http://www.realtor.org/

Carver Communications - Index

Carver Communications - 6.1.08 - Index

Having the title of REALTOR®
opens many doors to benefits that
other real estate agents do not have.
Did you know that being part of your
local association of REALTORS®
automatically makes you part of your
state and national associations?
According to the National Association
of REALTORS®, there are many
offers that help enhance your success
as a REALTOR®. NAR receives $80
of your membership dues, but by taking
advantage of one of the opportunities
from the REALTORS® Benefits
Program, it can more than pay for your
total membership cost.
One benefit to being a REAL-
TOR® is that you have representation.
The power of being part of over one
million members works for you on
Capitol Hill every day. It ensures that
your voice can be heard. The National
Association of REALTOR’S® REAL-
TOR® Political Action Committee is
one of the largest and most influential
REALTOR® Political Action
Committees in the country. The com-
By Bob Leonard
Chairman, San Antonio Board of REALTORS®
Benefits of REALTOR® Membership
mittee does everything from lobbying
to grassroots advocacy to help REAL-
TORS® with their everyday jobs.
Another benefit of being a
REALTOR® member is the ability to
take advantage of the REALTOR®
Benefits Program. The REALTOR®
Benefits® Program is your member
benefits program. NAR has partnered
with industry leaders to provide you
with value-added offers and significant
savings on products and services
you use on a daily basis. This
includes everything from marketing
benefits to technology to travel and
education benefits. For example,
Lowe's and NAR have teamed up to
provide REALTORS® an exciting new
marketing tool. Under this exclusive
program, Lowe's will send valuable
coupons and rebate offers to your customers
and clients, on your behalf, via
highly customized direct mail featuring
your photo and company logo.
Best of all, it's absolutely FREE to
REALTORS®. As an added benefit,
REALTORS® can purchase gift
June 1, 2008 REAL ESTATE NEWSLINE 3
cards, in any amount, and receive a
5% discount.
REALTOR® members can also
take advantage of discounts on all Dell
desktops, notebooks, workstations,
servers and storage. Dell also offers
REALTORS® discounts on a vast
array of software and peripheral products
such as printers, monitors, digital
cameras, handhelds, LCD and plasma
TVs, projectors and digital music
players. Visit the Dell NAR Web site
and, when you are ready to purchase,
simply call your dedicated sales representative
and he or she will apply your
NAR member discount to your order.
Education is important for
REALTORS® to be sure they are staying
on top of trends and new regulations.
REALTORS® can take advantage
of what NAR and its affiliated
Institutes, Societies and Councils
offer members by participating in professional
designation programs that
acknowledge experience and expertise
in various real estate sectors. This
includes designations such as
Accredited Buyer Representative
(ABR), Certified Commercial
Investment Member (CCIM), Certified
International Property Specialist
(CIPS), and others.
As a REALTOR® member,
there are also opportunities to take
courses online. REALTOR®
University Online provides over 300
hours of real estate classes including
NAR’s Designation Courses. e-Pro®
is another online certification course
NAR offers that will enhance your
skills and abilities to help you succeed
in this demanding high-tech marketplace.
In addition to education and
technology benefits, an entire awareness
campaign has been put together
to better educate the public and business
world about REALTORS® and
what they can offer. The San Antonio
Board of REALTORS® appoints the
REALTOR® Image committee each
year to help bring a local perspective
to this venture. The local campaign
this year focuses on the difference
between a REALTOR® and real estate
agent and why people should use a
REALTOR®. It emphasizes that the
REALTOR® is the expert and trusted
advisor, and that now is a good time to
buy. These messages are being communicated
by way of television ads,
print publications, web advertisements,
radio spots and most recently,
the hiring of KGBTexas to help
SABOR with promoting positive public
relations. The idea is to persuade
consumers to use a REALTOR®
instead of buying or selling property
by other means.
Being a REALTOR® has many
benefits. Many REALTORS® do not
even realize all of the opportunities
the national, state and local associations
offer their members. For more
information and opportunities you can
take advantage of as a REALTOR®, I
encourage you to go to
www.realtor.org.