Nearly five months after member concerns forced a quick scaling back of the initiative, the Massachusetts Association of Realtors has plans to resume its aggressive marketing campaign for its MassForms real estate forms product line.

The issue was originally scheduled to be addressed at a board of directors meeting June 22, but was postponed until Thursday, July 13, because the first meeting ran long as the board considered whether to dismiss Robert Nash, who at the time was MAR’s top executive.

At the 2 p.m. meeting at the Sheraton Tara in Framingham, the statewide board will take up a motion to rescind its resolution of Feb. 24, 2000, regarding the marketing of MassForms exclusively through local boards.

In addition, the motion outlines a further plan of action for marketing the forms.

In one instance the association would promote the forms on its Web site, www.mareal-tor.com. Earlier this year, MAR officials announced they were working on a Web site where they would market MassForms and other books and study guides available through the association bookstore. The site was originally scheduled to launch in May.

Additionally, MAR proposes promoting its forms in the Realtor Digest, an e-mail publication that is sent out periodically to associ-ation members that contains updates on continuing education, legislative action, and other news of interest. The forms would also be marketed in Baystate Realtor magazine.

Outside of print and Internet advertising, the motion calls for promotion of the forms at the MAR Annual Convention & Trade Expo – held this year in September in Falmouth – and at other meetings and educational seminars hosted by the association.

Furthermore, the state association would provide materials concerning MassForms to any member who requested it.

Reaching beyond just the MAR membership roster, the measure – if approved – would allow the association to advertise, promote and sell the forms to non-Realtors as well, a group that includes attorneys, property managers and landlords. The ads would be subject to budgetary approval.

As for direct-mail marketing to members, which was a major point of contention earlier in the year, there is a proposal to conduct up to one direct mailing each year to every member of MAR. Two mailings each year are proposed for proprietary members of MAR. Like the advertisements, the mailings would also be subject to budgetary approval.

In addition to implementing the aforementioned points of the marketing plan on its own, MAR is poised to team up with local Realtor associations by conducting additional mailings or promotions of MassForms on behalf of those local boards that request such a service. The cost of such a mailing or promotion would be paid for by the local association.

‘No Problems’
Concerns about MAR’s marketing of MassForms surfaced soon after the product was launched in late January 2000. At the time, sources familiar with the situation said local officials felt MAR’s efforts went against the traditional three-way marketing strategy. Under that system, the National Association of Realtors markets to the state associations, the state associations market to local associations, and the local boards market to individual members. Some local association officials also felt they would lose an important source of non-dues revenue if Realtors purchased forms directly from the state association instead of through the local offices.

In an interview at the time, then-MAR Executive Vice President Nash called those concerns unfounded. He said if a Realtor purchased forms directly through the state association, it would rebate a portion of the purchase price to the member’s local association, provided it was one of the 15 local boards that had signed a marketing agreement with MAR.

But due to the concerns, the MAR Executive Committee voted in February to suspend the direct marketing and eventually sent out letters clarifying the situation. Nash said at the time that the issue would be revisited this summer.

Although some association members have said Nash’s handling of MassForms marketing contributed to his dismissal last month, the issue hasn’t disappeared. MAR President Fred Meyer said in a recent interview that the organization’s plans would continue in the absence of an executive vice president, including the marketing plans.

“Our goals and plans are still the same,” Meyer said.

Several local association officials did not return phone calls for comment about the MassForms marketing issue by Banker & Tradesman’s press deadline, while others said they felt it would be inappropriate to comment on the matter until after the board of directors has cast its vote.

Those that did speak on the matter said they did not have major concerns about the return of MassForms marketing.

“We have no concerns at all,” said Elizabeth Randall, president of the Berkshire County Board of Realtors. “We use MassForms, and we have a choice for everyone about what forms they want.” Randall said the forms have been well received by Realtors in the state’s westernmost county. “We’ve had no problems,” she said.

Randall said the matter would most likely come to a “good resolution. But we’ll know better after the next directors meeting. It’s kind of hard to comment right now,” she said.

“I think it’s gone,” said Rosalind K. Levine, president of the Greater Worcester Association of Realtors. “It’s pretty much a non-issue now. “We originally had some concerns, but we did sign the marketing agreement and we sell all the forms.

“I think that each board has come to terms with it. They’ve had time,” she said.

Edwin J. Shanahan, CEO of the Greater Boston Real Estate Board, which markets its own forms that have a major presence around the state, said he was unconcerned about his board’s largest competitor in the forms business trying to restart its marketing efforts.

“We don’t have any,” he said about possible concerns. “Our focus is on the delivery of the best services and the best product available. We’ve always been there with our forms, and we’re continually reviewing our forms and finding ways to improve them.” He added that the forms were recently reviewed, and new versions should be published soon.

As MAR is planning to do, GBREB recently stepped up efforts to market its forms, including the launch of www.formsforrealestate.com, a Web site where they can be ordered electronically. “The Web site is doing exceedingly well,” Shanahan reported. “Early returns indicate it was worth the efforts.” GBREB has been heavily promoting the Web site, including passing out computer mouse pads with the Web address to everyone who attend the recent RealTech Expo and annual Residential Association of Realtors awards banquet.

To possibly prevent backlash in the future similar to what happened with the MassForms launch, the board of directors this week will also vote on a motion that all major future products and services of the state association have a minimum 30-day waiting period before implementation. During that period, executives from the 18 local associations would have the opportunity to comment on the proposal.