Do Warm Bodies in the Seat Constitute Participation?

CEO Viewpoint:

Dear Members- I am interested in starting a dialogue about participation. I recently was made aware of an ASAE (American Society of Assn Executives) report regarding the impetus to join an association. Apparently this was a two year study. I have ordered it and am awaiting its arrival. The abstract stated two things-

1) Associations exist to serve membership and therefore member participation must be a performance metric for all associations

2) Board of Directors may be out of touch with the participatory venues and needs of the rank and file membership.

One of the items I have been questioning is the value of some of our programming- I figure that is my job to constantly and consistently reassess our programming for its value proposition. A discussion at a recent board meeting centered around an event that had tremendous attendance. The board was very pleased at all the warm bodies in the seats.

I wonder if we are measuring participation in the most valuable manner? Are warm bodies the only measure? Our online auction really hit the point home in my mind. We ran it for 5 days but it really started cooking the third day. Many members participated and really seemed to enjoy the online, e-bay style event and it received a great deal of positive comment. Even though these members did not leave their offices/homes they actively participated in a board event. I look at our Facebook site where participating members seem to just double every month and I assert are they not participating in the social fabric of our association- is this not networking? I have had several members express their pleasure with the blogs. So if these members are reading and in a sense attending a group conference with the CEO, MLS techs & Pres-Elect are they not participating in shaping and leading the membership?

I know that for the first time in our society there are 4 generational groups in the marketplace. This means four generational groups in our association. I completely get that the Civics and the Baby Boomers like to attend things. They value physical attendance. I think I am one of those weird people because I am on the cusp of two generations- depending on which study you read I am either a baby boomer or a Gen-Xer. I am an equal split as far as demographic traits go. And no, I am not going to reveal my age, I am a girl after all, but I will reveal that my photo was retouched to make me look younger- the photog's idea not mine. I think that is why I feel comfortable with social media and with traditional gatherings.

I also have been seriously educated from recent conferences that Gen X and Gen Y do not value physical attendance nearly as much. If they do physically attend they are much more likely to attend a political rally or a Habitat Build .They do not necessarily like or need face to face but actually prefer texting, blogging, facebooking, twittering etc. For these members the participation is Facebook and Blogging.

In summation, I am asking you, the membership, to help me define the membership participation to be used as a performance metric. I would be VERY interested in your thoughts and comments on this subject.

PS I am raising a Millenial (she's 15) and I struggle to relate to her every day- so more change is yet to come and we need to be ready to adapt!

YOUR REALTOR CREDIT UNION IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS

At the leadership summit we learned that the credit union is now open for business. The credit union is run by REALTORS for REALTORS. Watch the next quarterly newsmagazine for an in-depth article on the credit union, BUT DON'T WAIT to take advantage of the opportunity and join as a credit union member today simply click here.

In order to save substantial operating costs and therefore pay higher rates and charge lower loan rates the new credit union is completely online. Opening a new account is easy- simply click here.

Heartline Does it Right!

Last night I attended a fundraising event for OKC Heartline. I was very impressed with their organization and the sheer volume and level of gifts they received for their live and silent auctions. Most of the bidding seemed to start around $300 dollars. I saw many items that had bids at about 5-10 times their value. I understood that Heartline had done a fabulous job in educating its constituency about why they need to give and to give generously.

I thought about our own fundraising efforts for RPAC. I cannot understand why this year we haven't significantly increased our giving- in fact it has declined. When times are tight it is exactly not the time to stop advocating for our industry. Do members realize that is their RPAC donations that led to the first time home buyers tax credit?

We have seen the third straight month of increased home sales as a direct result of the credit. The public needs our legislative might now more than ever! NAR Chief Lobbyist, Jerry G, indicated that the home mortgage interest deduction is currently being reviewed again (for cuts or elimination) and that congress is looking at potentially extending the home buyers tax credit. We need to assist those legislators who can see the future and understand that the housing market is the cornerstone of the US economy.

Folks, the associations and brokers can't do it on their own. WE NEED YOUR HELP! I checked the RPAC stats yesterday and approximately 384 of our 2800 members have given to RPAC. A mere 10% of our members are supporting the industry and supporting the incomes of the other 2400. In which camp are you?

