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Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Washington, D.C.
Meeting Summary
Work Group Purpose
To identify strategies and best practices that local and state associations can implement for greater consumer engagement and outreach; provide a how-to resource guide that utilizes NAR consumer engagement tools and resources in ways that best benefit REALTOR® members.
Presentations
Tessa Hultz, RCE, CAE, who is the AEC liaison to the Consumer Communications Committee, provided a brief overview of that committee’s activities. Tessa noted that the work group will need to keep abreast of that is going on with the committee as we develop the consumer outreach best practices resource.
The following work group members provided an overview of their association’s consumer outreach programs:
Malcolm Young, RCE, CAE, Louisiana Association—The association received a Game Changer grant in 2012 to partner with NAR to develop a prototype website, where the consumer can stay up to date on issues impacting them on the federal, state, and local levels and learn more about the home-buying process. The site, LAhomeowners.org, was developed with the vision of making the source codes available to other state and local associations, which could make minor modifications to customize the site for their own use.
Marc Lebowitz, RCE, CAE, Ada County Association (ID)—Due to major market fluctuations, which resulted in member confusion with national and regional data, the association began publishing its own data on the 11th of every month, covering sales, median, inventory, and “distressed” properties. The association created relationships with local media, so their data is used over other providers. Marc also noted his staff’s involvement in community organizations and that some of his members hold public office in elected and appointed positions.
Steven Bois, Rockford Area Association (IL)—The association hosted a real estate boot camp for home buyers and sellers that included “speed-dating”-style meetings with REALTORS® and lenders to get answers to pressing questions, as well as mini seminars about buying and selling in the current economy. The association also participated in a campaign to bring the third campus of an aeronautical university to Rockford with the hope of strengthening the local job market and overall economy.
Best Practices Resource Planning
The work group identified the components of a template, including association demographics and program components, which associations can use to submit their consumer outreach programs and projects. (A draft submission template is attached.) The work group agreed that submissions—projects, initiatives, experiences, stories, etc.—would fall under one of the following three categories: Education, Advocacy, Market Information.
Work group members met in teams and finalized the following category descriptions to identify the scope of what should be included in each category.
- Education—Educate consumers that REALTORS® are their real estate and community resource.
- Advocacy—Conducting research and building consumer support for real estate issues.
- Market Information—Empower REALTORS® and REALTOR® associations to be the source for local market information and trends.
A notice, along with a link to the submission template, will appear in the INS to solicit successful consumer outreach programs that local and state associations have implemented. The form will also be linked to nar.realtor. In addition, work group members agreed to personally invite their AE peers to submit their association’s consumer outreach initiatives. A prize drawing will be offered as an incentive to submit.
Teams will be responsible for reviewing submissions after they come in to determine the following: Which ones should be included or eliminated due to duplication? Which entries need clarification or more information?
Next Steps
- Notice in INS—call for consumer outreach initiatives (June)
- Submissions due to ALD staff; send to work group teams for review (July)
- Teams complete review and return to ALD (August)
- NAR staff prepares materials for posting on nar.realtor (September)
- Work group reviews prototype of materials, recommends revisions (October)
- Consumer outreach best practices resource posted on R.org (November)
Next Meeting
2013 REALTORS® Conference Meeting: Friday, Nov. 8, 2013, 1:30–3:00p.m.
Work Group Members
Ginger Downs, RCE, CAE, Chair
Steve Klaniecki, Vice Chair
Steven Bois
Melissa Bush
Glenn Cobb, RCE
Anne Gardner, RCE, CAE
Jarrod Grasso, RCE
Debbie Hager
Bob Hale
Tracy Huotari, RCE
Tessa Hultz, RCE
Nelson Janes, RCE, CAE
Janet Kane, RCE, CAE
Jill Landsman
Marc Lebowitz, RCE, CAE
Rosemary Scardina, RCE, CAE
Carol Seal, RCE
Lisa Walker
Malcolm Young, RCE, CAE
Liaison
Bill Martin, RCE
Staff Executives
Cindy Sampalis
Pamela Geurds Kabati
Stephanie Singer
Walt Witek
Rick Miller
John DiBiase
June 2013