I’m so glad that the NAR leaders took the time to present the Town Hall meeting. It was both informative and educational and I learned quite a bit about the NAR, how they really function as an organization, and what they hope to accomplish with the Realtor Party. Ya know, the NAR leaders who took the time to prepare and present this Town Hall seem like really nice folks who truly believe in what they are saying, and I believe them when they say it really is about survival, but their solutions are based on what they’ve done in the past, and what they’ve done in the past is look at taxpayers, politicians, and members, as dinner.
Some of my favorite quotes:
“It’s the few of us who are pulling everybody else along. A few of us are making and allowing people to stay in business because of our RPAC donations. It’s time that everybody gives… We need to make this fair for everybody and everybody needs to share in what we do at NAR.”
In other words, “we need your blood in order to survive”. Something doesn’t quite follow, though. If I’m forced to join the NAR in order to be a member of the MLS, how am I being unfair to the NAR because I’m not a willing participant in their RPAC political blood-sucking initiatives?
Speaking of those political initiatives…
“(The NAR has) over a million members… about 900,000 of them don’t stand up and charge when we say charge.”
Oh. Well. I do beg your pardon. And yet, even with such a lamentably small number of foot soldiers willing to do their bidding, (Dear NAR- instead of looking at us as sheeple, perhaps you should consider upping your own UVP) the NAR proudly proclaims all the fine work it did in pushing for the cannibalizing Home Buyer Tax Credit. That was good for the temporary survival of Realtors, not so good for home buyers who may have paid more for their homes than they otherwise would have if the market had been allowed to work itself out and, especially not so good for taxpayers who have just flushed more than half a billion dollars down the commode on tax refunds to ineligible home buyers. Well done, RPAC. Well done.
So now the NAR is looking at its own members and licking its lips, and after the Town Hall meeting, I think I might understand the thought process at work here. After all, if all you have are fangs, everything looks like an artery.
Jim Klein says:
> “(The NAR has) over a million members… about 900,000 of them don’t stand up and charge when we say charge.”
That’s because they finally understand what you mean when you say, “Charge!” Great post, Teri.
April 16, 2011 — 4:16 pm
Missy Caulk says:
Where is John Galt when we need him?
April 16, 2011 — 4:27 pm
Missy Caulk says:
Oh Teri, I just clicked the link to to the contributions, and I am going to be sick.
Oh gee, so many of them NAR donated are taking our country to hell in a hand basket, Chris Dodd, Harry Reid….seriously??? seriously???
April 16, 2011 — 4:34 pm
ralph berry says:
If they are doing us no general good why don’t we get rid of them.
April 16, 2011 — 4:49 pm
Cheryl Johnson says:
That’s quite of a list of contributions! And here I’ve been bitching about the money spent on large, multi-page glossy paper mailouts.
April 16, 2011 — 4:50 pm
Joe Spake says:
Unfortunately those 900,0000, are the same ones who would not question a 50% dues increase purely for the misdirected NAR political agenda.
Thanks for the post, Teri
April 16, 2011 — 5:02 pm
Thomas A B Johnson says:
@ Missy: Who is John Galt?
April 16, 2011 — 6:58 pm
Lisa Oden says:
That list is the very reason this is a horrible move for NAR. I do not want one red cent of mine going to many of the people on this list. I am horribly disappointed at the damage NAR is about to do to our brand. It will be very hard for me to know that they are contributing to the very people who enabled us to be in this mess. This will NOT help our reputation, or the industry.
As for the 900,000… I know some won’t engage no matter what information is made available. But, if NAR can’t convince its own members to engage, the question is why? I don’t think RPPSI is the best answer. That’s my two cents. Thanks for writing this.
April 16, 2011 — 9:05 pm
Chris Johnson says:
effing great headline.
April 16, 2011 — 9:55 pm
Greg Swann says:
> effing great headline.
Meme it, mister. Push it. This is what social media does better than anything else.
