

precisely. I was an associate member for 15 years but only last year was forced to join as a Realtor-member. Ethics class, higher fees, and what other benefit would they offer? a chance to send me Realtor Magazine just to Pzz me off?

 

[Corinne Garcia]

"Ethics Class"

precisely. I was an associate member for 15 years but only last year was forced to join as a Realtor-member. Ethics class, higher fees, and what other benefit would they offer? a chance to send me Realtor Magazine just to Pzz me off?

When I was sent to my first "Realtor Ethics Class" several years ago, the room was filled with 'bout a hundred +/- newbie sales agents and maybe 4 or 5 appraisers who were forced there as a condition of becoming a Member. The 150ish year old Broker "teaching" the class had a lot to say about appraisers. She instructed the class that if they did not like an appraisal result, they should call up the appraiser and demand that they change the value. She said that 9 times out of 10, they would. She said that appraisers (by nature) rode mainly on emotions and they may have had a bad day when they wrote the appraisal (fight with spouse?). She said she has challenged many values and ALWAYS got her way.

At break, I approached her and asked her to amend her statements in the next segment of her "ethical instructions" because what she said was NOT accurate; that appraisers are (or should be) professionals and leave their emotions out of it; that an ethical appraiser would / should never change a value based on a Broker's opinion; that we have our own code of ethics to follow and they should be respected by ALL Realtors. She refused and said she was not wrong.

I wrote a formal complaint to our Association's President and followed up with a phone call. He seemed to find humor in it and said he would not make a request to her that she stop making her appraiser's speech ~ she was, after all, a very experienced Broker and Instructor and knew what she was talking about.

Needless to say......I took the class on line forward and have NEVER attended another class at our Board Office.

 

[Bob Ipock]

NAR, which represents half the 2.6 million licensed real-estate agents in the country, has its critics. One concern is that while the organization collects and releases objective data about home sales, it also provides commentary on those statistics -- and has a mission to advance its members.

2.6 million real estate agents, that is quite a few.

 

[Stone]

Corinne - that is somewhat similar to my first "ethics" course. I've written about it here before, but while appraisers weren't bashed, the entire course was how to get around the rules and get more money from the other parties. Also, ways to take clients from other agents was a major topic.

The instructor is someone that I know is actually quite ethical and he spent the day saying "no you cannot do that because..." only to get the "I know that in theory, but how about if I do..." response right back.

I also took my most recent update on-line. While I find that to be annoying, I still don't mind paying the dues. It is their data and I want it.