There is a lot of talk about the value of using a REALTOR® these days. Why would a real estate professional choose to pay extra money in membership dues to a voluntary organization with the economy the way it is? What does this mean to you as the consumer? Well, let me explain the value of using a REALTOR® and why maintaining our membership is so important it is our office policy.
REALTOR®s belong to an organization with over 1 Million members nationwide. This provides us with resources in the way of contacts and networking opportunities which translates to more contacts to help Buyers find homes and Sellers to find Buyers.
Only REALTOR®s voluntarily commit to a Code of Ethics which is focused on professional service and fair treatment. We take this oath seriously, post it on a wall in our office, and renew our pledge regularly.
REALTOR®s have access to continuing education classes, some available ONLY to REALTOR® members, to make sure we are on the cutting edge of new technology, marketing strategies, business planning and legal information. All of this helps us provide a higher level of service to our clients.
REALTOR®s have exclusive access to comprehensive property information, research results and other resources which helps our clients make the best decisions about where to live and what to buy.
The most important reason I pay extra money to maintain my REALTOR® status is to help protect homeownership rights. Part of our membership dues pay to fight for homeownership protections at the state and national levels. REALTOR®s are a powerful group among lobbyists. REALTOR®s helped create, and continue to fight for, the home mortgage interest deduction. We believe this is an important benefit of owning a home and MUST be protected. REALTOR®s support political candidates who prioritize home ownership rights. We also join the lending industry to fight for Buyer’s rights. We lobbied successfully to extend the federal flood insurance program, ensuring thousands of homes nationwide would be protected in case of flooding.
Finally, REALTOR®s are active members of the communities in which they work, supporting local causes and working toward safe & healthy communities. Look East Realty is a member of the I-70 Corridor Chamber of Commerce and I (Kim) am on the board representing Bennett. Caroline is a past president of the Chamber. Caroline also sits on the local advisory board for a local bank. As part of our REALTOR® membership we are members of the Aurora Association of REALTOR®s where I (Kim) am the President-Elect and Caroline is a Director for the Colorado Association of REALTOR®s. We publish local sales statistics quarterly to track the health of the local real estate market.
We recommend you research your real estate agent to find out if they are a REALTOR®. The following link will take you to the National Association of REALTOR®s “Find a REALTOR®” page. Here you can find out of your Agent is a REALTOR® http://www.realtor.org/rofindrealtor.nsf/pages/FS_FREALTOR?OpenDocument
You can also check your REALTOR®‘s status with the Colorado Division of Real Estate by clicking this link http://eservices.psiexams.com/crec/search.jsp
Call us with any of your real estate questions. We are here to provide any information we can so you can make an educated decision about your future. Our office number is 303-644-4444.