There are two easy ways to give. One is a lot of fun! Join us September 9th at the Skirvin Hotel for our annual RPAC aution- get caught up and the bidding and maybe land a steal of a deal. To register for the luncheon go to the board website- www.okcrealtors.com and choose the pay/register online tab or email Blair Bradley to reserve your spot bbradley@okcmar.org.

The second way is to contribute online. To donate click here.

Please invest in the industry that gives back to you in so many ways.

I don't get the OKMAR eblasts

As soon as I posted the last posting I realized I would get the above title comment. If you are not receiving the eblast it is because you have "unsubscribed". The federal CAN-SPAM act prohibits us from sending the blast from our software if you have unsubscribed. The CAN-SPAM act prohibits us from subscribing you. If you are not receiving the eblasts contact Kelli McNeal by email kmcneal@okcmar.org. She will send you an email newsletter via email. You will need to go to the bottom of this newsletter and click on the "Subscribe" link. This will take you to a short form to submit electronically and then VOILA! you are back on the email newsletter list.

The Most Valuable 5 Minutes of Your Week

Recently, we received many complaints from suspended members indicating they received no notice that their services were going to be suspended for non-payment of dues. My senior accounting staff member kindly asked if a member who was at the OKCMAR Accounting office if she read the weekly e-newsletter we send (aware that we have had had the cut off reminder as a lead item for about 6 weeks in addition to several postal mailed notices). The response was "No, reading the newsletter is a waste of my time."

I wonder if physically driving down to the board office to pay and being unable to service one's clients until one does is an effective use of time? Have you read an e-blast newsletter lately? I urge you all to do so. Revamping the eblasts was one of the first items on my to do list when I arrived at OKCMAR.

Our promise to you? It won't take more than 5 minutes to read, it will only have pertinent information, we will only send it once a week, the day of the week will always be Wednesday, the sender will always display as OKCMAR. If we do have in-depth information to share we link to it so that if you are not interested in the item you don't have to read it. We make sure that all the news items start with a benefit statement- a "What's in it for you?" short description.

The newsblasts will tell you when payments are due, cut-off periods, updates from MLS, upcoming classes and networking opportunities, special programming, meetings, legislative updates, OAR and NAR updates and links to reports and always a featured R-Store item usually at a discounted price or with a coupon.

If each member invested 5 minutes per week reading the newsblasts they will always be informed and should gain significant time in efficiencies as they will be aware of any changes or opportunities before they happen. I realize that we are repetitive - studies state that a member must read something 6 times before it becomes knowledge or there is awareness. This is part of why the items are bolded & underlined so you can skim past items of no interest to you or that you are already aware of.

The OKCMAR editorial staff is always interested in continued improvement so any suggestions that you would like to see implemented in the blasts should be emailed to Kelli McNeal at kmcneal@okcmar.org.

Happy Reading everyone!

NAR Leadership Summit

As the President Elect of OKCMAR, I had the privilege of attending the NAR Leadership Conference in Chicago from August 23-25.

I was amazed at how much work is done behind the scenes for our efforts as REALTORS. The agenda is very busy for 2010, and the slogan that you will be seeing a lot of is, “On The Rise”.

I was especially impressed with the Tuesday meetings where we received economic, legislative, and technology updates. All three made me feel very proud that our Association and MLS are one of the leading examples of technology and forward thinking on into the future.

Many items Dawn Kennedy has mentioned but items like the new REALTOR Credit Union will be a great benefit that many of you will want to take advantage of in the future.

I, like you, as a REALTOR, always questioned where my dues and fees were going and how the money was being used. The one item that smacked me right in the face was the importance of RPAC. Legislative activities like HVCC, Health Plans, and Home Buyers Tax Credits, including maintaining the interest deduction on your personal taxes for your current home, are key issues this year and into next year.

With so many organizations attempting to get a bigger “share of the pie”, we need to insure that NAR remains a very viable entity in today’s market.

Rest assured that OKCMAR is working very diligently to insure a strong Oklahoma market. After speaking with many Realtors from across the county, you really should be glad you are in Oklahoma.

I plan to utilize this Blog throughout next year to strive to get the information out to each and every one of you. Only through technology, and education will the communication remain strong to you, as REALTORS, and to our customers, the public.

