Real estate professionals and other local Realtor associations have begun to push back against the The National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) three-way membership. Phoenix Realtors (PAR) is one such organization that evaluates other membership structures, but NAR does not.
In an email, sent to NAR’s board of directors, association leaders and other members, NAR General Counsel Lesley Muchow informed recipients that NAR has sent a cease-and-desist letter to Phoenix Realtors over its new MLS Choice membership option. With this membership, real estate licensees are able to become members of PAR without being members of Arizona Association of Realtors or NAR.
With MLS Choice, sellers who are PAR members are able to “give their agents access to both the MLS and legal forms, as well as several benefits, outside of the three-tier membership program,” according to the PAR website.
A NAR spokesperson described the letter as a “necessary step in response” to PAR’s decision to grant non-Realtor licensees membership in the local trade group and that this action will “support and protect the Realtor trademark,” as well as the NAR Model, its membership and -Realtors are active buyers.
“Without the consensus and collaboration created by our integrated approach and our efforts to uphold the NAR constitution, bylaws, and Tripartite Agreement, the benefits NAR members rely on—such as market research, business resources, a unified advocacy platform, and a single Code of Conduct—could be jeopardized, ” the spokesman wrote.
“This is a matter of maintaining standards so that the Realtor product better meets the needs of our members and their consumers—as we always have and will continue to do. To be clear, this issue is about Realtor association membership. NAR policy does not require participants to be members of a Realtor association to access the MLS. MLS participation is determined at the local level. NAR continues to promote competition and represent local consumer markets. “
In addition to this PAR step, Alabama Association of Realtors (AAR) also asked the NAR if it could consider greater flexibility by allowing members to decide which levels of Realtor associations they would like to join.
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