The Cape Cod & Islands Association of Realtors hopes its West Yarmouth headquarters and conference center will be among the factors that help attract new members to the group.
The new leaders of the Cape Cod & Islands Association of Realtors are starting the year off with some ambitious goals to expand membership and the group’s educational offerings.
Keith W. Bradley, 2003 president of the association, and Jim Crocker, president-elect, said they would like to grow the association to 2,000 members, helping to eventually reduce the fees and costs associated with membership and benefits. Also, by reaching the 2,000-membership goal, the Cape association would be able to snatch a seat on the National Association of Realtors’ board of directors, explained Bradley.
“It would give us more access and more exposure,” he said.
Currently, the association has about 1,600 members. Members must pay about $420 in dues to belong to NAR, the CC&IAOR and the Massachusetts Association of Realtors. By increasing membership numbers and participation in the group’s programs and activities, Bradley is hoping to reduce the fees each member must pay.
In addition, Bradley said he wants to offer more educational courses, and is looking into offering courses for the Certified Residential Specialist designation at the association’s headquarters and conference center in West Yarmouth.
“It’s really important that Realtor members find value for their dues dollar and that’s why we’re trying to enhance non-dues income, so we can bring down the cost of membership,” said Bradley, a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Atlantic Realty in Chatham.
Association leaders will reach out to Realtors in the region, particularly to members of smaller local boards that work within two regions, to tout the benefits of membership. Bradley is planning to attend so-called MLS tours – when Realtors working in a town or two gather to view a newly listed home located within that community.
“It will give me an opportunity to talk to them in one place,” he said. Bradley said he believes the membership goal will be reached because of the number of new agents entering the business each year and because the real estate industry is “healthy.”
Stability Factor
Other factors that could help boost membership numbers are the association’s well-known educational programs and state-of-the-art headquarters and conference facility that was built within the last two years. Part of the facility is currently being finished.
“Obviously, the stability that our group offers is advantageous,” said Crocker, who is the principal broker of Wianno Realty in Osterville. Particularly at a time when several local Realtor groups have merged, the strength of CC&IAOR will be very attractive to groups that are prepared to rebuild or merge with others, he said.
While reaching out to attract new members, the leaders also want to get more current members involved in association committees. Bradley has already sent out a request seeking volunteers for the committees and has received several responses. He also wants to enhance the association’s Web site, adding a section that summarizes committees’ work and accomplishments.
Bradley said he hopes to build on the accomplishments and goals of previous presidents. One of the goals is a continued effort to get Realtors on Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard more involved in the association activities, particularly the association’s multiple listing service. Currently, agents on Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard share listings through their own exclusive systems, but Nantucket agents agreed to participate in the CC&IAOR’s MLS for a trial period, and about 80 agents on Martha’s Vineyard have expressed interest in participating.
