Could it be? Frank drinking the NAR Kool-Aid?

Well when something is done right, I figured it was worthy of full props.

I just got back from INMAN in San Fran and wanted to take a moment to thank Keith Garner, managing director of NAR’s Center for Realtor® Technology.

I recently bought a $200 laptop on Ebay and he helped me install Linux on it. And at INMAN he even sat down and hacked into my computer (in a good way) to do some great troubleshooting. So I have to thank NAR for having people like Keith on board.

This was going to be a test post to be sure our new Wordpress™ plugin works — it automatically capitalizes (that is, all-capifies) the word Realtor® whenever we enter it.

For example I wrote the r-word in all lower case, but you should be seeing it in all caps, and with the registered ® to boot. That’s the magic of plugins — they can automate the process of silliness.

Anyway, I thought I might as well use the opportunity to roll my eyes publicly about the whole silly all-caps thing, as well as share some interesting info on trademark law.

You use the ® symbol to indicate a legally registered trademark; I think we all know that. But did you know that you use the ™ symbol to indicate anything you believe to be trademarkable. In other words, if you think you might trademark a term or logo (or are in the process of doing so), you use the ™.

Ergo, I remain,

Andrew™

This post is part of a series covering my journey of discovery through the history of the National Association of REALTORS. As my guide and my inspiration, I am using a book published by NAR, “100 Years in Celebration of The American Dream,” celebrating the Centennial of NAR. The following was inspired by reading just the first ten pages.

The National Association of REALTORS turns 100 years old this year. That is pretty old, as organizations go. It is old enough that there is not one single member of our organization alive today that can remember the birth of NAR. This is both good and bad.

The Good

100 years is a long time. Here is some simple math:

1908 to 2008 = 100 years

1776 to 2008 = 232 years

NAR has been around for ALMOST HALF OF AMERICAN HISTORY!

The people who make up the membership of NAR have lived and worked through many of the significant events in American history.

The fact that our organization is 100 years old is a testament to the vision and hard work of the men who met together in Chicago 100 years ago with the idea of starting a national organization of “real estate men,” as they were then called. As a general rule, bad ideas don’t usually stick around for 100 years (I can think of a few exceptions, but most of them required a war or two for survival). Those men, and all those who have come and gone since, obviously did something right.

The Bad

100 years is a long time. Our culture has changed quite a lot over that time. Attention spans are much shorter, and so are memories. This means that much of what has been learned might have already have been forgotten. This fact is what makes the NAR Centennial book such an important publication. We should always be reminded of those who came before, we should always be willing to learn from their example and from their work. If we fail to do that, then the end result is that all of their hard work will have been in vain. I hope very sincerely that those of us who have chosen to bear the title of REALTOR today, will do our best to honor those without whom our privileges would not be possible.

Let’s Begin at the Beginning

I dare think that the practice of real estate at the turn of the 20th century would be almost completely foreign to REALTORS practicing today. When I say this, I’m not talking about the many technologies that make our daily work life more efficient. I’m talking about the actual cultural, professional, historical, and legal climate that was present 100 years ago for real estate men.

Some things to consider about the world of real estate 100 years ago:

1) Widespread private real estate ownership is brand new. I think it is pretty safe to say that the majority of you reading this post own the home in which you currently live. There is also a pretty good chance that you live in a suburb, or even a rural area (like me). 100 years ago, that was not the case. Most Americans did not own their homes, and the cities held the vast majority of the American population. The concept of the suburb hadn’t even been born yet. It was about this time, however, that many cities and towns were rapidly expanding. This meant that those expanding cities and towns needed a place for people to live, they needed real estate.

2) There were no licensees. 100 years ago, anyone, I mean ANYONE could call themselves a real estate dealer. There were people called “curbstoners.” These unscrupulous individuals would basically set up shop as a real estate dealer on the sidewalk (the curbstone), and bilk or swindle anyone they could. Have you ever been in a city and been approached by people handing out flyers for something, or saying, “psst– come check out these watches and handbags I have. . .” now imagine if those people were peddling real estate. Scary, but it was happening all over.

3) There were no rules or laws governing transactions. We live in a world with RESPA. 100 years ago, however, Real estate transactions were governed by simple contracts common law. All that was needed was an agreement between the buyer and the seller. No mountains of paperwork, no lengthy disclosures, no warrantees, and very little recourse if they whole thing went awry.

