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GAD Sharing Program Increases Ease of Association Political Involvement By Robert Freedman, REALTOR® Magazine Last spring Martin Lee, executive officer of the Iowa Association of Realtors®, and his government affairs director, Jennifer Feilmeier, worked the phones double time and joined Realtors® in countless trips to the state legislature. The issue was a legislative provision that would exclude real estate transactions from the state’s e-signature law. The Realtors®’ push paid off as lawmakers defeated the provision. But the intense legislative effort made one thing clear: There are times when it makes sense for an association to have the additional support of government affairs specialists. And that’s exactly what the Iowa association now has, under a partnership it has forged with two local Realtor® associations in the state as part of NAR’s Government Affairs Directors (GAD) Sharing program. “The program is just what we need at this point,” says Lee. “Many of the issues we face originate at the local level and gather momentum from there. So by partnering with local boards, we can get a handle on these issues before they gather steam.” The Iowa association’s partnership with the Greater Davenport Board of Realtors® and the Cedar Rapids Area Association of Realtors® is the first to come out of the program, which was launched as part of the Realtors®’ national smart growth initiative. That initiative kicked off last year as NAR’s mechanism for distributing expert assistance and other resources to state and local associations as they move to the forefront on local growth issues. Of course, as the GAD Sharing program shows, the benefits of sharing resources extend to all issues, not just those related to growth. The GAD initiative’s key attraction is its flexibility. Few local associations have the resources or the need to maintain full-time government affairs staff, and yet there’s no question that there are times when having such staff available is critical to achieving legislative success, says Terrence M. McDermott, NAR executive vice president. “Every partnership under the GAD Sharing program is being put together by the associations themselves to meet their unique needs,” he says. “Having just one or two models to choose from just won’t cut it,” adds Bud Smith, former NAR executive vice president, who’s helping to put the GAD Sharing program together for NAR. Under the Iowa partnership, the three associations share in the cost of a full-time government affairs specialist whose time is divided among them. The specialist, who came on board in early August, spends most days with the local associations except when the state legislature is in session. The state legislature generally meets in one 90-day session a year. During that period, the shared GAD spends three days a week with the state association, and the other two days a week with the local associations. When the legislature is out of session, the GAD works full-time for the local associations. In Tennessee, the state association and its local partner, the Chattanooga Association of Realtors®, are combining their resources to contract part time with a government affairs consulting firm. Neither the state nor the local association needs a full-time additional government affairs specialist, but there are times when having the consultant on board will be critical, says Smith. Another model is under development in Virginia, where three local associations and the state are pooling their resources to hire a full-time GAD. The state is a contributing member of the partnership and is facilitating the process. Common to all the partner-ships is state association involvement. The state is the primary facilitator and its participation is essential before NAR gets involved. “Having all three levels of the Realtor® organization involved plays to the strengths of each one of them,” says McDermott. As of early August, a dozen partnerships were under development or being explored, and the number is expected to jump now that the first partnerships are getting underway. The goal is to bring professional government affairs representation to every one of the 1,400 Realtor® associations in the country, NAR staff say. That’s obviously a long way off, but the high interest among local associations suggests the program is tapping into a big area of need. GAD Sharing Guide To get involved, start with your state association. Whether or not the state association plays a role in the partnership, it knows what the needs are among local boards throughout the state and can help bring potential partners together. NAR’s chief role is supportive. It will help the state and local associations identify the best partnership structure for them and lend its expertise in finding the right GAD. For more information, contact Judy McCoy, NAR, at 202/383-1020, jmccoy@realtors.org. *************************** Realtor® Associations Unite Behind Relief Fund for Terrorist Victims Realtor® associations across the nation rallied into action immediately following the devastating terrorist attack on New York City and Washington, D.C. in September. Association-sponsored mass e-mails went out to thousands of members asking for donations to the Red Cross, local blood banks, and NAR’s Realtors® Housing Relief Fund. NAR established the Realtors® Housing Relief Fund to help pay the mortgage and rental costs of the families devastated by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C. Anthony Carr, director of communications for the North-ern Virginia Association