Read tips and techniques for attracting younger members to not only join your association, but also become active and valuable volunteers. Plus, read the results of our exclusive survey: What young members want.
Download (PDF: 16.07 MB)
In This Issue
If you want to know what your young members want, ask them. REALTOR® AE magazine’s August survey of nearly 200 REALTORS® under 40 from across the country found that they have a wealth of opinions about what their associations should offer. They have creative ideas to improve participation and efficiency. And they want to be involved. But nearly 20 percent say their association’s volunteer and leadership opportunities are not open equally to members of all ages.
Have you ever asked yourself, “How can I attract younger professionals to the industry, and what can I do to get them involved?”
You’ve recycled your leaders from the same pool for so long, you forget whose turn it is. Your board meetings don’t reflect the diversity of age, race, or gender of your general membership. You’ve developed the same stale strategic plan, with the same stale programs, every year. What you need are fresh ideas from young energized volunteer leaders.
Communicating with members via social media is commonplace among REALTOR® associations. The challenge now, association executives say, is to turn that typically one-way communication into two-way engagement.
If you’ve attended one of NAR’s REThink the Future of Real Estate events, or even if you’ve just heard about them, you’re probably as convinced as I that our industry’s future hinges on successfully engaging and harnessing the power of our younger members.
The REALTOR® Party Initiative is more than campaigns and political advocacy. It helps REALTOR® associations take the lead in assisting working families with affordable housing.
Like it or not, there are members who don’t want to meet you or set foot in your office. It’s not personal. Like many young people today, they just prefer to do everything online.
Among the housekeeping Ryan Conrad, RCE, e-PRO®, started tackling at the Lehigh Valley Association of REALTORS®, Pa., when he took over as CEO in 2011 was a review of the bylaws.
Your association has big plans. Your new long-term strategic map details how you’ll improve relevancy with business-boosting education, a social engagement strategy, streamlined internal operations for better efficiency, and a robust online housing data system.
When Mark Epstein became the association executive of California’s 2,250-member Tri-Counties Association of REALTORS® in 2005, he was 33 years old.
Since the launch of the AE Young Professionals Network in 2010, many AEs under 40 say they have been inspired to participate more at the national level.
Beginning Nov. 1, all NAR members will have access to the Realtors Property Resource® as a membership benefit.
In October, the Texas Association of REALTORS® signed an agreement with La Asociación Mexicana de Profesionales Inmobiliarios, Mexico’s real estate association, to collaborate in real estate throughout the region.
The 2012 San Mateo County Association of REALTORS®, Calif., annual charity spaghetti feed auction and raffle raised $18,000 to benefit housing-related initiatives throughout San Mateo County through its charitable foundation.
This holiday season, nearly 100 REALTOR® associations will be supporting the Salvation Army through REALTOR® Ring Day, Friday, Dec. 7.
The NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®’ popular Member Value Plus Program, which rewards members with free products and discounts for taking specific actions—such as registering for webinars or completing online surveys—is now available to associations and association executives.
Special deals on wireless phone services and accessories have been a top-requested member benefit that NAR has just secured with new REALTOR Benefits® Program partner Sprint.
The October revamp of nar.realtor enables members and AEs to customize the news they see on the home page by their role in real estate, such as association executive, as well as their particular interests, such as technology or political advocacy.
The NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®’ new Signature Series Speakers Bureau offers REALTOR® associations and commercial overlay boards access to expert speakers and trainers who have reduced their fees.
The Mentor Program, launching soon, will allow AEs to connect with other, more seasoned AEs for guidance, advice, and support—whether they are new to the REALTOR® association management business or are simply experiencing challenges.
More than 18,000 members and guests are expected to attend the REALTORS® Conference & Expo in sunny Orlando, Fla., November 9–12. The education and motivational offerings at the gathering are designed to help REALTORS® make the most of the current market and gain an edge over the competition. There’s also plenty of programming just for AEs, including these highlights.
The NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® recently expanded its communication team by hiring two new social media experts: Heather Elias as director of social business practice and Nobu Hata as director of digital engagement.
