Devoted readers of AgentGenius and, perhaps, the occasional web surfer may have noticed something I posted last week as an Open Letter to the President of the NAR. In that post, I expressed some disappointment with the direction the NAR has been taking with regard to its public awareness campaign (i.e., advertising) and how, I thought, member Realtors were being either ignored or taken for granted. After all, dues aren’t in jeopardy.
The comments came in fast. Most were in agreement with the general thrust of the post. Some wanted to call me out. Some striving for understanding of the challenges any large organization faces in engaging with its members. That was Sunday. It was also the day I was hopping a plane to Phoenix for a real estate tech conference.
Monday, during one of the breaks in the conference schedule, I dutifully checked my voice mail (along with dozens of other Realtors in the courtyard). I had to replay the first one…”Hi, Ken. This is Vicki Cox Golder…” So, I called back.
The President of NAR Reaches Out
We had a nice conversation about the blog post. She wanted to let me and, I suppose, by extension, AgentGenius readership, know that she is listening and is open to new ideas. She let me know that she places great importance on the YPN and their input, that she has installed new Committee Chairs to cultivate new ideas and new approaches and that she has a Facebook page that she looks at on a regular basis.
The conversation was congenial and, for me, informative.
Will Change Happen?
As Matt Rathbun loves to remind us in many of his comments to AG blog posts, the NAR is its members. Maybe so. However, one person cannot effect change whether it’s a lowly blogger or the President of the NAR. We need to keep letting the NAR leadership know that the general membership needs some attention. The YPN needs to take advantage of an opportunity some of us older folk don’t have — time. The NAR needs to have their feet kept to the fire, so to speak. The President of NAR reaching out was both gracious and encouraging. Visible action from NAR Leadership needs to happen next.
To Be or Not to Be…Co-opted
Shortly after Barak Obama was elected, the then President-Elect attended a dinner at the home of noted conservative columnist, George Will. Also in attendance was another columnist and pundit, Charles Krauthammer. I remember seeing Charles Krauthammer on one of the Friday night political talk shows on my local PBS station (we liberals love our PBS) shortly after the dinner. He joked that since he had attended the dinner he had been thoroughly co-opted by Obama. Of course, as time went by, he continues to blast away at the Obama Administration and its policies. That’s what conservative pundits do.
What’s my point? It was great to talk to Vicki Cox Golder and, later in the week, to Laura Bowen at NAR’s Washington, DC office. The conversations were friendly and enlightening. I still plan to ask what the NAR is doing for it’s membership in the absence of any visible action.
- Where is the NAR on membership health care availability?
- Will the NAR step up to protecting the Realtor brand from the likes of Zillow and others?
- Will the NAR Leadership lead with technological innovation instead of appearing two steps behind everyone else?
- Will the NAR explain why they want grassroots support (Call to Action) instead of just saying, “Click Here”
- Will the NAR really listen?
Vicki, thanks for calling. And thanks to Laura Bowen as well!
A Postscript
Natural disasters are no one’s fault. They happen regardless of economic status, social standing or geographic boundaries. We all live together on this planet and we have responsibility to help when help is needed. The Haitian Earthquake has left the island nation in a pile of rubble. Those that have survived will need food and water. I don’t have a favorite charity to recommned. There are dozens of humanitarian organizations trying to help. If you can, please donate. Even a little bit.