of Realtors®, sent out an e-mail to members along with a resource list of numbers to call for victim assistance and blood donor locations for members to pass along to clients. “The Pentagon is in NVAR’s jurisdiction and most everyone knows someone who works there,” said Carr. The Massachusetts Association of Realtors®, through its Charitable & Educational Foundation, voted to contribute $20,000 to the Realtors® Housing Relief Fund. “As so many in Massachusetts were directly involved in these senseless acts of violence, our association wanted to be among the first to contribute, and we appreciate the thoughts and prayers sent to the residents of our state,” said John Dulczewski, communications director for MAR. One anonymous member of MAR contributed $5,000. Kevin Fritz, communications director of the Orlando Regional Realtor® Association, grew up in New Jersey across the river from NYC. “But even though I am now more than a thousand miles away in Orlando, I feel this huge sense of grief, hatred, and sadness coupled with a grappling of faith,” he said. Many associations contributed to relief efforts with money drawn from their crisis or charity funds, which were originally set up to aid members after natural disasters or sup-port community housing efforts. “Our board of directors voted to donate $10,000 from their own Crisis Fund to the Realtors® Housing Relief Fund,” said Peggy Hummel, CEO of the Realtors® Association of Greater Fort Myers and the Beach, Inc. Other associations contributed money ear-marked for scholar-ships or pro-grams. At press time, 126 Realtor® associations and MLSs had contributed to the fund that was nearing the $5 million mark. State associations donated as much as $100,000 while even the smallest local associations raised $5,000 to $10,000 from members, affiliates, and staff. “Let us resolve that no family suffering from the tragedies of Sept. 11 will be forced to lose their home,” said NAR President Richard Mendenhall. Applications to receive assistance are still being processed and funds are reaching those in need. <<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Ripple Effect by Darcy A. Dougherty, rce, cae CEO, Chicago Association of Realtors® “Tuesday, Sept. 11, on our morning commute to Chicago, my husband and I could see the Chicago skyline as the special report about the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington came through on the radio. In the midst of trying to digest the horror of what was happening, I realized that there was no way we could hold our 1,000-seat black tie installation gala that evening. I had a $200,000 event scheduled and no cancellation insurance. Though our hearts and prayers were with the victims and their families on the East Coast, we couldn’t neglect our responsibilities here. My office became a command center to handle the cancellation of the hotel, the catering, and the florist, and to monitor the unfolding national events. When the first tower collapsed, there was just a shocked silence. When the second one went down, our staff collectively sobbed. In the midst of these decisions, downtown skyscrapers were closing and sending their employees home. We witnessed, from the windows of the six-story building we occupy on Michigan Avenue, the mass exodus from the city. To our relief, the event sponsors, vendors, and hotel were all very accommodating. Although we are still working through the details, our association isn’t going to be out too much financially for the cancellation. However, it wasn’t just the financial aspects of the postponement; it was the damage to the organization’s momentum. Our staff had to deal with the emotional aspects of it too. You’re really geared up for a stunning event and then disaster hits. So you deal with that ‘let down’ at the same time you deal with the shock and fear of the terrorist attack and its many possible ramifications. I met with my staff late that morning for an update and for a moment of silence in honor of those who perished and the families they left behind. Then I closed our offices at noon and went home.” <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>. Management Viewpoint: The Value of Association Contingency Planning By Jeremy J. Conaway, Recon Intelligence Services The real estate industry could, at some point in the future, experience a significant slowdown as a result of an overall economic slow-down and, more specifically, the continuing response to the events of Sept. 11. If such an event should occur, it will create new responsibilities and opportunities for local Realtor® associations, if they are prepared with a contingency plan that addresses the real issues of such a situation, including the possible flux in membership numbers or increased reliance on the association for information and services. From the onset, such a moment in history must be seen as an opportunity for the association to create a new relationship with its members. Over the past few years many have allowed the fascination with a hot market and exploding technologies to blur the human side of our industry. We could have an opportunity to create a new sense of community, a stronger sense of belonging, and a more welcoming environment. One of the most difficult aspects of this type of contingency planning is the creation of a market index that can be used to determine when an actual crisis exists. While the association would obviously not want to declare an economic crisis too soon, a worse failure would be to fail to anticipate and prepare for the an actual event. A basic contingency plan document should address: (1) What role the association can play in bringing the Realtor® community together during a time of market crisis; (2) How the association can assist both its brokerage and agent members during a time of economic distress; (3) What steps associations should take to reduce expenditures while still maintaining maximum effectiveness; and (4) What is the upside and downside and th opportunities of such a situation. The initial planning process is the responsibility of the association executive and staff since it is likely that most of the members, including leader-ship, will be experiencing their own personal challenges. A market crisis in your community offers your association a compelling opportunity to rise to the occasion. A 12-point guide to writing an association economic contingency plan is available from Jeremy Conaway at http://www.realtor.org/realtorae.nsf/pages/contingency. This management column is the advice of industry consultant Jeremy J. Conaway and -does not necessarily represent the views of NAR. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Technology NAR Launches Center for Realtor® Technology NAR announced the creation of a new Center for Realtor® Technology in August. The Center’s primary goal is to serve Realtor® membership as an industry advocate, an implementation consultant, and a technology information resource. It will also directly support the NAR Leader-ship Team’s negotiations with potential technology providers to Realtor® members. The Center will support its goals by: (1) Developing a technology agenda for NAR and its members to assist in transformation of the real estate industry through advanced technology; (2) Promoting NAR’s agenda to major technology vendors, advocating their involvement, and inviting their participation; (3) Keeping NAR abreast of technology developments relevant to the real estate industry; and (4) Informing members of advanced technology to improve their efficiency and increase the value they deliver to clients. Heading up the Center, which is housed in NAR’s Chicago headquarters, is Mark A. Lesswing. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Where’s RealtorAE.com? This November, NAR will debut its new all-encompassing member, consumer, and AE website, Realtor.org. Available Nov. 5, Realtor.org replaces OneRealtor-Place.com and incorporates all of the features of RealtorAE.com, AEInstitute.com, narconvention-.com, the NAR public page, and all other NAR websites. While the new online homepage may take some getting used to, like any new home, Realtor.org promises to be the number one real estate information resource for Realtors®, consumers, and AEs alike. The floor plan of Realtor.org differs from that of OneRealtor-Place in that it focuses on what users typically search for rather than how NAR’s departments are organized. The home page of Realtor.org is divided into six audience neighbor-hoods. Each audience—consumers, agents, residential brokers, commercial brokers, AEs, and other visitors—has its own home page filled with targeted information and links. The AE home page will feature the latest real estate news, events, advice, and resources to help executives run their associations, as well as continuing education, and pro-ducts specifically for AEs. Key links and resources to legal, policy, and committee information are prominently featured, and a new expanded search function makes it easier to find any NAR document, database, resource, or program. Library research, some publications, committee information, member data, and other valuable site re-sources will be password-protected for members only, but a large amount of NAR data will be available to the public. Your login ID and password for Realtor.org will be the same as your OneRealtor-Place.com login and password unless you elect to change it. Guided tours of the new site will be held at the Realtor® Conference and Expo in Chicago (HomeTown NAR Booth #12045) and at the Association Executives Institute in St. Louis, Mar. 22-26, 2002. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Veteran NAR Lobbyist to Head Gov’t Affairs Jerry Giovaniello was named senior vice president and chief lobbyist of NAR Sept. 17, replacing Lee L. Verstandig. Giovaniello is a long-time NAR vice president for Government Affairs and a 20-year veteran lobbyist with the division. "Under Giovaniello’s leadership, the Government Affairs staff will continue its successful momentum on the banking issue as well as the total legislative agenda," said Terrence M. McDermott, NAR executive vice president. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> AEs On The Move Lori Amos is the new executive officer of the Ashland Area Board of Realtors®, Ky. Diane Jennings is the new execu-tive officer of the Pampa Board of Realtors®, Texas. Anastasia King is the new executive officer of the Aberdeen Board of Realtors®, S.D. Laura Rubinfeld is the new execu-tive officer of the Manhattan Associations of Realtors®, N.Y. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Association Document Database Online The Realtor® Association Resource Exchange, a anew indexed database of association policies, strategic plans, mission statements, and other governing documents from associations nationwide is available online. AEs are welcome to download and use as reference any of the online materials and are asked to submit their own governing documents to the library database. The database and submission instructions are available online at Realtor.org or call Mary Martinez, (312) 329-8832. |
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