Affiliating with a Non-Realtor Brokerage - Maryland

[Justin J.]

Hi fellow BP RE agents,

I moved to Maryland a year ago and will take the state portion of the Salesperson's exam in the next two weeks. That said, my initial goal when getting my RE Salespersons license was to save money on the buyer's commission when buying my first primary residence. I'm looking for a Brokerage that isn't affiliated with the NAR. It seems like it's very difficult to find a broker who isn't also a Realtor in MD. I was an active RE salesperson while living in MA and also a member of the NAR and local boards so I know the value and benefits of being a Realtor.

However, at this time I don't need access to the MLS nor do I need to be a member of the NAR for at least this next year or two, does anyone know of any non-Realtor Brokers that I can look at affiliating with?

Cheers,

-Justin

[Charlie MacPherson]

@Justin J. Well, I just may be the cowboy in the group.  My Mom always said I marched to the beat of my own drum.

The National Association of Realtors® (NAR) is simply a trade group, along the lines of the Airline Pilots Association. The term "Realtor®" is a registered trademark of that group. Someone who represents themselves as a Realtor® is simply a member of NAR.

I was a NAR / MAR member when I firs got licensed, because the office where I worked required it. In fact, the Plymouth and South Shore Association of Realtors® (PASS) requires that ALL members of an office are members - or none are allowed to be. Some MLSs require NAR membership for access, but ours does not.

When I opened my own brokerage, I decided to drop NAR membership. I just wasn't seeing the bang for the buck - and that $500+/year is money that a new brokerage needs to spend on lead generation and marketing.

NAR likes to insinuate that Realtors® operate at a higher level of ethics than non-NAR agents and brokers. That is a cheap smear against a lot of very ethical, hard working real estate agents who have not joined their club.

I can tell you that virtually everything in their code of ethics is replicated in MA state law and/or MLS rules.

The only two exceptions are that if one NAR member asks another whether there are offers on a particular property, the seller's agent is required to answer yes or no.

I simple state "I'm not prepared to discuss other offers. Please present your highest and best offer." I think the NAR Code of Ethics (COE) Rule weakens the seller's negotiating position - which is an attack on the fiduciary relationship that the same COE purports to protect.

The other is that NAR members agree not to sue each other, going instead to arbitration. Not that I love the idea of suing somebody, but I don't want to give that right up should I ever need it.

For what it's worth, I have never had a client or prospect ask me whether I'm a Realtor®, just like you've never asked a pilot whether he's a member of the Airline Pilots Association.