What NAR might consider is not (perish the thought!) a committee to ‘govern’ the website, but rather a user group
to guide the product decisions.

Why don’t we have some national or state elections? I have only seen local board elections.

If some part of the system wasn’t broke, we wouldn’t have these posts and the resulting comments. Defending what is broker won’t help, listening to the loyal opposition might.

To shed some light from my dirty south viewpoint… I have served on my local association for 7+ years. I have been an executive member for the past 2 years and will be president of the association in 2011 (provided I don’t throw my hands up and quit before). I sit on committees, chair councils, and constantly push for more change, err, improvements (i agree with Jim about the abuse of ‘change’ as a noun). Yet, I could not have answered any of Lani’s original questions (except maybe #4 because I was asked to take a leadership role and accepted 2 years ago). This must signify that there is a serious disconnect of training/information delivery from NAR to State and/or State to Local levels.

The information should be easier to obtain, but more importantly the leaders at each level should be more knowledgeable about this same information. I am embarrassed that I could not answer these questions, but also frustrated that I was never asked or required to learn of such.

@tcar – I’d love to give more of my time and energy to improve our industry on a committee. I don’t know what committee to serve on, but I am skilled/interested in the following areas: technology, events, improving R.org, taking back or overhauling R.com, and drinking dark beer. Let me know where I’m needed most or most useful.

If anyone else in this thread wants to serve, and doesn’t want to navigate realtor.com. I’m available at tcarpenter@realtors.org or @tcar on twitter.

Sorry Lori – I’ve already had people try to kill me that didn’t speak English – dont’ need to meet any more of them now I’m retired from Career #1.

Navy Chief, Navy Pride

1. Where can agents see a list of all NAR committees?
http://www.realtor.org/commdir.nsf?OpenDatabase
or http://www.realtor.org/LeadGov.nsf/pages/CommitteesHomepage?OpenDocument
2. Where can agents see a list of all NAR committee members?
http://www.realtor.org/commdir.nsf?OpenDatabase |
3. How do Realtors learn about open seats- are upcoming availabilities posted online? http://www.realtor.org/commdir.nsf?OpenDatabase
4. Are these roles appointed or campaigned for? http://www.realtor.org/LeadGov.nsf/pages/servingonnationalcommittees?OpenDocument
5. Where can agents learn about when/where committees meet and are meetings open or private? http://www.realtor.org/comsel.nsf/ViewthisYrCommittees?OpenView
6. Where can people read minutes from committee meetings?
http://www.realtor.org/natmeet.nsf?opendatabase
11. What committee governs the Realtor.org website? Communications Committee http://www.realtor.org/comsel.nsf/6e618788208705e086256d470064269a/a0599c29c3a654bc86256f82004d0345?OpenDocument

Basically the entire Governance section of realtor.org is where you want to be looking. http://www.realtor.org/nar_governance

Vinegar and honey? Sugar, please- I wrote a simple article with no venom and you’re trying to put everyone over your knee and spank us while saying “join, you dumb ungrateful child, join!” I’m so turned off, it’s beyond belief.

If you look back at my post at May 28th, 2009 at 3:13 pm …. I did find most (maybe not quite all) of the answers. That’s BEFORE Todd or Hilary posted. It was thru a different manner, just simply using the search feature, and entering ” committees.” I have even said thruout my thread that I don’t disagree that the website needs some updating. Just look back.

As for being on a “high horse.” I beg to differ. I am “down and dirty in the trenches.” I am not just talking the talk. I am walking the walk. I have simply tried to encourage people instead of JUST ranting (hey I rant too!), that they need to put some action behind it to make a difference. I want all of you too.

I think that it is VERY easy to get involved. I think that having to spend 5 minutes instead of 2, doing a search, is an excuse, not too. If you are interested, e-mail me at Lori@BeeRealty.com, and I honestly will be willing to direct someone to the appropriate committee or board that they may have an interest in finding out more about. I mean that. I believe we all know someone we can simply ask.

If I wasn’t listening to the concerns of the members, then why would I have been here reading this post in the first place. But there is a difference between communicating concerns and wanting a change, and personal criticism and attacks. “Ya get more bee’s with honey than vinegar.” I’ll be the first to admit, I am more willing to help someone and listen to them, then they are nice about it, rather than attacking. I confess my defensiveness, not because I have been indoctrinated or brain-washed or whatever you call it, but because I know how hard I have worked. For ALL of you. And have seen many others work even harder on your behalf, only to be shot at from the sidelines of the internet, when all the facts weren’t known. It’s hard for me to watch that…

I am not naive. I know I will NOT accomplish all the changes I would love to. No one can. But I HAVE seen many wonderful changes in our industry that the association has fostered: Buyer’s Agency; Banks prevented from getting in real estate (can you imagine how much worse of a pickle we’d be in now?!);many, many victories over transfer taxes and impact fees throughout the country (esp here in NC I am so proud to say); I have seen our summers extended here in NC to benefit the tourism trade and reduce summer heating costs for schools; I have seen legislation to prevent homeowner’s insurance from going completely thru the roof or worse yet, not available at all; and those are just a few I’ve personally seen. Just a mere few.