These Conditions Warranted A Solution

The ethical practitioners of real estate recognized there were problems. What they didn’t have was a viable way of solving them. They did recognize, however, that the problems were similar all over the country. As the number of real estate practitioners grew, so to did the need for cooperation and collaboration among them if they were to address the issues facing their profession.

It took the leadership and vision of some of the nation’s largest real estate boards at that time to address these issues and launch the organization that would eventually be known as the National Association of REALTORS. We all know, however, what can happen to the best laid plans of mice and men if there is no leadership to guide them.

The necessary leadership would come first from the man who would eventually be the 5th President of NAR. More on him, and the seed that he planted, in my next installment. . .

One of the most controversial Standards of Practice to come from NAR in long time, would have to be the new Standard of Practice 12-12, which became effective January 1, 2008.  Just to refresh your memory, Article 12 is known as the “truth in advertising” article.  We have come a long way from the published newspaper ad.  Years ago, that was pretty much all that was available to REALTORS to spread the word about their new listing.  Now, advertising can be instantaneous thanks to the internet.  In addition to company web-sites, many agents have their own personal website.  Some of the URLs and domain names used can be either dull or attention getters, and sometimes down right misleading.  The new Standard of Practice 12-12 states:  REALTORS shall not:  (1) use URLs or domain names that present less than a true picture, or (2) register URLs or domain names which, if used, would present less than a true picture. 

The new NAR Case Interpretation 12-20 address this new Standard of Practice.  So, here it is–you be the judge–REALTOR A, a residential broker in a major metropolitan city, spent several weeks each year in his cabin in the north woods where he planned to retire one day.  Even while at home in the city, REALTOR A stayed abreast of local news, events, and especially the local real estate market by subscribing to the print and on-line editions of the local newspaper.  He also bookmarked a number of north woods brokers’ websites to stay current with the market and to watch for potential investment opportunities.

One evening while surfing the internet, REALTOR A came across a URL he was unfamiliar with–northwoodsandlakesmls.com.  REALTOR A was pleased to see the MLS serving the area where he vacationed for so many years had created a website accessible to the public.  Clicking on the link, he was surprised to find that the website connected with REALTOR Z’s company website, not an MLS website.  Having had prior dealings with REALTOR Z, REALTOR A spent time carefully scrutinizing the site.  He noted, among other things, that the name of REALTOR Z’s firm did not include the letters MLS.  REALTOR A sent a letter to the association’s EO asking whether REALTOR Z had been authorized to use the name northwoodsandlakesmls.com and whether it presented a true picture as required by Article 12 of the Code of Ethics.  REALTOR Z filed a complaint alleging that when he clicked on what appeared to be a real estate-related URL that included the letteres “MLS” he expected to be connected with a website operated with a multile listing service.  He stated he felt that REALTOR Z’s URL was deceptive and did not meet the true picture test.

At the hearing, REALTOR Z defended his URL on a number of grounds including the fact that he was a participant in good standing in the MLS and he was authroized to display other participants’ listings  on his website under MLS rules.  “If I used `MLS’ in the name of my firm, I could see how that might be perceived as something less than a true picture,” he argued, “but by simply  using MLS in my URL I am telling consumers that they can get MLS-provided information about properties in the north woods from me.  What could be truer than that?”

How do you think the hearing panel ruled?  Do you think REALTOR Z  was found in violation of Article 12?  What do you think of the new Standard of Practice?   

Following Daniel Rothamel’s post on REALTOR® history, NAR staff alerted us to this video chronicling 100 years of REALTORS®. Consider it the interactive Cliff’s Notes version of National Association of REALTORS: 100 Years in Celebration of the American Dream.

Recently, I stopped-in at my local association (the Charlottesville Area Association of REALTORS), because my wife and I had to exchange our lock box keys. Due to the fact that Supra was having some network difficulties (big surprise), the process took more time than expected.

As we were milling about the office, I noticed a book I had never seen before. I like books, and this book was particularly interesting to me. It was, National Association of REALTORS: 100 Years in Celebration of the American Dream. The book caught my attention for two reasons–

1) It was big, blue, shiny, and had a nice cover graphic.
2) I had no idea that such a book even existed.