Calling All Innovators!

Wow! NAR announced at the summit the best grant program I have seen in my real estate career! NAR believes that we must shift the paradigm of "What is a REALTOR?" and is looking for innovative ideas from their local associations. If your idea is chosen (this can be a product, service or a governance change) not only will NAR completely fund the project they will have at your disposal 6 of the industry leaders available to mentor and consult through the project. These mentors are the owners of RISmedia, Clareity Security and so many others I have seen present at NAR functions over the years. The catch, the product, service or change will belong to NAR to be distributed to all associations nationwide.

If there is always something that you didn't understand why the associations did it this way and thought there was a logical fix- OKCMAR needs you! NAR is reaching out (and recognizing) the amazing talent out there in the field. Will you help OKCMAR become known as the leading innovator? Contact OKCMAR at dkennedy@okcmar.org

Are you investing in your industry?

Day two of the leadership institute was an eye-opener. As an industry we are facing so much. As the NAR chief lobbyist Jerry G explained, when the budget is running a huge deficit the first inclination is to cut tax breaks. What is the most universal tax break in the US? The mortgage interest deduction. We need to ensure that good legislative action stays in place. Homeowners contribute to the social fabric of the US.

At the institute I was very inspired by the $1000 RPAC givers who stood up in the room, about 1/4. I was so proud of my association and humbled that I had not yet reached that mark in my own giving. Our NAR incoming President, Vicki Cox-Goulder, spoke of how while we call it giving and call ourselves donors the fact of the matter is that we are not donating, we are investing in the long term health of our personal businesses.

I urge all of you to help keep the recovery going by supporting those legislators that want to expand the homebuyers credit. The emcee of the event said, "This economic crisis started with housing and this crisis will end with housing." We have a responsibility beyond our own businesses to assist the United States of America out of this recession. Our responsibility reaches even further when we understand that the global economy hinges on the US housing market.

REALTORS, we will be the heroes of this story when history is written! Will you be a part of this effort? If you have not made your RPAC donation yet this year please do so now or at the September 9th RPAC auction.

Pursuit of Happyness?

CEO Viewpoint:

Yes I know how to spell happiness!

The local and state leadership were treated to an amazing keynote speaker at the end of the summit, Chris Gardner, the real person behind the Will Smith movie, The Pursuit of Happyness. I was in awe of the single-minded determination of this man! I wonder what would be the result if we all had such focused determination in achieving our career goals.

For those unfamiliar with the story, Mr. Gardner was determined to become a successful stockbroker even though he had no formal education or experience. A bad set of circumstances led to his homelessness (and not just him he was living with his two year old son on the streets). Rather than get a "real job" he continued with unwavering determination in a basically unpaid internship for one year to further his personal goal of becoming a stockbroker. He then continued with the firm, cold calling 200 people per day for a year, to try and build a book of business with no money, no home and no contacts.

While doing this he had made a personal promise to always be there for his son. He never once gave up his baby (Mom had abandoned them both) to relatives or to the foster care system. He spent over one year living in subway bathrooms and homeless shelters with a two year old to reach his goals(in the movie they aged the child for the purpose of dialogue).

I feel very fortunate that I work for such an incredible organization where success is so attainable and greatly supported by a staff who is vested in your reaching your goals! Much of my day is filled with talking to members who believe MLS fees are too high and dues do not substantiate the value they receive from the association. I wonder how successful we would all be if we were willing to sacrifice what this man did to become a success in his chosen profession?

While I am not suggesting we pursue career paths that lead to homelessness I am suggesting that members realize the incredible return they receive for their dollars invested in their career through the association. OKCMAR dues are 35 cents- yes cents per day. I listened to a man who gave up eating to pay his dollar to the bus each day just to get to work. The investment in MLS is $1.67 per day. All these wonderful tools to succeed for less than a cup of Starbucks coffee. The real estate industry is an honorable PROFESSION. Just like all professions, investment is required; be it through a college education or upfront monetary investment. NAR has made tremendous strides in raising the public view of REALTORS as professionals. Please make sure you are living that promise with your commitment to the industry.