Just because our website needs some revamping and we have some definitive issues to address still with the whole IDX thing… does NOT mean NAR or any of your associations are doing nothing. It’s amazing to me to see that those kind of other accomplishments, have been so quickly forgotten.

Furthermore, no one is “forced” to pay dues. You can be a licensee. I actually have some friends that feel the same way as you and won’t join. That’s their right. I respect that. I respect that you even disagree with some of the things going on that do need to be changed. I don’t respect that you criticize every other person in there in the trenches where the” real mud” IS at, with me, when a great many of us, maybe not all, but a great many of us, are totally busting our butts, only to be criticized because we care that much to make a difference thru action. Not just talk.

Join us. I mean it. I’d love it.

Meanwhile…

This is realtor.org’s Google search appliance

http://twitter.com/tcar/status/1962112656

This is realtor.org’s new backup drive

http://twitter.com/tcar/status/1962126319

They’re on opposite sides of a HUGE and very costly server room built around supplying NAR’s web needs. Lots of new equipment has been recently installed to build a backbone for an improved realtor.org. But it’s not going to be easy.

realtor.org serves 8500 pages of content to about 800,000 unique visitors a month. More than 80 people edit that content. Multiple publishing and database platforms are used to create this content. Much of this content is a decade or more old. All of it is valuable to somebody within the organization.

When I was presented with what Hilary’s team is up against, my first thought was of my favorite Super Bowl commercial.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pk7yqlTMvp8

The leaders of the IT and Publishing divisions, along with our CEO meet regularly concerning realtor.org. What to do now. What to do short term. What to do long term. It’s a top priority here at NAR. But that doesn’t mean anything will change tomorrow. It’s a huge job.

Until then, let us know what your looking for and we’ll try to help. Just as Hilary did in this post. We have a support page on realtor.org. Just click on the “Need Help” link. You can chat with one our staff or even call us toll free between 8:00 and 6:00 CST at 1-800-874-6500.

Benn, if you want to serve on a committee, and are having trouble navigating the site. Let me personally help you with that. What committee are you interested in serving on? If you don’t know for sure, tell me how you best feel you can contribute and maybe we can recommend something for you. We just missed some of the deadlines for serving in the next term, but I’m sure NAR would benefit from your contribution next time around.

If anyone else in this thread wants to serve, and doesn’t want to navigate realtor.com. I’m available at tcarpenter@realtors.org or @tcar on twitter.

NAR funtion is to be there for the membership NOT make the real estate market “look good” to OUR consumers.

We are NAR’s consumer—OUR clients are NOT NAR’s consumer.

It’s really sad that you feel it necessary to continue the get involved railing, the message you send to the committee members is that they do not need a consensus of the membership in any form or fashion if they’re not sitting in a committee chair.

Even you could not find all of the information, Hillary could find it because to be honest, she’s responsible for it- we knew she could answer, the question was could a member? In Seven out of seven cases they could not.

If membership cannot easily access the who what when where and how, then the membership cannot voice an opinion to the committee (not everyone can serve on that committee). This is the same fashion in which we voice our thoughts to our elected leaders when NAR asks us to lobby on their behalf in Washington.

You’re not doing any favors to the backslappers that are reading what you’re saying, and getting excited at being defended by you.

For you to sit there on some high horse and tell our readership that if they’re not on a committee not to speak up is offensive, for you to tell us that by our paying our dues gives us no right to speak up or out is offensive, and for you to scream at the choir here who are for the majority involved in some capacity that they have no voice is alarming to me.

You can remain naive if you wish, that is your right, and you have the freedom to do so, and you also have the free will to be blind to the fact that if you really wanted folks to be involved, you would make it as easy as apple pie to exactly see everything you need to see to be educated, not buried ten links deep in a search result for a step by step process.

If you really want members involved, lay it out in no uncertain terms to exactly what is upcoming, who’s involved, their numbers and email addresses exactly beside it and they will or they won’t, and THEN and ONLY then can you really say ‘get involved’ and mean it.

Nice to see Hilary pop by.