I spent a few minutes flipping through the book and quickly realized that I had been waiting for a book just such as this one.

Why Don’t We Know More REALTOR History?

As I flipped through the book casually, browsed the photos, and even read some of the passages that caught my attention, it occurred to me– why didn’t I already know some of this stuff?

This is my 5th year as a REALTOR, and up until the point that I picked up the book and started reading, I had no knowledge of just about anything that was in it. NONE. NADA. ZIP.

In my mind, that is a travesty. Part of it is my fault, admittedly, since I never really took the time to search this type of historical information out. There is also another issue at play here, though. One that I have become particularly aware of in recent weeks– there is no discernible culture of REALTORS. By “culture” I mean that there seems to be very little that we share that binds us together. No sort of shared knowledge of the past that ties in with the present. Other professions have this. A few examples:

First– Name me the first President of the National Association of RELTORS way back in 1908. Or how about the year that the word REALTOR first became a registered mark.

Can’t do it? Why not?

When I was studying to go to law school, just about any law student could give you the names of DOZENS of historically prominent attorneys. The same goes for doctors, scientists, writers, you name it. Heck, up until I picked up that book, I could name more prominent auto manufacturers than I could historically significant REALTORS. That’s not good.

What I Plan to DO About This Problem

So here’s what happened. I picked up the book (pretty much by accident), and quickly realized that it is filled with a lot of great information. I also quickly realized that if I didn’t know about the book’s existence, it would stand to reason that there are a whole bunch of other REALTORS who are similarly unaware. Like I said, I like books, so I bought my very own copy of this one.

Maybe you like books, maybe you don’t. Maybe you will by this one, maybe you won’t. Point is, you should still learn some of the lessons contained inside. That is exactly what I aim to do here.

Every week, as I make my way through the book, I will highlight the stories or issues that I find most interesting, and most critical. I won’t just re-print them straight from the book (that would be a copyright violation, and even worse, potentially boring). What I will do is share some of those stories in my own voice and with my own insights and editorializing, good or bad. Of course, I will reference them in the book, that way you can find the source, if you want.

My hope is that, first and foremost, you will learn something about the history of our organization and our profession. I also hope that you will come away with a greater understanding and appreciation for those who have come before us and the issues that have shaped the organization into what it is today.

And hey, who says we can’t have a little fun along the way. . .

Last week, five Realtor bloggers from Virginia, Scott Brunner (VAR CEO), and Ben Martin (VAR Director of Communications & New Media) met with Dr. Lawrence Yun, the chief economist for the National Association of Realtors. We had a fantastic opportunity to speak with Dr. Yun about the current housing market, market trends across the country, how NAR makes home sales forecasts, and much more. Dr. Yun was able to provide very candid comments on a lot of issues and questions that many Realtors have about our current market. A few observations about Dr. Yun, who I consider to be one of the great assets of the National Association of Realtors . . .

Driven By Vision

When Dr. Yun took on the leading economist role for NAR, he recognized that it was an opportunity to make the National Association of Realtors the number one source for information about and analysis of the housing sector, as it relates to the larger U.S. economy. He then filled some of the open positions in his research division, and has compiled a team of economists that together provide the multitude of studies and and research papers that can be a great resource for Realtors on the ground.

Fiercely Independent

To accomplish the vision above, Dr. Yun recognized the need for independence in his economic research and analysis, and he has been given the space to do so, and taken the prerogative to do so. Dr. Yun does not pass his economic assessments or outlooks by a panel of NAR leaders to get approval of his analysis. The information and commentary he provides is simply based on the data. Additionally, he doesn’t become preoccupied with what other well known economists might be saying about the housing market or the economy at large. Dr. Yun and his staff of 10 economists look at the data from the housing sector, and all other related economic indicators, and puts forth the forecasts, analysis and commentary as they see it.

Perceptive and Insightful

Dr. Yun loves the opportunity to meet with and talk to Realtors from around the country, as he is at different conferences making presentations, and otherwise. While he can’t necessarily accommodate for all of qualitative data he gathers from these conversations, it definitely helps him to have some additional data points as he analysis the amazing amounts of quantitative data that he works with on a daily basis. The questions he had for us drove this point home even further, as he inquired about market conditions and trends that we have been seeing of late in our respective areas of Virginia. For example, he has spoken with many Realtors lately in the DC area who have started to see an increase in open house activity and showings.

