Why Advocacy Matters

A Q & A with Robert Broome

Over the past 11 years, Robert Broome, director of governmental affairs for the Atlanta Board of REALTORS® and the Atlanta Commercial Board of REALTORS®, has championed the REALTOR® -legislative and regulatory agenda. His twin passions for REALTOR® issues and politics have threaded themselves through his career as a GAD (formerly of the Tennessee Association of REALTORS®), a contract lobbyist, a public relations consultant, and a political consultant.

Evolving Marriage Laws

By Finley Maxson

As more states enact legislation providing legal recognition to same-sex couples, you may wonder about the differences between same-sex marriage and civil unions (or domestic partnerships),
as well as how these laws might affect a REALTOR® association.
Confusion over differences in partnership laws

Top smart-phone apps for AEs

DataViz “Documents to Go.” DataViz lets you create and edit Word and Excel files and PowerPoint presentations, and view PDF documents.

NAR Express. Real estate news, research, opinions, events, and calls for action from the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®.

Getting It Done: Technology & Trends

Top tech tools & services developed by NAR in the past 5 years

Realtors Property Resource™ (narrpr.com): a national database of assessor, recorder, and mortgage data, MLS content, foreclosure information, demographics, neighborhood data, and more.

Second Century Ventures (secondcenturyventures.com): a venture capital fund focused on promoting innovation (particularly new technologies) in the real estate industry.

Blogs & social media, including 34 separate Facebook pages for individual association audiences, 13 blogs, and Twitter feeds.

Getting It Done: Resources & Facts

Show me the money

Full-time REALTOR® association chief staff executives’ average annual base salary, 2010: $59,629

Median AE salary by association size, 2010:
Small: $26,000
Medium: $62,400
Large: $125,000
Mega: $160,000

Average 2010 REALTOR® association income & expenses

Small associations (fewer than 500 members)
Dues revenue: $71,763
Non-dues revenue: $75,811
Expense budget: $150,046

Getting It Done: Programs & Value

How to uncover the value of every member benefit

Articulate the advantages of member benefits and identify programs that no longer offer a real member value in four easy steps.

Step 1. List every program, product, and service you offer, from telephone customer service and support to leadership training. Be specific and don’t list general categories, such as “education” or “MLS.”