Involvement in Professional Associations- Get Involved? or not..

Our real estate associations are only as good as the people we elect to serve and the volunteers who put in the time on the committees. It is an opportunity for the truly professional real estate agent to serve on the association committees and to support our Associations of Realtors. I have always learned a lot and was rewarded professionally for serving.

Ryan: In the real estate profession, you pretty much need to JOIN. The ones who tend to run these organizations are very special people. I don't know how they find the time, because they generally also belong to several others. Do they do it to "give back" or feel it promotes their business? That's an individual choice, I guess.

networking 101, the only way to get personal with folks is in front of them and this way you help each other out!

Ryan, your last comment, I fully concur.  3-4 times a year, my wife and I volunteer at a professional group meeting by doing the name tags.  We dread doing it ahead of time, but after the event, we say "that was not bad at all!"

I think involvement depends on the personality. For some, like me, networking is emotionally draining and a complete challenge. It's not that I don't work well with othes, it is that I'm an introvert and these meetings by nature suck the life out of me (which is kind of the definition of an introvert actually). If I were to participate in too many of them, then I get nothing done with my week, not because there aren't enough hours in the week, but rather because not enough energy is left in it. 

I do join, and I do participate, but carefully and thoughtfully.