Jay, you also say, “I suspect many at NAR read this blog (and if they don’t, they really need someone in this position).” We at REALonomics know that they read, but they don’t speak or write, that’s the problem. We’re still waiting for the first comment from an NAR President and we stopped holding our breath long ago. They might read, but then they hide.

What are the specific NAR policies and guidelines that need to be monitored and enforced? How does one, or an organization like NAR, monitor and enforce their positions within blogs? This sounds a lot like “blog-tapping” to those of us at REALonomics.

NAR is having a difficult time grappling with the notion of an unleashed, dues paying Realtor® loose in cyberspace that it (NAR) cannot control, charge dues and create a designation for in order to further monetize and justify its (NAR’s) existence.

NAR, rather than endorsing the $700 billion bailout and then trying to get all of us to climb on their socialization train, should have been and ought to be re-tooling our industry’s business model in the eyes of the consumer.

Owners and agents are in big trouble in most of the country and we need NAR to help create new, vibrant, transparent consumer-centric models rather than being the Sherlock Holmes of social media. NAR could have been participating all along, rather than the exercise described by Hillary Marsh, Managing Director of Realtor.org as “We’ve put our toe in the water.” Jump in Hillary, the water is fine!

It is innovation and transparency in local markets we need, not another layer of bureaucracy. NAR needs to climb off the high horse and join the rest of us in the gallant struggle to reinvent our industry so that consumers will actually trust us rather than tolerate us.

How would you like to be NAR’s Social Media Manager, running around the country, policing blogs, holding workshops and telling people what they can and can’t say as Realtors®. How would you like to be writing tickets and threatening Realtor® with suspension or revocation of their membership if they post unacceptable content to their blogs?

What we are actually witnessing via social media and other consumer-centric trends like Web 2.0 is the “Democratization of Real Estate”. With all social, economic and institutional transformations, there is usually an attempt to control the streets by those who hold institutional power and perceive change as a threat to their positions of authority and control.

YIKES!

“maintain, evolve and enforce NAR’s social media policies and guidelines.” Notice the word “enforce”? Now read below.

I think that says it all coupled with their silence on the SAR issue in which a forward thinking realtor built up a website w/ the term MLS in his domain only to have the Sarasota Association of Realtors come after him as members were jealous of all the business he was procuring. The SAR was able to do this because of NAR’s article 12 giving local association the right to forbid the use of reference to a regional mls in the domain names.

the realtor with the blessings of NAR in their REALTOR magazine, etc. has now been pounded and stripped of a website that he has spent $10,000 and years establishing by the SAR and their formal complaint to ICANN. How can the NAR stand silently by and let this type of injustice go on???

“maintain, evolve and enforce NAR’s social media policies and guidelines.”

This statement of the NAR says it clear enough when coupled with their silence on the Article 12 issue and Marc Rasmussen’s website being stolen by his association who spent no money on it or hundreds of hours of time building it.

The NAR wants a social media mngr to police the net and make sure its members fall into line with them, are not too divisive and controversial in their topics, etc.

Until the NAR makes right their Article 12 mess and brings some justice to Marc Rasmussen in his struggle against close minded 20 century agents jealous of his being on the cutting edge of real estate 2.0 the NAR will not have much credibility….

I’ve written VP REALTOR magazine and have not received a response. I am having a hard time finding the right people to write about this subject.

Perhaps a sweeping withholding of NAR dues by its members would get their attention. IF their goal is to enforce what they think is appropriate in social media then one can only assume they are of nefarious intent with their silence in protecting Marc Rasmussen. Or they are cowards or they do not give a darn about right and wrong. How can you not speak out at the national level about one of your members being persecuted for pursuing excellence and providing the best tools to consumers? Isn’t that what realtors are supposed to do?

If anybody cares about the truth here: http://www.realestatewebmasters.com/blogs/morgan-carey/6350/show/

I am currently in a social media position within the real estate industry and have been for a little over a year. I am working virtually as I have done for 6 years. My struggle has been cutting down my worktime, not slacking on my performance:-)

If more companies were open to virtual workers- the world would be a greener, more family oriented place to be.

So to whomever is looking to fill the position (perhaps a local from Phoenix) the benefits are vast, check out runzheimer.com- they know whassup and have for awhile and sell the sale. It’s a sale worth selling.

P.S. Used to live N.W. suburb of Chicago but escaped big city for family oriented digs. Still visit and it is a great city.

Just a couple of thing you guys should know –
1. NAR’s staff (who all live in Chicago – with the exception of the DC based staff) are incredible – Chicago (which is an awesome city with tremendous universities, cultural opportunities, etc) seems to have lots of bright well educated people to fill the opportunities that NAR generates – and there are lots of people who have no problem relocating for a job with a large national employer. If the SMM is at the level of competence of the current staff they will be hiring an outstanding individual.
2. NAR’s staff and leadership are committed to communicating with their members and the public. Social Media is merely another conduit (as evangelistic as we might be) and is being investigated (as it should be) because they are aware of its emergence and wish to participate in the conversation to benefit their members (which s the job of the association)
3. IMHO it doesn’t matter if the person is someone we already know or is in the industry – after all strangers are merely friends we haven’ t met yet. If the person is good at their job (see #1) they’ll be a part of our social landscape quickly enough.
4. Please stop imputing negative motives to NAR because you don’t agree with a position or a mechanism that has been employed by the association to co0mmunicate or carry a message – or because you don;t agree with the message – If you haven;t participated in the conversations and thoughts that surrounded those messages, you probably misunderstand the motive and possibly the message itself – volunteer and help craft the message if you think you can do better (your help is desired) We all are the stars of our own movies, and we sometimes neglect to realize that there is a lot moe to what goes on than is evident on the surface.
- I really have much more to say, but I’m on the west coast, traveling home tomorrow, and I have to get some sleep – I promise I’ll get back here tomorrow night or the next morning if not earlier to see who I annoyed

JD – I don’t have to move to Chicago to sell you my domain name. Everything has a price. You just can’t afford it.

It will be interesting to see how this thing pans out. As this thread demonstrates, there are a lot of expectations for a position like this, and a lot of baggage surrounding the job long before any of us really understand the purpose. Like any new position, I suspect it will morph and change over time. Hopefully the NAR looks at and listens to those agents out there who are willing to give time and/or opinion to help shape it.,