Key Take-Aways from the 2012 Association Executive Institute

The word in halls at the 2012 National Association of REALTORS® Association Executive Institute held March 16 – 20^th was about social media and technology, staying relevant, and having an effective governmental affairs program. 

Associations that do not currently have or are not working on immediately implementing an effective social media delivery of communications will not stay relevant in the critical next few years.  The National Association of REALTORS® Strategic Issues Work Group in 2011 identified 12 future trends that will be affecting the Real Estate, number two of which was social media.  Not only will effective use of social media be critical for Associations to remain relevant for their members but also for their members staying relevant with their customers and clients. 

An effective social media plan must include not only the creation of portals on the major social media sights like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and a myriad of others, but the dedication to updating and streaming critical new information, for both the members and the public.  This will become an extremely vital way to communicate and stay connected.

Making certain that the Association staff understands the relevant new technology and becomes an authority on the impacts this technology will have on the Real Estate business will further strengthen the bonds between the Association and its REALTOR® membership.  Smart phones and tablets have become indispensable tools of the Real Estate trade as more and more consumers are starting their search for real estate with these tools.  According to a new survey 93% of all recent home buyers began their home search on the internet.  And, 61% of those searching the internet for homes contact a REALTOR® after they start the search.  Further, they are contacting the REALTOR® utilizing the technology they were using, while doing their search.  It is now not unusual for a REALTOR® to be contacted by a consumer asking to see a specific home, meeting them in a local coffee shop in the neighborhood of the prospective home, having the REALTOR® show a preview of the home on his/her tablet device, while contacting the listing agent for permission to show the home.  After the showing, they meet back at the coffee house and submit an offer via email with a text message announcement to the listing agent.  The offer is finalized and all documents will reside in the “Cloud” where both of the REALTORS®, the buyer and seller, and all parties to the transaction will have 24/7 access. 

More and more Real Estate agents are beginning to question the relevancy of staying a member of the local association when, in these economic times, their financial reserves are dwindling.  Therefore it is now of utmost importance for Association Executives and their volunteer Leadership to make certain that their organization does not fall into what Stephan Swanepoel describes in his Swanepoel 2012 Trends Report; as his number one trend; “On The Brink of Irrelevancy”.  Swanepoel calls for REALTOR® organizations to reinvent themselves.  To be the “Association Of and For the Future”.  There were many examples given of Associations around the country, that are making ground breaking innovation on goods and services provided to the 2012 REALTOR® member. 

Finally, it has become a necessity for this industry to perfect and implement an efficient governmental affairs program.  In the next one to five years local, state, and national government will be looking for ways to make up their budget deficits and if the REALTORS® are not vigilant and proactive, it is quite conceivable that those funds will be drawn from the real estate transaction unless the REALTORS® and consumers unite to prevent it. 

Prevention of unwanted legislation will be a key member benefit going forward and if done effectively, will endear the public to our much maligned profession. 

REALTOR® organizations must immediately craft or revise their Strategic Advocacy Plan.  This can be done with help and financial assistance from the National Association of REALTORS®.  It must include ways to dig deeper into the MLS data and effectively utilize it in a proactive approach with politicians to assist them in realizing the vital role that Real Estate sales will play in the recovering United States economy.  Demographic data is critical to politicians.  This data will also make a strong connection with the media so that the media can be utilized when it is critical to get a strong message out.  And, it must include a social media plan so that a call to action can be accomplished when speed is imperative to implementing good legislation.

This year’s 2012 NAR AEI was so filled with critical industry information that it was, quite possibly, one of the industry’s best opportunities to prevent “Irrelevancy” ever provided.  It was certainly the place for all Association Executives to assimilate the tools to take their organizations successfully into the next decade of association management.