April 16, 2011 — 11:13 pm
Gabe Sanders says:
The real problem is the way political contributions are made in this country. Every one is lining up to buy their politician. Can’t blame NAR for jumping on the band wagon, but this system is truly broke.
April 17, 2011 — 7:48 am
Scott Cowan says:
Teri- you’ve written a very powerful post here. To jump on the you nailed it bandwagon I must say that is one of the best headlines I have read in a long, long time!
Love reading the posts here. Tough to read sometimes but always informative and passionate!
The thing I noticed was that it appears that NAR has not met a politician that it does not like. I mean the list of contributions would of been much shorter if they would of just posted the ones that NAR did not contribute to. I guess they like to cover their political bets….
April 17, 2011 — 8:50 am
Jeff Brown says:
Dad taught me first hand all anyone needed to know about local/state/and NAR boards. He was prophetic, sadly, when in the late 1960s he predicted the members wouldn’t realize how useless the boards were in his lifetime. They’re now finally beginning to get an inkling and he’s been dead three years.
To all those who’ve been deriding me and those who share my beliefs on the subject: How’s your approach been workin’ for ya lately?
Sometimes I think the saying, “So simple even a Realtor can do it” gives Realtors far too much credit.
April 17, 2011 — 10:29 am
Jeff Brown says:
Oh, and Teri? An example of excellence in writing.
April 17, 2011 — 10:31 am
Brian Brady says:
To quote a cigarette ad, “You’ve come a long way, baby”.
I agree with Greg; this title need to go viral
April 17, 2011 — 1:42 pm
Teri Lussier says:
“Loneliness does not come from having no people about one, but from being unable to communicate the things that seem important to oneself, or from holding certain views which others find inadmissible.” -Carl Jung
Thank you all for reading, but also (maybe more) for expressing your own selves.
April 17, 2011 — 2:41 pm
Teri Lussier says:
@Ralph-
>If they are doing us no general good why don’t we get rid of them.
I think you will begin to see a bigger move in that direction. I don’t know how or what or when, but it seems to me that #rppsi is an action based in desperation, not leadership. I say it “seems” because that’s the impression I get from the Town Hall. I had a sense, a feeling, of weakness and fear and frustration and anger. I don’t believe you can lead a million people from a position of weakness. Things fall apart. But I suppose we’ll see. Or as Greg might say- hide and watch.
April 17, 2011 — 3:20 pm
Toby Boyce says:
I think the participation rate shows where the real issues I have with RPSI.
The “cry” that only 10% are giving back is a sign that NAR is not doing enough to build and educate its members on the importance of giving to RPAC. I’m not as worried about “who” they support because I have to trust that they are giving money to those that will advance my ability to successfully work as a REALTOR. Are they always? Of course not, but I have a business to run.
I give my “fair share” to RPAC on a yearly basis – because I think it is is the right thing to do. 100% participation will never be realty, but being below 50% is a failure on those asking for the money.
But rather than addressing a fundamental issue within the organization, NAR has elected to use RPSI to make this change. And that disapoints me.
Ahh, but my favorite is that RPSI is NOT to replace RPAC however we are expected to open that wallet again and give another time. Sorry, not going to happen in this house.
April 18, 2011 — 5:15 am
Teri Lussier says:
>100% participation will never be realty, but being below 50% is a failure on those asking for the money.
>But rather than addressing a fundamental issue within the organization, NAR has elected to use RPSI to make this change. And that disapoints me.
I agree that is a big issue, Toby. It’s disturbing that the NAR would not see this fundamental flaw in their own thinking. That instead of working to prove and improve its value to members, many of us who wouldn’t be members if we could access the MLS without it, they’ve looked at us and said, “Yum” or “Give me your money” or “We are taking your money”. So then the question to me is, “How do I trust someone who takes my money without my consent?” and then, “How do I let my clients know that eventhough I’m a member of an organization who uses force to take money, I’m not like that- I’m not one of them …” Yeah. No. It’s a no-win situation that is destined backfire.