For more insight on Dr. Yun, check out the the following posts:

• Dr. Lawrence Yun - Unplugged (Danilo @ real/diaBlog)
• “Without Forecasts, We Don’t Look Credible” (Jim @ realcentralva.com)
• Dr. Lawrence Yun Is A Zebra (Daniel @ realestatezebra.com)
• No Pandering, Promises or Pretense… The Real Lawrence Yun (Matt Rathbun @ agentgenius.com)

If you’re like Tony, you’re curious about what Lawrence Yun had to say to five blogging Virginia REALTORS. We have photos to share right now, but we are giving our bloggers until Thursday to write about their perspectives on the meeting with Dr. Yun and publish them to their blogs and VARbuzz.

In the meantime, you can check out photos from the meeting and expect that Thursday we’ll have five very thoughtful opinions about the man behind NAR’s housing forecasts. One post will be right here on VARbuzz, and we’ll have links to the posts of the four other contributing bloggers.

Online BloggerCon registration is now open. 

Thanks to the Dulles Area Association of REALTORS® (DAAR) we are pleased to announce that the second Virginia Real Estate BloggerCon, a full day of peer-to-peer learning with your fellow real estate bloggers, will be held in Leesburg, Virginia on Friday, April 4, 2008. Bring your laptop, connect to DAAR’s free WiFi hotspot, and learn from tech-savvy REALTORS® just like you who run their businesses with a technology flair. The event is FREE, but we are requesting a $10 donation to Habitat for Humanity to be paid when you register.

Date: Friday, April 4, 2008
Time: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Location: Dulles Area Association of REALTORS® (DAAR)
Street: 803 Sycolin Road, Ste. 222 in Leesburg, VA

In true unconference form, the agenda will be set at the beginning of the day by the participants, but some prospective topics are…

• Stupid blog tricks (set up roundtables for Wordpress, Typepad, Blogger and Active Rain blogging platforms, and learn from your peers about how to trick out your blog)
• Widgets that work (from Plugoo to Vyew, Meebo to Wufoo and every crazy Web 2.0 company name in between, what widgets deliver real value?)
• How to write for SEO and not come across like a robot
• Book reports (Wikinomics, Here Comes Everybody, Freakonomics, whatever’s hot on your reading list)
• Legal, ethical and regulatory implications for REALTORS® using social media
• Integrating other social networking sites (Linkedin, Facebook, etc.) into your blogging efforts

Plus, I am very excited to announce that Keith Garner, Managing Director of NAR’s Center for REALTOR® Technology (CRT), will prepare a presentation and join us for lunch. As CRT’s managing director, Keith is at the epicenter of NAR’s member-facing technology efforts, including RETS. Of special note to the blogging crowd, he is one of two people at NAR responsible for instituting the Blogger’s Lounge at NAR’s mid-year and annual meetings.

As a reminder, seating for this event is EXTREMELY limited. There is space for 30, and there are only 21… make that 20 15 12 seats left! Register now!

This spring is shaping up to be very busy here at VARbuzz. In addition to the Blog Brawl (round three voting closes at 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, March 18), we are thrilled to announce that VAR has arranged a meeting in which NAR’s chief economist, Dr. Lawrence Yun, will talk with five Virginia REALTOR bloggers.  Coincidentally, today NAR announced that Dr. Yun has been named one of America’s top 10 economists by USA Today (read NAR’s press release).

The dialog with Dr. Yun will be late next week, so you can expect to see posts the week of March 31 at VARbuzz and these five Virginia REALTOR blogs:

• www.ClientCentricRealEstate.com
• www.RealCentralVA.com
• www.RealDiaBlog.com
• www.RealEstateZebra.com
• www.ScottPRogers.com/blog

In a bit of a tease, last week we inquired of VARbuzz readers: If you could ask Lawrence Yun one question, what would it be? We’ve gotten a few replies, but now that you know we can deliver your questions directly to one of the country’s top economists, we encourage you to leave your question in the comments here or on last week’s post.