Lori – When I hear the name “Lori” I think of “Lori darling….” in Lonesome Dove. Awesome mini-series. I guess that Guiness and a good nights sleep has you up and at’em early.

Because we pay dues and taxes, we do have a right to voice our opinion. Complaining is exactly what precedes all change. In fact, a loudly complaining tribe may have more long term impact than a silently voting crowd.

I do vote in government elections, mostly I vote because I know there’s an election. The people being elected reach out and state their case. Our elected officials don’t tell us, “hey, if you wanna know the issues are, and who the candidates are and when voting day is , figure it yourself, go google it or something.”

Having said all of that….I will say this with enthusiasm – If I knew you were running for a leadership position – I would most definitely VOTE for you. Your passion is appreciated.

I hope we all have a great weekend. I’m gonna sit on the sidelines and cheer and jeer and whine and complain…I imagine I might even vote. All this chit-chat has me thinking (for a change).

Rock On friends

but here’s some more of my 2 cents (we might be up to that nickle now)…

Here’s my analogy:

Just because you are a citizen of the United States and pay taxes, I don’t believe that entitles you to complain about our government — if you don’t vote. There are men & women out there dying for your right to do so.

Just because you are dues paying member of NAR, doesn’t entitle you to sit back and complain about old guard and lack of change or transparency, yada, yada. You need to vote (there is plenty of that in our organization btw). You need to be involved. That doesn’t necessarily mean on the NAR level. There are plenty of opportunities on the state and local level too.

Maybe I’m just stubborn, but I am not one to go down without a fight. Ever. I too see plenty of changes that would be wonderful. But in my short tenure as a NAR member, my activities HAVE afforded change. Our NCAR website is miles and miles better than it was when I started. It wasn’t just me. It was a group of people who didn’t give up. That’s just 1 example. There are many others, by thousands who have stepped up to the plate.

I challenge each of you yes, to “put up,” because I know many of you. I know you can do it. Apathy does not suit me, nor do I find it endearing of others. Yes NAR might need to make the opportunities more obvious (via the web, their magazine, etc). Sounds like they are working on it. But when all it takes a simple search engine of their site to find out what you can do, how hard are YOU really trying? I am “passionate” that if all us took even just a few hours out of our year, the wheels of NAR, your state Assoc & your Local Assoc, could plug along much better. Our industry would be so much better for it…

I hope each of you have a great weekend.

And do not ever give up. Whether you like it or not, we are all in this world together.

Realtor.org needs to be fixed. ASAP. This isn’t a surprise to anyone, least of all Hilary and her staff, but we’ve been saying “it’s broken” for years What will it take to get it prioritized in a way that it will be fixed in the next six or nine months?

It should not take a degree in hunting and pecking to find the information.

As far as the “get involved cliche” …. by the time those of us get in positions to actually effect change fixing the organization, we’ll be less concerned with change fixing the problems … in no small part because they will be less apparent.*

My fear of involvement – at any level – is summed up by @Bawldguy’s comment:

Lori, the hard charging, ‘we’re gonna make a difference’ crowd who say getting involved will matter a hill of beans, have been absorbed into the muck and mire since I was first licensed back when Nixon was in his first year in office, and I was still shaving my face only. The firebrands of the late ’70’s are the so-called ‘experienced leaders’ of NAR’s current power structure. They all thought they were gonna change NAR — and they were all either absorbed and reprogrammed, or resigned in abject disgust once they saw what was behind the curtain and the futility of their involvement.

Every 10 years or so the newest batch of ‘revolutionaries’ show up for slaughter. I’m reminded of the movie Soylent Green. I can only hope the ‘Dan Rather’ factor will finally force NAR into embarrassed submission and retreat as was Mr. Rather.

I sincerely fear that those of us fighting to change the NAR from within will wake up in 10 years and realize that while we are on different committees, nothing has changed other than I’ll be shaving my head, too.

*I’m taking a hiatus from using the word “change” – it has been overused, misused and abused for the sake of vague political meaning. I think we would all benefit from defining change rather than saying we “want it.”

@Lori – kudos on being so involved – hope you can keep up the good fight for the rest of us. Your “Passion Bucket” appears to be brimming. We underNARlings without the wallets to participate more actively still vote – sometimes with our wallets, sometimes with our feet…. We’re 1.1 million (oops, make that 1.09, dangit didn’t finish the post fast enough, make it 1.08) strong and counting (down)!

For Lani – good googley moogley you opened a can of squigglies here! The dang answers got posted about 15 comments ago and these yahoos keep commenting, and commenting……..uh, wait a minute……

Navy Chief, Navy Pride