Dear Fellow CORE Realtor® members,
As you renew your Realtor® membership for 2023, you may be asking yourself, “What do I get for my Realtor® dues?” Below are some highlights of the value of your Realtor® membership at the local, state, and national levels.
CORE Association of Realtors®:
- News & Information – CORE’s weekly e-newsletter is loaded with useful information, particularly focused on our three counties – Hunterdon, Mercer, and Somerset. It’s a vital tool for keeping you up to date and has an impressively high open rate of 40 to 50 percent every week. Our website offers helpful FAQs on the SUPRA lockbox system and Education as well as many other resources for consumers and members, including updated membership forms, archived newsletters, and much more. Watch for the launch of our new website soon!
- Education – Through CORE you have access to a variety of professional development opportunities, including virtual CE classes with live instructors that save you time and money, NAR designations and certifications, and a variety of non-CE programs on topics you need to succeed, such as fair housing, ethics, social media branding, area MLSs, office principal forums covering vital topics, and more. CORE’s educational offerings receive excellent reviews, so be sure to check out the CORE Calendar for options. Additionally, CORE offers on-demand CE options via our partner The CE Shop, so you can learn when it’s convenient for you.
- Professional Standards – As a local Realtor® association, CORE is charged with enforcing the Code of Ethics and handling commission/monetary disputes involving members. In addition to handling ethics complaints, CORE offers arbitration, mediation, and ombudsman services, aimed at keeping you out of court and fairly settling issues.
- SUPRA Lockbox Services – CORE is a SUPRA lockbox/key provider for Mercer County, with many reciprocals at other MLSs in NJ and PA. CORE staff is well-versed on the SUPRA system and ready to assist members who have questions about obtaining SUPRA services either via CORE or other area SUPRA providers. Check out our SUPRA FAQ, designed to anticipate and answer common member questions.
- Local Advocacy – CORE’s Government Affairs Committee monitors real estate issues in the 59 municipalities in our three counties, interviews candidates in local races, makes recommendations on funding candidates who support Realtor® positions, and has begun a virtual ‘Meet the Mayors’ series to keep members informed. CORE also works in many ways to support the vital advocacy efforts of New Jersey Realtors® and the National Association of Realtors®.
- Events – In addition to providing virtual events to save members time and money, CORE began holding in-person events again this year, including the Circle of Excellence Awards Breakfast in April, an Office Principal Roundtable forum in June, a Member Engagement Fair & Picnic in August, a social media class/wine & cheese reception in September, the Annual Meeting in October, and we look forward to seeing many of you on December 16 at the Installation of 2023 Officers & Directors luncheon — all offering terrific networking and useful information.
- Friendly, helpful staff – CORE has a small but dedicated staff, committed to assisting our 4,800+ members in a friendly and helpful manner. Questions? Email info@core-realtors.com, and a staff member will reply ASAP.
New Jersey Realtors®:
- Advocacy – NJ Realtors® strongly advocates for public policy that encourages residential and commercial property ownership to support New Jersey communities and ensure that members are able to successfully and profitably conduct business in the Garden State. Whether it’s pushing back on time of sale requirements and higher realty transfer fees, protecting the independent contractor status of agents, or advocating to provide legal protections for real estate licensees, NJ Realtors® is all about advocating for us, our communities, and our industry. NJ Realtors® also continues to work closely with the Real Estate Commission, suggesting and advocating for policies that are fair to Realtors®, while continuing to uphold the Commission’s duty to protect the public.
- Online Real Estate Forms – NJ Realtors® offers an extensive, up-to-date, no-cost standard forms library for members and has just announced it will begin paying for every Realtor® in New Jersey to have a zipForm™ subscription with added features and benefits, including the Broker Dashboard.
- News & Information – In addition to timely social media posts, news releases, a helpful website, and print/digital publications, NJ Realtors® now offers a Legal Resource Library. This relatively new service allows Realtors® to submit legal questions and access all previously answered questions, organized by topic.
- Housing Market Statistics – NJ Realtors® provides comprehensive, monthly statewide real estate sales statistics to keep you on top of what’s happening in the market and help you better communicate with consumers.
- Professional Development – NJ Realtors® offers best-in-class education for members through its Academy of Continuing Education, where you can fulfill all your state-mandated CE credits online from the comfort of your home or office. NJ Realtors® also teams up annually with the state associations from NY and PA to hold the annual Triple Play Convention in Atlantic City in December.
National Association of Realtors®:
- Advocacy – NAR advocates every day on behalf of America’s 1.5 million Realtors® and 75 million property owners and is considered one of the most effective advocacy organizations in the country. NAR advocates for policy initiatives that enable you to be successful and strengthen the ability of Americans to own, buy, and sell real property.
- Discounts on Products & Services – NAR has a large menu of discounts and value-added offers for members – in your business and personal life – including insurance, electronics & tech, marketing, and more.
- Strategic Business Tools – NAR has a host of useful business tools, and two of the best provided to members at no cost are: 1) NAR’s Commitment to Excellence Program (C2EX) empowers Realtors® to evaluate, enhance, and showcase their highest level of professionalism; and 2) RPR®: Realtors® have exclusive access to the Realtors Property Resource®, which gives you property data, tools and reports to improve every aspect of your business, from listing presentations and buyer tours, to open houses and prospecting. And you can do it all on-the-go with the RPR Mobile™ app.
- Educational Designations & Certifications – NAR and its affiliated Institutes, Societies, and Councils provide a wide range of programs and services that help members increase their skills, proficiency, and knowledge.
- News & Events – NAR helps you stay current on industry issues with daily news. Additionally, a variety of events – many virtual – provide the opportunity to keep up with the latest industry trends so you can better assist consumers.
- Research Reports – NAR conducts research on a wide variety of topics of interest to Realtors®, including market data, commercial and international real estate, home buying and selling, and technology. Use the data to improve your business through knowledge of the latest trends and statistics.
- Real Estate Topics – There’s so much more from NAR that it wouldn’t be possible to list it all here. Fortunately, NAR’s website has an incredibly varied and interesting list of topics with links, including career advice, legal, taxes, marketing, technology, residential real estate, and more.
So, as you go to renew your Realtor® dues, please keep in mind your many Realtor® member benefits. I hope you see the enormous value in belonging to a professional association that looks out for your interests and continuously seeks to provide all of us with the support we need to successfully and ethically serve our clients and customers. Thank you again for your membership in CORE, New Jersey Realtors®, and the National Association of Realtors®!
Sincerely,
Genette Falk
Genette Falk
President, CORE Association of Realtors®