April 18, 2011 — 5:38 am
Jim Klein says:
> “How do I let my clients know that eventhough I’m a member of an organization who uses force to take money, I’m not like that- I’m not one of them …”
That’s alright; they’re wondering the exact same thing about themselves!
This is so-called “life” in a Kleptocracy—hiding Shame while trying to figure out how not to be forced to have it.
April 18, 2011 — 10:32 am
Teri Lussier says:
>This is so-called “life” in a Kleptocracy—hiding Shame while trying to figure out how not to be forced to have it.
And… I can’t make the leap, Jim. How do you do it? Am I missing the obvious?
April 19, 2011 — 5:43 am
Greg Swann says:
Richard Mitchell on how language puts you in your place.
April 19, 2011 — 7:01 am
Jim Klein says:
Great essay, Greg. It took a while to get going, but it sure got somewhere IMO.
I don’t know what you’re asking, Teri. That’s probably why I’m not sure how Mitchell’s essay relates. I was just trying to describe something (that’s what I’m usually trying to do!), and didn’t really have any conclusions about it in mind.
I think it’s accurate, though. I think we’re all forced to do many things that we wouldn’t want to do, and I don’t mean only in regard to our own personal “sacrifices.” I mean even in our relationships with others…in how we trade, how we remain suspicious of others even though it’s hardly ever deserved, how most people VOTE as if their own spirits really seek to devour others. Naturally they don’t, but that’s all we’re doing when we vote…chiming in to say who we want to devour whom.
How do we get through it? However each of us does, that’s how. One of the problems is that the more you understand it, the tougher it is to get through, in many ways. Depending on one’s personal choices, the Shame can sometimes be enough that there seems no point in continuing on. But we become so used to this state of affairs, not to mention steeped in the myriad rationalizations of it, that this extreme situation is very rare. For most people, we just ignore what we must ignore and try to justify the rest with well-worn Pragmatism.
As I keep mentioning, I think every one of us is guilty to some degree of holding the false belief, “Maybe logic doesn’t hold.” And since I view justice as mostly dished out by reality and not other people, I’m figurin’ there’s going to be quite a day of reckoning for holding a false belief like that.
Naturally the good news is that humans can change their minds, even in a moment if it’s required. IMO, if logic holds, that moment is comin’ mighty quick and an awful lot of people are not going to change their minds. If that ain’t trouble brewing, I don’t know what is. But as long as there are some people who are willing to live as free individuals and not in a master/servant relationship, those people will be enough to move on.
Does any of that make sense? Sorry if I hijacked another thread!
April 19, 2011 — 5:15 pm
Teri Lussier says:
Makes sense, Jim. You’ve given me plenty to consider- thank you.
April 20, 2011 — 8:51 am
Teri Lussier says:
Thanks for the mention, Joe. You did a nice job taking this on (click the link above to read Joe’s take) Your comment here:
“Unfortunately those 900,0000, are the same ones who would not question a 50% dues increase purely for the misdirected NAR political agenda.”
did not go unnoticed by me. It’s something I hadn’t thought about until you said it, and it smacked me upside the head. It makes this little exercise even more insidious in many ways. I felt from the beginning the “NAR is listening” campaign was disingenuous and mostly for show and I’ve not seen anything to change my mind about that. But after I read your comment, I began to wonder if they are pretty much counting on the silent majority- it’s preplanned and baked in the cake that way? I have every reason to think that the few of us who are speaking out against it are quickly and easily dismissed as a “vocal minority”- pffft- and very few people will actually complain about it, and I doubt too many people will drop out because of it, and I don’t think it’s going to divide 900,000 people. This is the storm before the calm, then it’ll back to business for the troops, and the NAR will have some security for awhile. Which brings me back to my first post about this and to me, the best course of action from here out is to do what I can to educate consumers about the NAR’s vampiric behavior. If the NAR is not going to listen to us and they are counting on quiet from most, the only way to kill the beast is from outside. Anyway. Again- nice job, Joe!
April 21, 2011 — 5:22 am