Because We Fight for You
Real estate professionals join the Pennsylvania Association of REALTORS® for a variety of reasons. The association offers benefits and services ranging from discounts on professional programs to monitoring legislative activities.
“There’s no doubt – legislative work is one of the best benefits of PAR,” says Ted Laskowski, president-elect of the Bucks County Association of REALTORS®. “Derenda (Updegrave, Director of Government Affairs) and her assistants make sure everyone on Capitol Hill knows our agenda. The PAR legislative staff is prominent with people who make laws that affect our industry.”
Maggie Pollich, 2005 president of the Bucks County Association, agrees. “PAR helps its members stay abreast of legislative issues to help us protect our industry,” she said.
Echoing those sentiments, Bob Foster, a member of the Greater Harrisburg Association, says, “Even though we’re close to Harrisburg, I don’t have time to run up to the Hill to see what’s going on. Politically, that’s PAR’s greatest benefit to its members. There are so many other organizations that influence our legislators and the governor. PAR is battling for us day to day and keeping abreast of issues that affect the industry. And those benefits filter down to each of us.”
“Defeating the RTT (realty transfer tax) is one of those benefits that helped all of us,” he adds. “When we receive those Calls-to-Action, and we all e-mail, write or call our legislators, I know that legislators will hear our concerns.”
And while he sees many other benefits to PAR membership, Mel Booher, PAR director and member of the Greenville Area and Lawrence County boards, views the legislative benefits as highly important. “Our legislative department is very effective. They help give us a working relationship with local and state politicians. I find that because of that relationship, our legislators are eager to hear from us to understand what we think about the issues; which in turn helps them to make a decision before they vote.”
Another valuable resource for members is the association’s web site.
LouAnn Kenney, president of the Fayette Board and a member of the LeadershipPAR program, says, “I think the web site is a major benefit. Among the educational calendar, the explanations of various issues; and industry information that is located online, the web site is a major asset. I also think it’s great that we’re able to register for continuing education classes online.”
Another valuable resource, according to Booher, is The Pennsylvania REALTOR® publication, which is mailed monthly to members. “Our publication is always interesting and informative,” he notes.
The Legal Hotline is another benefit that many members find helpful. Attorneys from PAR’s Legal Counsel Caldwell and Kearns are available for members to talk with, Monday through Friday from 9 to 11 a.m. and from 1 to 3 p.m. Hours were expanded for the Legal Hotline in January.
Booher notes, “The Legal Hotline is a service that all members can use. If you need a question answered, people can call and get the right answer quickly. This is a great member resource and it’s being used all the time.”
Continuing education is another important benefit. The education department maintains an extensive calendar on the association’s web site so members can locate classes near them. Online continuing education opportunities have been added as well, so now members can complete classes in the comfort of their homes or offices.
Pollich says, “PAR does a great job educating the membership on trends and changes in the industry to help make us better professionals.”
“Adrienne (Nichols, director of edu-
cation) is doing a great job with the education department,” adds Booher. “Education is always important in this industry. And members can focus on different areas like earning their GRI (Graduate, REALTOR® Institute) or CRS (Certified Residential Specialist).”
Foster enjoys attending the association’s TriplePlay conference, where many educational opportunities are held in Atlantic City each December. “Going to TriplePlay makes it so easy for you to attend classes and get the continuing education credits you need in one place. And the association makes it simple to register,” Foster says.
Laskowski notes that PAR’s standard forms available through Business Solutions for Real Estate (BSRE), a subsidiary of PAR, are valuable to REALTORS®. “I teach commercial contract courses and it’s very beneficial for members to have access to those forms,” he explains.
There are many other benefits that may not be tangible, but that members see as valuable to their businesses.
Kenney notes, “I think networking is a great benefit. I meet so many people at meetings and find out how much information is available. I hear other peoples’ viewpoints and learn how others are doing business.”
To get more information about PAR member benefits, please visit the web site at www.parealtor.org.