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June 2007
Index of all
messages
from the Association President
President's Message - Why a NAR dues increase for 2008? Glad you asked!
By Cheri Long
National REALTOR® dues for 2008 are set to increase by $16 per person. It’s the first dues increase in 13 years.
Funds from the hike will be used to fund the Association’s Second Century Initiative, which has arisen because, as President Pat V. Combs states, “We are under attack from all sides.”
NAR CEO and Executive Vice President Dale Stinton makes a strong case for the dues increase, saying that “REALTORS® [need] to continue their strong tradition of innovation to remain competitive in the Internet age.”
Many issues, one united front
The Internet isn’t all we have to face. We have a biased media with it own agenda telling our story instead of us telling our own. We must forge new partnerships with our national allies; we must create and use innovative technology that serves the best interests of our members. We need to add more value to our membership through access to competitive benefits and we need outreach and mobilization to advocate for the issues affecting our business.
The Second Century Initiative may be a starting point for all those issues. Last November, NAR directors gave leadership new initiatives and the task forces came back with the program. Under it, NAR expects to launch $60 million–$100 million in new programming over the next three to five years, including these:
•The creation of a national gateway for real estate information, not a national MLS
•The creation of a commercial partnership for all NAR members
•The creation of a Credit Union Corpus and startup as a service for members
•A buyout of Sentrilock
•The creation of a new company for technology ventures to be referred to as “Newco”
•The creation of a superfund for RPAC hard dollars, always ready to mobilize on relevant issues
•The increase of domain dominance
Also under the program, NAR expects to increase efforts at consumer outreach, to upgrade and continue improvements to REALTOR.com, and to further the REALTOR® awareness campaign, educating consumers on the importance of using a REALTOR®.
After more than a decade
It was in 1994 that NAR set dues at $64 – and the fee hasn’t increased since, even though programming costs have increased 50 percent, non-dues revenues have increased 50 percent, and the NAR staff has decreased by 40 percent.
In 2007, the net non-dues income was approximately $13 million; projected non-dues income will be $18 million, generated by implementing higher levels of technology and using other outside income-generating streams. NAR must keep the non-dues income flowing so members are not held holding all the costs to operate.
Moving boldly into the future
We need to take our membership into the future with bold steps. This increase is calculated to accomplish this list of results without coming back year after year to ask for more.
Some may argue that it’s not a good time for this increase. But when would be a good time?
Any business person knows that expenditures increase when times are tough because the need is greater. And right now, we need more than ever: greater advocacy; greater mobilization; higher levels of technology for members; greater income-producing non-dues revenue; and greater public awareness. All of these cost money, and collectively we can make a difference.
I am proud to be a part of a group that is taking control and telling my story, thinking creatively and working for me on issues I don’t have knowledge, skill or time to tackle alone. I will gladly sacrifice four Starbucks cappuccinos this year, and put the savings toward my dues increase, because the return on that investment is worth it. |
