Why Be A REALTOR When The NAR Is So Stupid
God almighty the National Association of Realtors does just about everything to hurt the real estate industry that they can.
Brash statement, before I would think not.
The first reason that crossed my desk my twitter feed from Agent Genius today from Russell Shaw showing how the REALTOR.com site just screws real estate agents left and right.
Other items filtered through my brain as I read this post, but then I saw the topper.
Read this, it seems innocuous at first, but I will explain why it is designed to screw the real estate world at the end.
THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® today announced its support for new legislation introduced by House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank, D-Mass., that is designed to ease loan modifications and improve refinancing options for America’s troubled home owners by revamping the HOPE for Homeowners program.
“HOPE for Homeowners, was designed to help families refinance into safer, more affordable mortgages, in many cases helping those families avoid a devastating foreclosure,” says NAR President Charles McMillan. “Despite being well-intentioned, the HOPE for Homeowners program has had limited success. Lenders have found the program difficult to participate in because of many of the program’s constraints. REALTOR® Magazine
Okay so the NAR wants you it’s membership to support Hope For Homeowners program. Well let me give you a stat that will curl your toes:
Hope Now – 2.2 million homeowners helped
Hope For Homeowners – 312 applications taken.
Now you have a private program, Hope Now, that has helped millions and is getting a floor on the foreclosure problems. All good, right?
Well the MORONS at the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS are now throwing the collective power of you the American REALTOR towards a failed, not failing, failed program.
A 300 Billion Dollar Boondoggle that the NAR is supporting???
Is this really in your best interests as REALTORS or feathering the pockets of some bureaucrats representing the leadership of the NAR.
What an absolute embarrassment.
And you now know why I never refer to real estate agents as REALTORs at therealestatebloggers.com – I have too much respect for you as human beings.
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Comment by Frank on 5 February 2009:
I read your post and was interesting. But, beware when calling an organization stupid. Like all groups the NAR has it’s advantages as well as it’s disadvantages. If a realtor is counting solely on the realtor.com web site to do business then they are in the wrong business. Also being part of the National Association of Realtors is good for everyone involved. And nothing said here seems to disprove this.
Frank
Comment by Ron Ares on 5 February 2009:
I almost never refer to myself as ‘REALTOR’ — always agent or broker. I’m certain that I don’t fully appreciate where my $400/year required membership benefits me, but there are many examples where I know it doesn’t.
Comment by Tom Royce on 5 February 2009:
Frank.
It may be rash, but think of the investment you have made in the Realtor designation. Now look at the efforts that the leadership of the NAR have made to help you as an agent and a broker. For the most part, many of these efforts are not helping you, but helping those who run the bureaucracy.
Lets face it, does the advertising by the NAR help you? Does the cheerleading they do help you sell homes? I see very little that the old style cartel does that helps a nimble and intelligent real estate agent these days like yourself.
The blatant pandering to Congress backing the failed plan while ignoring the successful Hope Now plan is what drove me over the line.
Comment by Marchell on 8 February 2009:
Every AGENT has the choice to be a member of the National Association of REALTORS. Choose. Move on.