Chairman’s Message: Did you know you get all this for your dues?

By Jef Conn

March 01, 2024

Ensure you’re getting the most value from your membership. Volunteer for a committee, come to our meetings, visit texasrealestate.com for information and resources, read association emails, take our surveys to help us get even better, and spread the word to other REALTORS®.

What do you get for the $152 you pay to Texas REALTORS® each year? Probably more than you realize!

Advocacy. I don’t have my own personal lobbying staff, nor would I know where to begin. I bet the same is true for you. We benefit tremendously from the work of our full-time government affairs staff and lobbying teams. Based on member input and involvement, this staff ensures no laws passed at the state level harm you and your clients. This experienced and talented team protects our great Texas business environment, saving us from damaging proposals like real estate transfer fees and taxes on services. That gives me great peace of mind!

Legal Hotline and Resources. Your dues help make the Legal Hotline possible. Just think what you would pay a private attorney to answer a question. You can ask hotline attorneys questions about forms, contracts, real estate laws, regulations, and more. (Important caveat: Hotline attorneys answer general questions about real estate laws but cannot give legal advice; they are not your personal attorney.) You also can search more than 500 Legal FAQs, download model compliance guides, and take advantage of other risk-reduction resources.

MarketViewer. Do you know how many homes sold in your market last month, quarter, or year? MarketViewer—included in your dues and exclusive to members—gives you sales, median price, months of inventory, days on market, price per square foot, and more. Generate reports and infographics to provide to clients and share online. And commercial members can access MarketViewer’s commercial dashboard, with data for 11 commercial market segments.

Resources for Specialties. If you’re in commercial, property management, farm & ranch, or global real estate, you get specialized information from Texas REALTORS®. Email newsletters, webinars, and committee work ensure that your interests are protected. Texas REALTORS® advocacy and education address topics like 1031 exchanges, trade missions, land rules, assistance animals, and more.

Exclusive Forms and ZipForm. Yes, TREC promulgates some of the most used contracts, but did you know Texas REALTORS® provides 140 additional contracts, forms, and addenda? You get commercial forms, listing agreements, disclosures, notices, leases, and other forms to cover most of the activities you and your clients need. You can manage all your forms through zipForm, one of the most used Texas REALTORS® benefits. I’ve heard from members that before Texas REALTORS® included zipForm as a member benefit, REALTORS® frequently paid $400, $700, even $1,200 per year for their forms-management platforms!

This just scratches the surface. You also get networking opportunities and educational programs at our many meetings throughout the year, administration of our professional standards process related to the Code of Ethics, this magazine and our weekly newsletter, discounts on dozens of products and services, and much, much more—and all for only $152 per year. For everything we get, that is cheap!

I encourage you to turn to the inside front cover of this magazine to see the breakout of our state dues. Even better, take the time to ensure you’re getting the most value from your Texas REALTORS® membership. Volunteer for a committee, come to our meetings, visit texasrealestate.com for information and resources, read the Texas REALTORS® emails, take our surveys to help us get even better, and spread the word to other REALTORS® you know. If you’re like me, you’ll tell them that you can’t believe you get this much value from your membership in Texas REALTORS®!

Jef Conn is 2024 chairman of Texas REALTORS®.

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