Realtor Board Dues

[Laryssa W]

It varies by BOARD not state. I am treated as an associate in the NEO MLS (NE OK) and the NWA board requires you to join as a Realtor member, pay NAR dues, etc. I pay no NAR dues to the state or national organization in OK. Not that it saves me a "bundle". It doesn't. In both MLS's you have full access to listings and solds. Back years ago, we were only allowed to view the solds but paid only $5 a month for access.

Interesting, I didn't know that. Thanks for replying

 

[Tiffany Gibbons]

Hello, I am a Certified Residential Appraiser in Tennessee. Until recently, I thought Realtor board dues on top of MLS subscription fee where required by all appraisers in all states. I'd like to take a poll to get a glimpse of which states do require board membership and which do not. The reason behind that is I am also a member of the Appraisal Institute which is relevant to my role as an appraiser. If you could reply with a yes or no followed by your state, I would appreciate it. Thanks and have a great day.

Hi Laryssa, I'm a member of Middle Tennessee Board of Realtors, TAR, NAR, all that but there is absolutely no way I could do my job without total access to MLS, not to mention Sentrilock access especially now that the app is on the phone and works even in areas I can't get a cell phone signal. Totally worth the $40 bucks a month for that on top of the other $1000 or so. It includes Courthouse Retrieval as well and links directly to all the GIS maps and crap I need for my rural stuff. Cost of doing business. There are discounts and free classes and lunches and stuff as well. I just never have time for that stuff.

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

With so many Realtors listing everything on Zillow or realtor dot com, you can bypass the MLS. I have a lot of fringe areas where there is spotty or overlapping coverage with other MLS's.

So this is my procedure. I am in a disclosure state (s).

a- I have access to all counties in the region via vendors who produce searchable county assessor field card databases. They are frequently updated (some counties literally daily) and I find all the sales in the area I am working. From that list I start plugging in addresses in Google

b- Once it pops up, there is usually a link to a realtor dot com or zillow page. I pull that up. Once I have that information, I can usually find the agent or broker. Call for any info I need. Since our local MLS won't report concessions, financing, etc. you can often get it directly from the agent. When you can't then the next stage is...

c-I have access to deeds and mortgages via one pay site in OK and free in several counties in AR. I think search the buyers name. I look at the mortgage. At the bottom of the 1st page of the mortgage will be whether it is FHA or GSE, or if nothing, it's in house. There may be a second mortgage held by the seller in some cases (and I bet your MLS and agent didn't mention that if so) and you will find that, too. If no mortgage, it is either cash or financed by using other property as collateral...cash anyway. And the mortgages here normally state the amount lent (since they have to pay a fee based on price) So, then you have the list price (z & reltor have history of listings, DOM, etc.) you usually can tell if a significant concession was made (again, the agent normally will tell you.)

d-While FNMA might require you be an MLS member, there is nothing in USPAP requiring it. I find that I can pull up the above as readily as I can rely upon the MLS. Too many times in the MLS, I found Realist was not up to date while both the courthouse and the county assessor records were. This is especially true if the sale is less than 30 days old. Even with the MLS, I will always pull up the county assessor records AND the deed and mortgage even if it means going to the courthouse clerk's office (which a few very counties in my state may still not be on-line)... and how many appraisers today have ever sit foot in the courthouse?

 

[spittman]

Bexar County , Texas here. There are different membership levels, but no way around getting MLS access unless I join SABOR - San Antonio Board of Realtors. At one time I belonged to 2 other MLS and I had to provide a prerequisite letter from SABOR in order to get MLS access in those areas.

 

[JTip]

My MLS requires all offices to have a Designated Realtor (office owner). So you have to pay the office entry fee along with any Realtor dues (national/state) and monthly access fee(s).

You can bypass the office fee if you hang your certification with another office, but you still have to pay the annual/monthly Realtor/MLS access dues, as do all the other licenses hanging in that office.

Cost of doing business.

 

[Laryssa W]

Hi Laryssa, I'm a member of Middle Tennessee Board of Realtors, TAR, NAR, all that but there is absolutely no way I could do my job without total access to MLS, not to mention Sentrilock access especially now that the app is on the phone and works even in areas I can't get a cell phone signal. Totally worth the $40 bucks a month for that on top of the other $1000 or so. It includes Courthouse Retrieval as well and links directly to all the GIS maps and crap I need for my rural stuff. Cost of doing business. There are discounts and free classes and lunches and stuff as well. I just never have time for that stuff.

Hi Tiffany, I am a member of MTAR as well. I didn't realize that the board dues provided access to CRS, I thought that was through Realtracs. I dont have an issue with the monthly MLS subscription, that is necessary. Its the there boards that I don't find a benefit in being a member of. Thanks for replying.

 

[Tiffany Gibbons]

Hi Tiffany, I am a member of MTAR as well. I didn't realize that the board dues provided access to CRS, I thought that was through Realtracs. I dont have an issue with the monthly MLS subscription, that is necessary. Its the there boards that I don't find a benefit in being a member of. Thanks for replying.

I didn't mean to misspeak. CRS is through Realtracs, but I could not get Realtracs without becoming a member of the board to gain access. It has been like that every where I've lived in Tennessee. I used to be licensed in Mississippi but I was in corporate then and could just work at our office in that state when I needed MLS. Mississippi being a non-disclosure state, you had to have access to MLS or there was absolutely no data available and even what was there was questionable and required calling agents and trying to get more information out of them. It was no fun.

 

[spittman]

One thing I forgot to mention about my board membership. Every year when it's time to pay the annual membership dues online, I have to make sure that the fees don't include a $40 TREPAC donation. It is voluntary, but for some reason they have it automatically checked during the payment processing. I have to uncheck it every time when I submit payment. Part of the donation goes towards lobbying and legislation for appraiser reform. I understand that some appraiser's need to be held accountable, but why single us out? Like there's no brokers or agents out there being unethical. No way I'm donating a single dime to their fund.

 

[bnmappraisal]

Cost of doing business.

Yyyyyyyyuuuuuuuuppppp

 

[bnmappraisal]

I have to make sure that the fees don't include a $40 TREPAC donation. It is voluntary, but for some reason they have it automatically checked during the payment processing.

Same thing here, Sam. Each renewal there's something similar as to what you describe; a predetermined $$ amount
I usually just put in $10 but not always. It depends on the "agenda" that's being pushed at the time.