Leadership Summit News

CEO Viewpoint:

The leadership summit is always so inspiring. Our REALTOR leaders at NAR are amazing people and definitely are heroes. I am hearing from REALTORS accross the country and the mood appears to be optimistic although most Assn Exec's are budgeting for losses in membership for 2010.

OKCMAR's preliminary budget process for 2010 as been initiated and the finance committee is also budgeting for another loss. Currently OKCMAR is meeting the shortfall with its reserve funds. OKCMAR membership is very fortunate that it has had wise leaders who prepared for a downturn by ensuring a reserve was built and maintained.

Yesterday I learned of a new program, REALTORS for schools, which was really impressive. Best part NAR funds all the awards money for the schools. It is a win-win-win program, REALTORS get involved in the schools and with students as mentors, schools benefit from green design and ideas, schools can win cash awards (up to $1500) from NAR.

I was speaking with Cyndi Cleary, Commercial Division Incoming Chair, and she talked to me about how important it was that the commercial division be involved. She stated that large corporations always consider school viability and success before moving a corporate headquarters into a city. This would be a great opportunity for both membership segments to work together towards a better OKC.

Of course there also was a lot of focus on the broker involvement program. Many brokers signed up for this free NAR service at the Spring brokers quarterly where NAR Representative Carol Horn came to OKC to teach our brokers about the program. We have a long way to go in getting 100% participation in this program but we will get there!

Will keep the membership posted as I complete the leadership program today

Its Freezing in Chicago!

CEO Viewpoint:

We should be thankful for the wonderful weather we have in OKC! I have been in Chicago for a few days prior to the NAR leadership summit and it has been freezing cold, wet, rainy and the first night I was in the basement due to several tornadoes touching down in the area. People always ask my if I am frightened about all the tornadoes in OK, but actually I have seen a lot more in Wisconsin and Illinois than I have experienced in our wonderful state.

The leadership summit is a great opportunity for local boards to learn about NAR initiatives, how to work with the new local President, and to get motivated for the year. NAR pays for the registration and the hotel stay so that the largest amount of boards can attend. The event is limited to the Association Executives and incoming Presidents only. Typically I find the information about new and existing grants to be of the most value but I always feel very motivated to do my best after I return from the summit. I will keep everyone posted as to what I learn this year.

Simplify the Billing! We Did!

We did! Also we are tied to the bylaws which require 2 OKCMAR Billings. Here is the schedule-
July- OKCMAR Dues Installment- September 1/2 MLS/Key Fees for the year- December- Assn Dues (National State & OKCMAR installment) March 1/2 MLS/Key Fees for the Year.

These are the due dates- we do send out billing 2 months ahead in order to give you plenty of time to pay and to make sure you are sent out several notices before services are suspended

What I learned from Inman

Recently I attended the Inman Conference. The main features of the conference were all the new technologies being developed for the real estate industry. I went to several classes on leveraging social marketing and how to distinguish one's business in the white noise of the internet and texting. I have posted 3 presentations I took back from the conference (1 was given to us- the other two were from my notes). Click Here to Access Presentations

One class I attended talked about the importance of hiring outside people to just work your website while you observe. See where they are running into trouble, take notes, ask questions and then upgrade your site.

I had to cut the conference very short so that I could attend the Brokers Quarterly Meeting but as soon as I receive full reports from those that attended the full conference I will update this site as well as the board website.

Just What Do I Get For My MLS Fees?

1. One of the best and most comprehensive listing databases out there
2. Free technology classes
3. A virtual tour creator
4. Online forms and online document platforms
5. An automated showing service
6. A comprehensive tax program with customized to your client neighborhood reports and CMA's
7. Secure Authentication to protect your and your client's private data
8. Free listing syndication
9. A statistics generator to share with your clients
10. Unlimited lockboxes (must have 1 listing per box) with a small semi-annual key rental
11. Tech support with a call center that is open until 10pm 7 days per week- you will get the answering service first during office closed times and they will forward the call to the technicians.

Recently I added up all these services and went online to purchase them from vendors that sell directly to REALTORS- the dollar amount was staggering- Several thousands of dollars per year and even more for brokers. The MLS offers a tremendous value package if it is used to its fullest extent.

We lowered MLS FEES By $171 This YEAR!

