Bob Ipock
Elite Member
- Joined
- Jan 15, 2002
- Professional Status
- Certified Residential Appraiser
- State
- North Carolina
I don't think anyone is forced.....you have a choice to join or not join. If you want to appraise you have to join to get the data.
I don't mind paying for data....MLS fees are high....but I am wiling to pay the price. However, I hate having top pay for to join my local NAR association. I HATE PAYING national, state and local NAR dues. I hate paying for luncheons I don't attend, travel expenses for board and committee members who love to travel, "NAR Image Awareness Assessment" fees.
I have no desire to associate with the vast majority of real estate sales people. My experience over 30 years has been that most of them care only about a commission and nothing else. The public agrees....real estate agents have a very poor ranking as to public trust and they have earned it. I very, very rarely act as an agent because I know that I will have to deal with some commission hungry agent that wants their money and has no regard for the buyer or seller in a transaction.
Sell me the MLS....but I could do without all the crap that you have to pay to get to the MLS......but then again....it is a choice and nobody is holding a gun to my head.
Almost forgot! What I REALLY HATE is that 3% of my NAR dues are for political lobbying and 42.3% of the state (NCAR) dues are for political lobbying. What Realtors lobby for is rarely in the best interest of the consumer or the nation but only in the best interest of themselves.
