Congratulations to all who participated in the NAR Game Changer Challenge and enabled NAR to tap into the great potential of our state and local leadership. The ideas chosen represent a broad range of concepts from a diverse group of business leaders, and they demonstrate new and imaginative ways of handling the challenges in REALTOR® association management.

The following ideas will be fully funded by NAR, with guidance provided by the Game Changer panel of consultants:

Front Porch
Missoula County Association of REALTORS®
The Front Porch initiative would establish REALTORS® as local neighborhood experts and community builders through development of a Web site that is community centered and neighborhood focused. It would include blogs, photos, videos, and other social media to highlight the experience of living in specific neighborhoods and the collective experience of living in the larger community (e.g., a video showing the walking route to the nearest coffee house).

REALTOR® Resume
Bay East Association of REALTORS®
REALTOR® Resume would create an integrated customer relationship management tool that provides transparency for the broker and agent community. It would track association member interactions and allow a broker/office manager to view a subset of the data. It would also establish data standards to allow agents to maintain a current resume of their education and professional training.

Heroes Welcome Home
Chicago Association of REALTORS® Inc.
Heroes Welcome Home will be an informational program designed to educate REALTORS® about the severity of the conditions that returning members of the military experience. REALTORS® will learn the needs of these soldiers for specialized housing and will understand how to work with these heroes to identify and locate housing within the city of Chicago.
The association will act as the sole contact for the MilitaryHOMEFRONT and Department of Defense without the department having to inform thousands of REALTORS® individually.

Regional Alliances
CHICAGO ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® INC, MAINSTREET ORGANIZATION OF REALTORS®, NORTH SHORE-BARRINGTON ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®, REALTOR® ASSOCIATION OF NORTHWEST CHICAGOLAND
This is a formal, collaborative venture of REALTOR® associations that primarily serve the greater real estate market. Its focus is information sharing and the creation of an environment for a “community of trusted real estate advisors.”
Sharing staff talents could reduce costs of duplicating staff and pass the savings on to their members, who will receive a broader scope of accurate information. The cooperative spirit between the associations would lead to faster resolutions of issues or concerns raised by members when working outside their local jurisdiction. The combined voice will lead to stronger support of legislative issues. Working together to protect and promote the REALTOR® image in the media will heighten awareness of the value REALTORS® provide.

REALTOR® Finder
Houston Association of REALTORS®
The REALTOR® Finder system will allow consumers to identify REALTORS® based on a number of performance criteria. The program starts with the theory that the “right” REALTOR® is probably familiar with (and has been successful in) the immediate area where the consumer wants to buy or sell.
In short, the REALTOR® Finder system would provide consumers with the ability to select a REALTOR® based on relevant and reliable transactional data from a REALTOR® “wise” resource. This system will promote agents based upon actual performance in both listing and selling. The system would show relevant agent market performance, knowledge, and transactional expertise.

Virtual AoR
Inland Gateway Association of REALTORS®, Corona, CA
This program would bridge the technology divide as agents get older and clients get younger. Similar to a virtual trade show, the Virtual AoR would serve to attract both members and non-members to the online services. These would include podcasts, legislative briefings and consumer programs.
The Virtual AoR would transport members to the next generation of technology.

I-Learn Education
Institute of Real Estate Management
I-Learn is an education program that uses a blended learning environment for members to fulfill their credentialing requirements. This program will consist of mobile learning, such as smart phone modules, podcasts, social media, blogs, virtual study groups, self-paced e-learning courses, facilitated online learning, Webinars and learning labs, as well as facilitated classrooms.
This will allow members to design their own education programs according to their schedules, learning styles and technology preferences.

Broker Listing Cooperative
Metropolitan Indianapolis Board of REALTORS®
This program is a proposal that NAR acquire the trademarked term Broker Listing Cooperative® and BLC® for national use. BLC would:
1) recapture the culture of a cooperative for its brokers and agents, and
2) set apart the uniqueness of the listing cooperative to consumers.
This would rebrand the listing service.

Sharing Landscapes
Montana Association of REALTORS®
This proposal will revolutionize an Association’s service, especially in rural areas. To do this, technology must be brought up to date for many Local Boards. This goal would be accomplished by providing basic satellite hookups, equipment and education that would allow members to more easily use social networking tools and other options to bring Montana REALTORS® together. Information gained from discussion with stakeholders would be used to provide programs and services that better meet the needs of members, regardless of their location within the state.

Rate Your Experience
Peoria Area Association of REALTORS®
Rating is the new advertising. Rate Your Experience would provide a local association a rating site that encompasses all service providers of a real estate transaction including brokerages, real estate licensees, lenders, and inspectors. This system could also include a more contemporary method of handling professional standards and dispute resolution, providing a total transaction experience evaluation.
Members would be able to use insights from the rating system to improve their own performance and promote their quality services.

Professional Training
Pinellas REALTORS® Organization, Clearwater, FL
For today’s challenging business environment, Real Estate Quick Smart would be an education program designed to bring newer agents up to speed quickly. While many brokers’ resources for training have diminished, this program would allow them to offer a “quick smart” program developed by the association that will instruct the core elements of the real estate process. New and less experienced agents can gain knowledge and procedural skills based on the proven experience of seasoned professionals. The program would be offered to brokers as a privately labeled internal education program but would be hosted and managed by the association. This aids the broker and also enhances the association’s role as the premier provider of education for real estate professionals.

Auxiliary Membership
Sacramento Association of REALTORS®
This program for sellers and buyers would allow temporary membership to the local association and its Web site. Upon taking a listing, the seller’s REALTOR® will give membership to the seller. Upon close of a transaction, the buyer’s REALTOR® will give membership to the new home owner. Membership would include access to a Web site with members-only information on preparing the house for sale, real estate statistics and demographics, and new legislation affecting private property rights. Access to affinity programs and discounts at local home improvement stores would be included, too.

RE Worx Dashboard
West Volusia Association of REALTORS®
REWorx dashboard will be a virtual instrument panel REALTORS® use to manage the information and processes of their business. Members would log in to access all Web sites, transaction software, e-mail, social media, news feeds, market statistics and other information.

Realtime Membership
Northwest Mississippi Association of REALTORS®
Realtime Membership Communications will be a multi-choice messaging dashboard created to allow a single message to be instantly delivered to all members through the channel of their choice, which is the key to acceptance and participation. Functions in the dashboard will include a log of messages sent by association staff, alert messaging for emergencies, and information on key issues.

You can browse the list of Runners Up, check all other Bright ideas, or search through all Game Changing ideas here.