Recently there has been some discussion about our beloved NAR. Tom Branch wrote a post saying he was happy to keep the wolves from our collective door and welcome an increase for our dues. Then Inman News posted a great piece about where our dues are actually going. I'm afraid that Tom is sadly incorrect - NAR is the wolf in sheeps clothing here!
I also posted about the NAR Bus tour gulping down our proverbial dollars like a NASCAR sucks gas! I'd like to post WHERE our dollars are going and the fact that if we don't start paying attention and opening our eyes we will see increase after increase with not much to show for it. You my ladies and gentlemen are their cash cow.
"The National Association of Realtors is considering a hike in member dues by $40 a year in 2012 and 2013, ($80 bucks in 2 years folks) with the goal of raising nearly $80 million in 'soft money' for political advocacy at the local, state and federal level."
"NAR's board of directors is scheduled to vote on the "Realtor Party Political Survival Initiative" on May 14, at its annual midyear meeting in Washington, D.C. If the initiative is approved, NAR says it will be spending nearly half of its budget on political advocacy, which the group's members consistently rate as the most important benefit they receive from NAR, the group said in a 'talking points' memo in support of the initiative."
"NAR last raised dues in 2008, after the group's board of directors voted to fund a technology incubator, Second Century Ventures, among a series of other initiatives, with a $16 dues increase. Members also pay a $35-a-year special assessment for NAR's "Home Ownership Matters" public awareness campaign."
Dues allocation & breakdown -
"In its last annual report, NAR said it currently collects $80 in national dues, of which $23 is used for legislative regulatory advocacy, $15 for consumer and member relationship building, $15 for state and local association services and support, $10 for economic and technological research, $7 for code of ethics, legal policy, and enforcement; $5 for publications (Realtor Magazine and Realtor.org), and $5 for commercial and international alliance partnerships."
I can't remember welcoming nor condoning this 'Home Ownership
Matters Bus' - but let's just call it the 'bus out of control with our dues dollars'. So somewhere along the line because of my own ignorance I am now paying for this bus and if I don't speak up soon there will be another $80 increase which I cannot afford. How about you?
That is $35 on the 'bus' assessment and then another $80 coming down the road for a total of $115 dollars each x 970,000 approx. NAR members = $11,155,000. That's some serious coin!
NAR is the wolf at your door with it's paw greedily grabbing at your picnic basket and pocketbook. You my friend are little red riding hood and we all know how that turned out!
What NAR could be spending our money on
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