Through our discounting programs, MLS Users are eligible for up to 20% off discounts of their fees. The first discount is bundling- if you use the lockbox program in addition to the MLS database your total bill is discounted 10%. If you use the pre-pay option and pay early you get another 10% off your total bill. Of course we now have the monthly auto-pay option which isn't eligible for the pre-pay discount but is elgible for the bundled discount.

Why can't I get the pre-pay discount if I pay monthly? Well, think about it- there is no savings in monthly processing- the staff has to handle your account each month. In fact, the MLS pays the bank a small percentage fee for every member draft/payment and we do not pass this cost on to those using the service. For example if you pay your car insurance monthly you will usually pay a few dollars more each month for this option. MLS has absorbed this cost for you.

Why should I be a member of OKCMAR- What do I get out of this membership?

CEO Viewpoint:

If you ask this question in a room full of association executives (and believe me I have asked it alot since I started this career path) the overwhelming response is.... PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS.

Because associations police themselves we are not burdened with a lot of legislation and government regulatory control - although real estate agents are regulated by state licensing bureaus such as OREC here in Oklahoma. A huge benefit is because we have a process in place for members of the public to lodge complaints REALTORS often stay out of court. The association also handles arbitration complaints- these monetary disputes between brokers are resolved without having to hire an attorney or use the court system.

The local, state and national associations constantly outreach to the public indicating REALTORS operate by a higher standard- the REALTOR Code of Ethics. This is a benefit to each member.

However, while I agree that Professional Standards is very important I think where members are impacted the most is through our communication/information. I look at us as an information provider. Remember we cannot offer legal advice- this is not the information I am writing about. I am referring to the information about the market and technology. Statistics and help with all the tools out there. Did you know we have several social marketing How To Videos on our website. http://www.okcrealtors.com/FeaturedInformation/FeaturedInformationDetail.aspx?FIID=NjI%3d-JZAiWKcZ5vM%3d

I personally believe that one of our greatest benefits is all the FREE education we provide, CE, tech institutes, social marketing courses, post-licensing courses, marketing courses taught by national speakers. I urge all to check out other associations and look for free education- this typically isn't a free benefit.

I also believe that legislative advocacy and awareness is a huge member benefit. The association works to not only change laws or keep good ones but also keeps you aware of legislative changes that affect your business.

Why Does the Association Keep Saying Our Dues are $125- I Pay A Lot More Than That!

The $125 is what OKCMAR collects in dues each year. While OKCMAR bills you for your state and national association dues each December (and you write out the check to OKCMAR) OKCMAR pays the remaining $249 to the state and local association. Only states that have unassigned territories (no local board exists in the natural market area) have members who pay the state directly. These people pay the state their national dues.

The money collected for MLS services is billed and collected by the MLS corporation. One does not have to be a member of OKCMAR to use MLS services but they must be a REALTOR. We have approximately 1200 MLS users that do not belong to OKCMAR but belong to other boards, mostly in Oklahoma but some from surrounding states.

I need step by step directions for checking or paying my balances online

Just click anywhere in the title of this post to link directly to the directions

Why can't you just bill us all at once?

Well theoretically we could! However this would be dictated then by the required billing period for your state and national dues (which OKCMAR is required to collect as part of the three-way agreement with the state and national). This means you would be paying all your dues and fees in December. For so many this would be incredible burden at Christmas time.

OKCMAR bylaws require that we bill for your association dues in two installments. For us to combine this into one billing the membership would have to vote on a bylaws change.

What is the deal with MLSOK & OKCMAR Being Separate?

OKCMAR is a non-profit trade association. Being a non-profit (which is an National Assn of REALTORS requirement for local associations) limits some activity. A non-profit must operate within the guidelines of its charter. These means certain services like MLS which aren't core to the non-profit charter are subject to UBIT (Unrelated Business Income Tax). Too much UBIT activities means a group can lose their non-profit status. Many associations then choose to run their MLS's as a separate for-proft corporation, as does OKCMAR.

Because MLS is its own corporation it files its own tax return, pays its own taxes, and is required to have its own operating and financial accounts. This is why you receive separate bills from the MLS and the association for services.

OKCMAR Events

Did you know all upcoming events are displayed on our home page? www.okcrealtors.com