Membership Benefits and Measuring the Return on your Dues Investment

 Much of what the REALTOR® Association does is quietly carried out and without much fanfare. The return, in many instances, is intangible: friendships, leadership and other training received, education and information obtained. How do you place a value on an enjoyable Golf Tournament, a wonderful Bowling Tournament, Installation Luncheon, Picnic, etc.? These all contribute to a member's "bottom line” that each of us has to value for ourself.

There are some returns that can be measured. The following is a conservative and partial picture of the effect the activities of the REALTOR® Association. These are activities, which presents only a partial picture of the dollar benefit derived when all the local, state and National activities of the REALTOR® Association are considered.

Several legislative initiatives and "battles" over each year save each member, based on a conservative estimate, $2,635 annually and in some years the impact has been as high as $8,500 annually. How many more buyers are currently able to buy and/or how much more is your real property worth because we saved the “Mortgage Interest Deduction” when Congress wanted to abolish it? Other Activities include:

initiatives to stop transfer fees and sales tax on real property transfers

initiatives to retain development costs at acceptable levels

defeat of tax on listings

fighting a state sales tax on services (sales tax on brokerage fees)

efforts to keep disclosure requirements manageable and liability limited

fighting to keep the right to represent buyers and sellers (dual agency)

These are but a few successes contributing to annual savings for REALTORS®.

The Legal Hotline, if used just once in a year, reflects conservative estimated savings of $130.  If used, this benefit alone could save you many hundreds of dollars annually.

The Association's standard real estate forms represent estimated savings of $166 per member, per year based on the development and production costs if done on a company-by-company basis. It is almost impossible to estimate the value and the efficiency of having an Industry Standard form(s). Imagine if every company used its own, non-standard contract – how much time would be spent in reviewing contracts, settling disputes and how many dollars on attorneys fees?

WINForms alone is a $499 software value that each member receives and can save many dollar$ in forms purchase and forms updates annually.

There are many annual savings based on participation in the many "group purchase" and/or “Discount” programs.

Quick access to industry information and reduced costs for education/training sessions provided through the REALTOR® Association vs. outside vendors have varying degrees of measurable value based your upon level of participation.

Listing of Membership Benefits - T.C.A.O.R.

• Affiliate support and assistance
• Being a member automatically confers membership in CAR & NAR and its benefits
• CAR endorsed insurance programs and discounted pricing
• Competitive fees and prices on products and services
• Complete selection of approved and supported real estate forms
• Continuing education courses and programs
• Courtesy telephone availability
• Courtesy fax service
• Daily hot sheet
• Delivery service
• DRE license information and assistance
• Ethics and MLS rule enforcement
• Facility for meetings, information, supplies, etc.
• Free Legal Hotline
• Friendly, knowledgeable, efficient staff
• Legislative and political updates
• License preparation course
• Lock box supply and administration
• Multiple Listing Service access, maintenance and administration
• Mediation and arbitration services
• Membership directory
• MLS book publishing
• NAR & CAR affiliation
• Networking and support
• Orientation training
• Political and legal representation at the local, state and national levels
• Promotion of members through a variety of online services
• Real estate supply store
• Right to use the REALTOR® Logo and designation
• Social events
• Statistical & historical data
• Supplies – signs, riders, books, calculators
• On-line REALTOR® store
• Various seminars and educational meetings
• www.tcmls.org web site & resources
• www.car.org web site & resources
• www.realtor.org web site & resources