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Does Your REALTOR Association Do This?

What has your REALTOR Association done for you lately?

Realtor

As REALTORS, we belong to the National Association of REALTORS, our State Associations, and our Local Associations. Some people even list these memberships on their websites and their business cards (as if there was room). Membership takes little more than paying yearly dues and subscribing to the REALTOR Code of Ethics. In most cases, REALTORS join the association for access to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and because it is a requirement of their broker.

We receive the monthly magazine which may or may not have articles useful to our business. By the time most of the stuff gets printed, the tech savvy among us have already read the advice somewhere online.

If you are at all involved with your local or state association, you may want to urge them to follow the lead of the Virginia Association of REALTORS (VAR) which has quickly become the national trailblazer setting the example for communicating with and helping its REALTOR membership.

Check this out:

VARBuzz

First, VAR established VARBuzz -- a trendsetting blog for communicating with its membership and establishing a local and national voice within the real estate community.

Blog Brawl

Next, VARBuzz hosted the First Annual VAR Blog Brawl pitting 60 real estate blogs from around the country in a March Madness style blog tournament, gaining national attention and readership for the state association blog.

Brian Block teaching about Active Rain at Bloggercon Third, yesterday, the Virginia Association of REALTORS hosted a Bloggercon bringing together 30 REALTORS from across the state in a day of learning, teaching, and networking with experienced and novice real estate bloggers.

I was thrilled to have the opportunity to teach the attendees about the benefits of using Active Rain and the how-to's of blogging as one of the presenters at the Bloggercon. It was a great opportunity to meet and share with many of the people that I've connected with online both here and elsewhere.

Several of the other attendees have already written good summary posts about the day at Bloggercon:

Jeremy Hart blogs about Bloggercon

Danilo Bogdanovic summarizes the day at Bloggercon

Matthew Rathbun blogs about Bloggercon -- Our Association is cooler than yours!

Here's a few more pictures from the VAR Bloggercon.

Bob Carney and Ben Martin discuss blogging tips Daniel Rothamel (AKA Real Estate Zebra) and other attendees listen and learn

Daniel Rothamel hosts live ZebraTalk on BlogTalkRadio

DOES YOUR STATE ASSOCIATION DO THIS?

WHY NOT?

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If you plan to purchase or sell a home in the Northern Virginia or D.C. area,
you can visit my main Northern Virginia & D.C. real estate website at www.brianblock.com.

Posted by Brian Block -- Northern Virginia & D.C. Real Estate on 04/05/2008 01:21 PM

Comments (34)

Virginia Realtor Association in the ActiveRain Channel

varbuzz, active rain, blog, blogging, daniel rothamel, ben martin, jeremy hart, danilo bogdanovic, brian block, bloggercon, realtor

34 Comments on Does Your REALTOR Association Do This?

APR

2008

It was great meeting everyone "in person" they were all exactly who I thought they would be!

Brian~

What a great idea. I'm sending a link to your post on over to the Membership Director at the Asheville Board of REALTORS...maybe we will be following VAs footsteps...THX!

Man, some great ideas! Seems your association is right on top of things!!!

Our Association has been trying to implement better ways of communication including on-line forums. None have really gotten off the ground. I wish they would.

Brian Great info. I will pass it along this coming week at our monthly association meeting.

Even though I am in Las Vegas because of the innovativeness of the conference yesterday I felt like I was there and knew what was going on. This is in part due to Twitter where participants kept us up to the minute and then the broadcast with Daniel was phenomenal. I enjoyed every minute Great job.

Brian, I followed on Twitter as much as possible. Your right this is a great model for the rest of the nation. I'll see what I can do with Ann Arbor and Michigan Association Realtors.

Very interesting association you have there, Brian. Ours doesn't do much for us. I am one of those who throws the mag away at the mailbox, I already read it online.

BTW - I think you hit the POST button a few times, lots of views on the AR dashboard.

I'll also talk to the Michigan association to see if they have an interest thanks for the thought.

Your association is so much more open to blogging than ours. I don't think many people in our area blog at all.

I love the logo.

APR

2008

This was cool, and I was shocked to be among the 60 blogs (since I'm not in Virginia) in such good company as you and Cindy Jones, among others - My blog even survived a round or two. I do think you're doing a great job in VA, and hope other state associations follow Virginia's example.

APR

2008

MATTHEW: It was great meeting so many Virginia bloggers in person. Glad you were there and thanks for taking some photos too.

JANEANNE: Thanks for your comment. Of course, the idea was the brainchild of Ben Martin, VAR's Director of New Technology. I'm happy to hear that you'll be passing this along.

JEREMY: Yes, the Virginia Association is definitely on top of things!

JASON & DEANNA: Thanks for your comments. Perhaps this will light the fire under some other associations to get in gear.

CHRIS: Glad you could get a peek at the Bloggercon through Twitter and Daniel's broadcast. Almost like being there!

MISSY: Thanks for following along on the day of the conference and for suggesting these ideas to your associations.

VIRGINIA: Hopefully your association will become more interactive and helpful for its membership.

TERRY: Between you and Missy, you should have Michigan covered.

KAREN: There are certainly some areas with more bloggers than others. We happen to live and work in a very wired area. The abundance of bloggers keeps us on our toes.

MARGARET: I was glad that you made it into the Blog Brawl and could see some of the innovative things that the Virginia Association of REALTORS is doing to set the example.

Now if we can only get NVAR to get with the program.

Also when you gonna add more to my site? I plan to blog about it here soon.

Brian, that is really awesome. I have to check to see if GCAAR does this? I am bad, I don't spend enough time at the association. . .

APR

2008

FRANK: That's why we need to get you on the Board! I'll add some more to your new site soon, I hope.

AUDREY: Thanks for your comment. If GCAAR doesn't, why not bring it to their attention?

This is great. We've got some limited blogging capability on our site but agents here don't blog much - a few very active ones and then nothing. I'm going to pass this info along to our webmaster.

APR

2008

No...ours doesn't.....blogging is still behind times for them. You'd think it wouldn't be behind...as they are quick to update other things :)

There are so many realtors that don't want to keep up with change of times. They don't want to know anything about a blog. They don't need that, I have never done that before and I did okay! this is what I hear from those that are a little older and even from the ones that has gotten lucky with clients.

Brian, this is a great idea. I will have to check and see if our association does this.

I wish our association did something similar to VAR as far as blogging goes. I took a look at the other sites you linked too as well. What a great way for VAR to keep their members updated and connected. Now, the other associations just need to catch on!

APR

2008

GENE: Thanks for your comments. See if you can get your folks more active. I think that this will e the wave of the future for associations.

SALLY: You may just have to import blogging from the mainland for Hawaii's association.

GREG: I agree wholeheartedly with your comment. Some people just don't want to learn new things and change with the times. Oh well, maybe they are on the way out.

BOB: Thanks for commenting. Maybe you can urge them to follow our lead.

PATRICIA: I do think that VAR truly is leading the way. It will be interesting to see if these ideas and innovations make their way through other associations.

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